You may have your jaw wired for up to six weeks while recovering and need to plan, prepare, and consume nutritious meals during that time. I had supportive family and friends too, but I felt like they didn’t really get it (how can you unless you’ve been through it) and felt like a whiner. Just looking for a bit of advice regarding why my get-up-and-go has got-up-and-gone. Also helps immensely if you can get a water pin to get out anything that gets caught in the wires. Anyway, sorry for the long post, I would appreciate any advice or comments and thank you all for your time – hope you are well. It is making me look at the whole world with new eyes. And the fracture closes to my chin is still very swollen. How wrong was he….there was an acute fracture (which even I could see on the CT scan and X-rays) that required surgery and plating. Things don’t feel the same as before the injury, but I’ve no numbness, just a sore and limited jaw. Since the wires have been clipped, I’ve noticed a lot of dull pressure in my temples, and crackling as if I’m on a plane when I swallow or yawn. Did anyone else have pain or problems with the size of the actual bars? Lol. (Different comment from Adam). Well 3 days later, as I write this, and I can now fit one finger in comfortably. I broke my jaw,dentist told me am getting the wires off in 4 weeeks,is that normally? Upon further inspection, I’ve noticed that the gum around the tooth has receded a little bit. Since then, they’ve mostly moved back, but one of them is still ever so slightly out of line. I broke my jaw when someone abruptly punched me in the face. Good luck! Hello – I to was determned NOT to lose weight. Hi Karen. Since you have the option, I’d say get put under for the removal. Another question what’s the earliest you think you can get everything off because I can open my mouth pretty wide even only at three weeks and a couple of days? How has it been going? My doctor (who I think is the sweetest) told me that I'm allowed to do whatever … It was nice to go to blogs like this one and not have to worry about that. I can’t help but dwell back on the night and think if there was something different I could have done to have avoided this and it is making me really miserable. Will they put me under or will it be a local in my mouth and gums? I hope things have gotten better for you. I know it’s not easy! I’m sorry you’re going through such a difficult time. I have a question. And honestly South Dakota is not the best place to have a medical emergency as it is so sparsely populated. And no rubberbands! After my surgery my doctor explained nothing except that I would need to be on a liquid diet. And enough water. I’m making an appointment ASAP, if nothing else the front of my teeth can b cleaned. It was an experience to say the least! I guess I haven’t posted any photos since December. But now I’ll just relax and work on getting food in my mouth . I got the mouth opened yesterday, after six weeks, and was looking forward to a more varied diet. It is an amazing feeling to have the wires off. I had a similar accident on the bicycle five weeks ago ending up with three mandible breaks – one in center at chin and two at either side near the condyles. Peanut butter and jelly, with shredded tortillas, Lasagna with overcooked noodles (with cashew ricotta). A week later in excruciating pain I went to another hospital and they X-rayed and said you definitely have a broken jaw. Anyway, came home from the appt. Every aspect of my life has changed. they come off next wednesday (CANT WAIT!!) I’m getting wires off tomorrow after only 3 weeks. It’s really a slow process, so take a breath; you’re doing great! It’s hard to know whether it helped, but I was eventually able to open my mouth mostly normally. I would like to say THANK YOU for starting this blog. That sounds rough. The heeling, at least in my case, took a long time. And even when she said she never wanted another bowl of soup, she ate it. Blend 1/2 cup of meat with several tablespoons of broth, water, or gravy. I only received a single break on one upper side and possibly a hairline crack in my chin. Again, if you can’t easily talk, there are counselors who will do sessions online. Maybe I’ll have that tomorrow in fact. Please give me any more details about your journey and how you decided to wait and how your jaw and bite healed. My chin was broken and also the two jaw bones below the ears. That’s a slow process but it gets better by the day/week. I’ve had a couple of friends who had orthognathic surgery and they both have normal mouth opening and no weird joint noises or anything. I had never broken any bones or gotten stitches before this accident, so it’s been a really difficult experience, emotionally and physically. The doctor says that the jaw is still a little crack. I wrote this blog after I had a bicycle accident and thought it might be useful to document the various injuries (a broken jaw among them) that resulted. I lost a lot of weight when I first started and did not have much to lose so I forced myself to eat – protein