How To Prepare Yourself For Corrective Jaw Surgery

Finding out that you need corrective jaw surgery can be overwhelming. However, the good news is that once you have been through your surgery, you will have eliminated some of the health problems that you are currently having. If your jaw is not properly aligned, it can cause problems with chewing, breathing, and speaking.

Getting this corrected can bring a lot of positive changes to your life. Even so, it is important that you are prepared for the surgery. Here are some tips that can make the whole process a lot easier.

Medications 

The first step in the entire process is getting prepared. You need to talk to your doctor about any medications you are currently taking and also discuss your allergies. This is important because it can have an impact on the type of medication your doctor can give you during and after the surgery.

Food Preparation

It's going to be difficult to eat solid food once you have had your surgery. This means that you will need to mostly eat liquid foods and drinks. Make sure you have a juicer and a blender available to make these types of food to eat. 

After Care

Jaw surgery usually lasts for several hours and you will be put under general anesthesia. You will not be able to drive yourself home so get someone to do it for you. You will also need someone to stay at home with you for a few days after surgery. You need to make all these arrangements ahead of time so that you are ready for the big day.

Your Recovery

Recovering from your surgery is the next stage in your journey. You need to make sure that you're taking any antibiotics that you have been given in exactly the manner that your doctor prescribed it. Even if you start feeling better before the antibiotics are not finished, you need to finish the medication.

You'll also be given pain relievers. You can gauge the effectiveness of these pain relievers over time. If you feel that they're not working, you can talk to your doctor and have them changed to something else. 

Make sure that you are aware of when you need to go for your checkups. Do not miss any of them. These appointments are important so that your surgeon can gauge exactly how effective the surgery has been. With that being said, you can expect that the healing process will take anywhere from two to three months.

Contact a local dental office to learn more about corrective jaw surgery.