Recovery From Corrective Jaw Surgery

  • Most patients return home in one to two days after the procedure.
  • Significant swelling develops in the first 24 to 36 hours and gradually diminishes over seven to 10 days. It usually resolves completely in two weeks.
  • Pain is usually fairly minor and readily managed with Tylenol #3 or Vicodin.
  • Antibiotics are prescribed for 10 days.
  • A liquid diet is recommended for two to four weeks. Patients may then advance to a very soft diet (mashed potatoes, soft pastas, etc.) up to six weeks and then gradually return to a regular diet from the sixth to 10th week.
  • Oral rinses are recommended every one to two hours for the first two weeks.
  • In most patients, the jaws do not require wiring, therefore allowing normal mouth opening, which gradually increases after two weeks and returns to normal by the sixth week.
  • Numbness over the upper and lower lips and chin diminishes gradually and returns to a normal sensation usually within six months.