drinks, milkshakes, soup and lots of jamba juice and smoothies. So I didn’t have a lot of choice in the matter. I have made a decision to give my dog to my old neighbor who really loves her. You might want to check out the forums on archwired.com. Good to keep the “it could have been much worse” scenario in mind when you’re feeling impatient. I still like real fruit smoothies for breakfast…add cereal and yogurt…grind it to a puree…i only lost 4lbs…i weighed 175 before and. (Of course, I’m not a doctor.) I had a vaso vagal experience 5 weeks ago, passed out and fell flat on my face while walking my dog. This site was a lifesaver for me at that point in my recovery. As a general rule, jaw surgery patients should not use a straw during the recovery period. I also thought I would be able to brush the inside of my teeth again, but no. Nice to hear that everyone was tired. Salt and pepper are consistent flavor enhancers but paprika, fresh grated ginger, or non-spice flavor additions like a squeeze of lemon or lime can be just the thing to brighten up a soup or juice drink. I was wired for about 6 -7 weeks and it took a long time to get back to “normal” (my bite is still off but much better). Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. I put chunkier liquids in a blender to make them more liquid and would sometimes use a syringe to squirt the liquid past my teeth. Still can’t wait for a salad. However, a doctor would obviously be able to provide a less speculative answer. My gums looked pretty bad after wearing the arch bars for 2 months, but returned to normal for the most part. I found that Bertolli has stars pasta, like the tiny stars from chicken and stars soup. LeShawna was captured when she went to go take a nap. This will be an interesting start to the year. It sounds like your fracture wasn’t too bad if your doctor is telling you that you will be able to go on with life as if it never happened. I will be doing various exercises to open wide and high for example. My bite doesn’t feel anything like it did before, but my oral surgeon is saying it’s right. I also have now realised I have some chipped teeth and potentially some moved teeth which may be contributing to the bad bite. Read the nutrition labels and pick things that have lots of calories, its probably the only time in your life that you’ll want to do that . Go from softer foods and work up..smoothies are you friend and just don’t rush it ! Ask your doctor to be sure, but I haven’t tried to chew anything (still on liquids) and your situation mirrors mine almost identically. I see this post is no longer active…. You’ll likely blend all of your foods or consume prepared foods like liquid nutritional supplements, milkshakes, or drinkable yogurts during this time. I felt hot afterwards and went to the bathroom to splash water on my face, fainted, and fell on the sink, broke my jaw in three places. Did anyone else feel this way? I think it took a good 6-12 months to feel normal again (and occasionally a tooth still feels “off” but not enough to do anything about it). I have a renewed patience and positivity. What are people’s experiences with getting back to opening up their mouth? You’ll also need to practice good dental hygiene. Hello just got my wires off and it feels like my teeth are off track and i cant bite down did you experience this?..I’m trying Not to worry because I still have the arch bar around my gums for another 2weeks. Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Words of encouragement from a 90-year-old broken jaw survivor « Shock and Jaw, Saran Wrap, Hand Trucks, and Concrete Floors, Words of encouragement from a 90-year-old broken jaw survivor. Just getting wires off. Hoping the facial asymmetry is non-permanent but your mind can wander…. As I understand, though, the rubber bands are to help your mouth close correctly rather than help you open it, so I don’t think that lack of progress with the opening should stop your oral surgeon from freeing you from the rubber bands. Karen – You should totally get braces to fix your bite. I fear it may be TMJ. It’s been useful to know that I can expect not to dive into a burger and carrots (what I’ve been craving most) the first day afterwards. As usual, your doctor is the best person to answer that question. I have lost the ability to chew properly since the teeth don’t meet and because the lower jaw is receding backward, I cannot verbally function properly. I am so sorry to hear about your fall and breaks. Well it didn’t so I went to ER a week later. It’s been almost a month and I see him next week and I’m hoping it’s good news and some wire removal. She has all her faculties. with my mouth being held shut with elastics (and I’m talking 20 or so here!) Oftem put avacado, cucumber, gar;ic cylantro, little dressing drink it down. Take care of yourself! Anyway, safe to say, all pounds are back on six months later and I still love my favorite burger – cut up right now since I can’t open enough to really bite in to it. My grandmother broke her jaw the year before I did at age 89 as