What is it like to have surgery for TMJ?

Question

What is it like to have the surgery for TMJ and what happens from the time you go to your doctor until a week or two after your surgery?

Answer 1

Well I had jaw surgery to fix my 'under-developed lower jaw'. They basically moved my lower jaw forward so that it lines up with my upper jaw better. I used to have a lot of TMJ pain because my teeth and jaw didn't line up properly and it caused a lot of stress on my jaw joint when I ate. Before I could have the surgery I had to have nearly a years worth of orthodontic treatment (braces). Recovery from the surgery was pretty rough. I had my jaw wired shut for a month and only ate liquidized foods. After the wire was removed I couldn't even open my mouth wide enough to get a full bite of food- I had to eat mushy stuff with a baby spoon for a couple of weeks and slowly worked up to eating real food. Overall, it was a huge bothersome ordeal but it was worth it because now I don't have any trouble eating or suffer from TMJ pain anymore. Hope I helped.