The time it takes to recover from jaw surgery varies depending on each patient’s situation.
Jaw surgery is often more invasive than other types of oral surgeries. If you require jaw surgery, you probably have many questions. When a dentist or oral surgeon like Dr. Larry Wolford recommends jaw surgery, it is for good reason.
Your jawbones are essential to enjoying smooth and comfortable oral function. When the jaws are affected by deformities, disease, or trauma, it can take a toll on your oral health along with your quality of life.
Dr. Larry M. Wolford, a caring and compassionate jaw surgeon, provides postoperative instructions along with a postoperative timeline of expectations following jaw surgery. With the best jaw surgeon in our area, our team answers frequently asked questions about this type of procedure.
FAQs: Recover from Jaw Surgery
How Do the Jaws Play a Role in Oral Function?
The roots of teeth are anchored in the jaw and this is what creates a patient’s bite or occlusion. A bite refers to the way that teeth line up when the mouth is closed. If the jaws are positioned improperly or damaged by injury or disease, the teeth cannot line up as they should when eating or speaking. Some occlusion issues can lead to unnecessary tooth wear because the upper and lower sets of teeth scrape and grind against one another.
Misaligned bites and jaw alignment issues can also produce discomfort in the form of facial pain, frequent headaches, and TMJ dysfunction. All of these issues associated with misaligned jaws will ultimately affect oral function and the health of the patient.
How Do Jawbones Become Misaligned?
Issues with the alignment of jawbones can be the result of a deformity during birth or during adolescence. Blunt trauma to the face and conditions such as osteoporosis or periodontal disease can affect bone placement and density as well.
Will I Be Comfortable During the Procedure?
Our team takes all measures necessary to promote comfort and relaxation. We will administer the appropriate amounts of pain medication and sedatives to provide our patients with a worry-free and comfortable experience.
Will I Be Given Post-Operative Instructions?
After any oral surgery procedure, we provide patients with information on post-operative care so that patients can recover from jaw surgery as quickly as possible.
Dr. Wolford is renowned globally for complex jaw revision surgery and total temporomandibular joint (TMJ) replacement. To schedule an appointment with our caring jaw surgery expert, Dr. Larry M. Wolford, call our 214-828-9115 today or use our online contact form.