well. When I had my wires cut it didn’t hurt at all as they were attached to the arch bars that were sort of threaded through my gums. My bite is off but I can either face further surgery or learn to live with it. Mashed potatoes, turkey, and gravy is also pretty easy on the teeth. I hope it goes well, and please do report back on the answer to your question after the fact. I know how frustrating and depressing this whole thing can be and so does everyone else here on this blog. I didn’t experience an spasms, but there was definitely some pain in the rubber band stage. Try peeling and roasting root veggies like potatoes, yams, carrots, and parsnips. I am 3 weeks into wiring. Thanks again! Shout out to you, James. Hi Shannon, They try to keep you in them as short as possible to limit the loss of range of motion that is associated with being wired shut. The mental part is definitely a huge challenge, so it’s great that you’re aware of that. Unfortunately, I don’t have a whole lot of advice, but I can tell you that many people have recovered from a broken jaw, and I don’t imagine anybody found it easy emotionally. Like you, I never had had broken bones or stitches either. You can and should really listen to your body about both opening your mouth again and about training (goals that are sort of at two ends of the spectrum). Hang in there. My question is the doctor said wired will stay in 4 to 5 weeks. Hi All – I have been wired for 2 weeks now and am so glad I found this site/blog. Melinda. I to had to high of expectations and went home and balled my eyes out. Focus on high protein and high calorie liquid meals that are low in volume because it will take an extended period of time and more effort to consume your meal. It’s been very daunting and painful to say the least. I know there are different ways of wiring the jaws shut though so perhaps your case was different. If I try it hurts….I’m feelling I’m going backwards. I was just told to open my mouth until I felt pressure and continue to do it multiple times holding it for 20 seconds each time…. Sorry you’re in this position but this is a very good site for what you’re going through. The jaw should not get bigger regardless of what one chews. With any luck, she’ll actually start using the Galaxy Tab we got her and she can post, ask questions, etc. I’ve enjoyed being able to read the posts–they’ve helped a lot over the last two months! I am soooo skinny….I hate it….hope I can eat. .. at which point i was told i will be onto elastic bands. I figured out that I could floss between my teeth after the wires were changed out for the rubberbands. The vaccines were rigorously tested to assess their safety and…. Lastly, I went back with a translator as I had concerns (still didn’t get many answers) and they said that the bone was not corrected as it was originally and that the bones were overlapping and would heal that way as opposed to sitting on top of each other like normal. I’ve been having hearing problems since it happened and didn’t know if this could be the cause (It could also be trauma and I’ve had a cold so not sure) once again is this normal and should I be concerned? The advantage of not being closed for so long is that I can open my mouth relatively well already. I NEVER slow down. I avoid busy streets, I watch out for doors, and I stop for stop signs. I used them for eating youghurts, purées etc. . She said she was so fearful of falling or choking. It seems to me like that’s a separate issue from the broken jaw (even if everything happened at the same time), which you should probably talk to your dentist about. Thanks Karen, that brings a little peace of mind. Sorry to hear about your missing teeth, are dental implants in your future? So I thought I’d celebrate with chocolate cake. It took months to comfortably open my mouth and a year until all of the numbing stopped (though it decreased) and my bite kind of settled in again. It was hard and even a bit painful to chew hard foods at the beginning, but within a few months it pretty much returned to normal. Some of this movement was undone after I got the arch bars off and was able to wear my old retainers at night, but my teeth still aren’t in the same place they used to be. I trudged my way through the veggie market to get to my door—terrified one of the little old ladies would bump into my jaw! That you’re still around is a small miracle. It took at least two years for my right side to stop being numb. While I am not a dentist, nor do I pretend to be one on TV, my very excellent dentist suggested doing nothing about my bite for 6-12 months. My bite is off and I just can’t face doing anything drastic right now. In 10 months! Glad you’ve found your way to Adam’s blog; there’s a lot of good information here. They aren’t as sweet as the other meal replacement drinks and have fiber in them, which is important when you aren’t eating solids and are on pain meds. My dentist seemed most concerned about the fact my bite is off. But thankfully I was a head taller than most of them (yes, at 5’3” !) I had a similar