Ensuring his patients are well-informed and well-prepared before a procedure is very important to our oral surgeons. That’s why they spend so much time reviewing every detail of your surgery with you during your pre-op appointments.
It’s also why we are sure to provide corrective jaw surgery patients with recommendations on what types of foods they should have readily available after surgery. It may be surprising, but this is one of the most important things you can do to get ready for your big day.
In this blog, we will discuss more about the corrective jaw surgery process and give you some suggestions on what types of foods will be safe to eat once you return home.
Reasons To Have Corrective Jaw Surgery
Corrective jaw surgery has many benefits! Not only will it restore functionality to the bite of Northern Virginia men and women, but many patients experience newfound self-confidence and pride.
Corrective jaw surgery is complex, and it’s a procedure only experienced oral surgeons like Dr. Gocke are properly trained to perform. Northern Virginia patients might want or need corrective jaw surgery if they have:
- Misalignment of the teeth, jaw, or chin
- Intense symptoms of TMJ
- Cleft lip or palate that is causing reduced function and undesired cosmetic appearance
- Sleep apnea that is being caused by the structure of the jaw
The Corrective Jaw Surgery Process
During your consultation, one of our oral surgeons will fully explain the process of your corrective jaw surgery, which includes advanced “virtual surgery” techniques.
To make appropriate plans on how your new jaw will align, we will also coordinate with a biomedical engineer. After this, we then use the advanced technologies of a specialized manufacturer who will create physical guides and splints to customize your procedure and give you amazingly accurate results!
Since our oral surgeons stay on top of the latest technologies in the dental world, most of our corrective jaw surgery patients are not required to have their jaws wired shut while they heal.
Instead, we use tiny dental plates and screws that allow the jaw to heal properly, while still giving his patients the ability to speak and eat more normally as they recover. What an added benefit!
Corrective Jaw Surgery Dietary Guidelines
Because of the nature of this procedure, we ask our jaw surgery patients to be committed to healthy after-care practices once they’ve been released to return home.
One of the most important aspects of the healing process includes following a diet of soft foods for six weeks, post-surgery. Our office will provide you with detailed instructions on what you can and can’t eat, but in general, corrective jaw surgery patients should only eat soft foods such as:
- Soup
- Scrambled eggs
- Applesauce
- Soft pie or cake
- Ice cream
- Yogurt
- Well-cooked and chopped pasta
- Soft, small bites of meat
- Smashed potatoes
- Smoothies
- Protein shakes
You’ll notice that some of the recommended foods are typically consumed with a straw. However, corrective jaw surgery patients should not use a straw during their recovery until they’ve been cleared by their surgeon do so. Instead, use a spoon for drinking liquids, or take small sips from a cup.
If you have any other questions about the corrective jaw surgery process, or what foods you should be prepared to eat after your surgery, please don’t hesitate to call Virginia Advanced Surgical Arts’ McLean office at (703) 263-8834, Reston office at (571) 595-3223, or Potomac office at (703) 723-5366.