Are you suffering from functional and aesthetic issues due to jaws that are poorly aligned, proportioned or positioned? If so, chances are that your dental care team has suggested double jaw surgery as a means of correcting these issues. Patients for whom this procedure has been recommended are often concerned about recovery time, wanting to know just how long it will take for their lives to get back to normal after double jaw surgery in Singapore. While specific answers must be given on a cases by case basis, since no two patients are alike, we can provide general answers based on the recovery time of the average Singapore patient.
Double Jaw Surgery
Double jaw surgery, also called corrective jaw surgery or orthognathic surgery, is done to correct skeletal malocclusions – conditions in which the teeth do not meet properly due to underlying problems with jaw alignment. These include skeletal underbite, overbite, cross bite and open bite among others, and, unlike malocclusions that are caused by misaligned teeth, cannot be corrected completely by orthodontic care alone. Via double jaw surgery procedures, Singapore oral surgeons can resize, reshape or reposition the upper and lower jaws as necessary to create proper jaw alignment and symmetry, correcting malocclusions and the functional, dental and aesthetic issues they can cause.
Recovery Time for Double Jaw Surgery in Singapore
Initial healing after double jaw surgery generally takes about 6 weeks. This is the period during which patients can expect incisions made in soft tissues to heal and any facial pain, stiffness, swelling and bruising to gradually improve. Additionally, over that period, trauma to the nerves that causes temporary numbness in the face in most patients after surgery– typically in areas like the lips, chin or cheeks – will begin to resolve, with feeling gradually returning to these areas. During the initial healing period, patients are typically limited to a liquid diet for a week or two, then soft foods for several more weeks. After initial healing is complete, solid foods can be introduced back into the diet as tolerated.
Complete healing of bones, nerves and other deep tissues will take a bit longer, generally 9 to 12 months. During that time, patients will be free to return to most of their normal activities. However, most will be advised to avoid strenuous activity, such as extreme workouts, heavy lifting or sports for at least 3 months. Any facial puffiness or swelling that persists after the initial healing period should resolve by about 3 to 4 months after surgery, and remaining numbness should resolve within 6 months.
While double jaw surgery and recovery will take some time and patience, in patients who have functional issues, such as difficulty eating, speech impediments, jaw pain or breathing problems, or aesthetic issues, like a protruding lower jaw, a recessed chin, or very prominent upper teeth, the results are well worth the trouble. In fact, for many patients, double jaw surgery in Singapore is a life-changing experience.