fracture pattern to you (one just off center in my chin and both condyles) back in August and my functioning is pretty good now. Thank you Adam. I just spent a while reading through everyone’s comments so I would know what to expect after getting my wires off. I can’t take the place of your doctor but you might want to enlist a second opinion before having the wires removed after such a short period of time. Karen is right, I was so not patient and was really freaking out! I do have good news to report. What a winer, eh? You may want to add milk, broths, or other liquids when blending foods to make them thin enough. He said about 5 weeks for this wiring and they should be out which would be now to go 3 weeks and 3 days! Yeah, I’m 9 months post accident so it’s easy for me to say “be patient”. Hang in there! Hey all – glad I located helpful knowledge through this blog. Having your injury occur so far away from home, much less a major hospital, sounds awful. Anyway, hang in there people. Take care and time is your friend. The upper was a multiple radial break, and the lower was just split in the middle of my chin. James – That’s a horrible story. the most. Thanks for posting. But most of all, getting enough nutrition helped. Yes, I had something similar, almost felt like bones rubbing together, very disconcerting. I’m glad I followed the advice of my regular dentist to wait though. They are all offering great liquid diet recipes. I would not be allowed to chew for another three weeks, and my muscles would be so sore from disuse that I wouldn’t be able to open my mouth very far. Sasha – you’ve come to the right place. I have so much more empathy for all. A neighbour took me to the hospital and I had an operation the same day. Jaw surgeries are generally done as in-patient surgery with some form of anesthesia. Adam, Hi All, I’m not seeing that much improvement anymore, but it’s pretty much back to normal. I had elastic bands for 3 weeks, I think. Any other suggestions regarding the heightened anxiety, and the physical and emotional exhaustion would be greatly appreciated. I think it’ll go away with time–it may be just atrophied muscle (slowly) getting its groove back. Get braces, quicker, easier and simple. I asked for the least aggressive treatment. And still no pain. Today seems a bit better with the jaw and definitely feeling better emotionally. Hi Shannon. My bite is still off and I think I grind my teeth even by daytime because of it. Just make sure you eat quite often. Hi Sasha, I had a fracture on one side like yours. Been jaw wired shut for 3 weeks and ended up with 2 mini titanium mini plates inserted into my mandible… So I opted not to ride unless I could drive the bike to a bike path and, unfortunately, there aren’t any particularly convenient to our house. However, by the time my surgery day had come, I was looking forward to getting it over with and begin healing properly -I had broken my jaw about a week and a half prior and was tired of walking around with my mouth all but out of commission. This usually only takes 15-30 minutes a day, but it’s not as much as it sounds like. This will involve more meal planning and preparation than you may be used to. It was always quite uncomfortable, but now I can’t do it at all. Different for bike riding; that I enjoy. Just wanted to rub it in. Easy cap to unscrew, squish into mouth. Nor mine. This site has become an awesome resource I use frequently. It looks like the tooth loosening was temporary. Hello. For example, with the initial weight loss, I dropped to 150lbs. Hmm, apples were one of the hardest things to get back to eating. I experience spasms and earaches more often now. . It was dark and I didn’t see them and hit my chin on the curb. Take time to just manage your injury. Hi! Well they referred me to an oral surgeon, went and got wiring done 4 days later. It’s alot of work staying healty. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Hi Susan. You will get through this and life will be normal again! I was never a big eater, but when I can eat solids, I”m gonna eat!! However, your experience may be different, particularly since your mouth was wired for longer. Could of been worse indeed!!! I'm so excited to eat. Thank you for your guidance and information regarding your combat with this injury. Morning, noon and night. THey say not even to think about that for several months down the road. I was excited to get my jaw unwired by week 2 but sadly my jaw was a class 5 so I have the full 8 weeks of being wired shut… But I still love to visit your guide anyways to remind myself constantly that this won’t last forever. Good luck! I did spend a lot of time practicing opening my mouth as wide as I could. It seems to have gotten a little bit better just in the last few weeks, so I’m hoping it’s the latter. I got unwired after 3 weeks of being wired and now have bands. Even then, you probably won’t need them because you’re only “eating” liquids and everything that might come out will be liquid as well.

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