“How long after jaw surgery can you chew?”
I will have jaw surgery. I want to know how long after jaw surgery can you chew?
2 Answers
6 weeks.
Depends on what you are trying to chew. The textbook answer is 6 weeks. Bone that has been cut takes 4-6 weeks to heal. Depending on how the surgeon stabilizes the bones after your jaws are aligned, your diet may advance sooner. For example, if all you have at the end of surgery are wires the full 6 weeks is what is recommended. In contrast, if after surgery you have plates and screws, you may be allowed by your surgeon to start with a soft diet by week 2 and advance to full diet by week 6. Remember, there is NO RUSH if you want to keep your new jaws where your surgeon intended. Eating too hard of foods or advancing your diet too soon can cause relapse or shifting in your bite because the bones aren’t mature enough for the stress given.
