I had lower jaw surgery/genioplasty last year. I recently had the genioplasty reversed and the screws taken out from my mandible. Ever since the jaw surgery, I've had this gaunt look going on. In the last few weeks after my last surgery, I've been slowly exercising how far I can open my mouth again. It hurts on one side when I open wide. Recently I noticed that my cheek on the same side that hurts looks sunken in compared to my other cheek. I went poking around inside my mouth, and on that side there is a band-like scar from my upper molars to my bottom molars in my inner cheek mucosal tissue. It feels very tight and is in the exact same area where my cheek seems to be pulling in. Has anyone experienced this? Does my hypothesis have merit? The way my face looks gaunt now really, really bothers me because it is an extreme change from my prior baby face. My lower jaw movement was very small.
