WHY DOES MY JAW MOVE MORE SIDE TO SIDE AFTER SURGERY

[Lazlo]

You all know I had surgery with Dr. Sinn. It's been like 2.5 years since then.

I've noticed that my lower jaw comes out far more forward then it used to. In fact, I can easily move it into a Class 3 overbite position and just have it rest there and it sort of feels natural and allows my lower jaw muscles to stretch out and relax a bit.

Also, my jaw moves WAY more side to side than it used to. Like I can move my lower jaw so far to the right and to the left that the molars overlapcompletely. Honestly it feels really odd that I can do that. Again it allows some stretching of the muscles, but I can relax into these positions and stay in them and I'm afraid I have too much mobility.

What could be the causes of my lower jaw being able to move so much from side to side? I never used to have this before and I never "missed" it. I'm worried that maybe muscles are too loose or the jaws havn't been fixated together properly.

Anyone else experiencing stuff like this?

[PloskoPlus]

I only had upper surgery, but I'm pretty sure my lower jaw was far less mobile after surgery than now. I can put it into an underbite position and while it's not comfortable, it looks better... Anyway, I digress.  You might have a little relapse in your maxilla.

[Lazlo]

I only had upper surgery, but I'm pretty sure my lower jaw was far less mobile after surgery than now. I can put it into an underbite position and while it's not comfortable, it looks better... Anyway, I digress.  You might have a little relapse in your maxilla.

I wouldn't be surprised. The splint sinn made (and it was made digitally so it should have been totally accurate) didn't when I woke up after surgery. Like Sinn took it out cause it wasn't fitting right.

So while most people wear a splint for a week or two after surgery I didn't wear a splint at all!?

It makes me think Sinn might have f**ked up. Also, isn't the splint important for preventing relapse after surgery?

[PloskoPlus]

I wouldn't be surprised. The splint sinn made (and it was made digitally so it should have been totally accurate) didn't when I woke up after surgery. Like Sinn took it out cause it wasn't fitting right.

So while most people wear a splint for a week or two after surgery I didn't wear a splint at all!?

It makes me think Sinn might have f**ked up. Also, isn't the splint important for preventing relapse after surgery?

Need the splint for multiple lefort pieces to heal properly.

[april]

Lazlo, maybe your previous bite was stopping you from moving all the way. Like teeth were contacting prematurely stopping that jaw movement. IDK. Just throwing that out there. I would look up the range of what normal mouth movements are, and see where you fit in all that.

How wide can you open your mouth?
Are you hypermobile in other joints?

Gunson doesn't have any of his patients wear a post-surgery splint.

[Lazlo]

Lazlo, maybe your previous bite was stopping you from moving all the way. Like teeth were contacting prematurely stopping that jaw movement. IDK. Just throwing that out there. I would look up the range of what normal mouth movements are, and see where you fit in all that.

How wide can you open your mouth?
Are you hypermobile in other joints?

Gunson doesn't have any of his patients wear a post-surgery splint.

Thanks. No I'm not hypermobile at all in other joints. I wasn't before jaw surgery either, I really think there is something a bit wrong with how much I can move from side to side.

I double checked my surgical report to make sure Dr. Sinn did the maxillary widening and it states the maxilla was "superiorally positioned in three pieces" that means lefort 3 piece right? I had no incisions in my gums at all so I figured it was all done somewhere above the gum line hidden from the exposed flesh. Does that make sense?

[GJ]

My guess would be the condyle remodeled. It's possible the condyle was compressed before and now it's not, too, so there's more mobility. Might be a good thing.

Is their pain, etc?

[april]

Thanks. No I'm not hypermobile at all in other joints. I wasn't before jaw surgery either, I really think there is something a bit wrong with how much I can move from side to side.

I double checked my surgical report to make sure Dr. Sinn did the maxillary widening and it states the maxilla was "superiorally positioned in three pieces" that means lefort 3 piece right? I had no incisions in my gums at all so I figured it was all done somewhere above the gum line hidden from the exposed flesh. Does that make sense?

Yes multisegment 3-piece
It's talking about the vertical position though
"superiorly positioned" - maybe I am misunderstanding this, but did you have impaction??

BTW, from google
Normal Range of Motion
Opening: 40 to 60 mm.
Lateral: 8 to 12 mm
Protrusive: 8 to 12 mm

[Dogmatix]

I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing.
From my own experience, I was very tense in my jaws, maybe because of bad bite and maybe because of bruxism etc. Before I started investigating my bite, I remember I had low mobility. Had a hard time forcing my lower jaw forward etc.
Since then I've had botox injections in the muscles controlling my jaw movements, to make them relax, and also started my orthodontic treatment.

I haven't had jaw surgery, but with the above I now have much more mobility in my jaws. Before I couldn't force my lower jaw forward to nearly as much underbite as I can now. It was a real struggle, probably a combination of having tense muscles, but maybe also something with the jaw joints.

Any way, my point is that maybe you're now in a more relaxed jaw posture and orthognatic position, allowing more normal degree of freedome?
But as always, I don't know what you're actually describing, it depends on the magnitude of the movement and what problem it's causing.

[Lazlo]

Yes multisegment 3-piece
It's talking about the vertical position though
"superiorly positioned" - maybe I am misunderstanding this, but did you have impaction??

BTW, from google
Normal Range of Motion
Opening: 40 to 60 mm.
Lateral: 8 to 12 mm
Protrusive: 8 to 12 mm

I didn't have impaction, I had the opposite, downgraft to show more teeth. So you're sure that description describes a multi-segment lefort? Why didn't I have any stitches in my gums I wonder?
Also, my maxilla doesn't feel wider at all.

I'll take those measurements when I get back home in a week. Thanks for that!

I have a feeling I can move my jaw more than those measurements.

Ah well the journey continues.

[Post bimax]

I didn't have impaction, I had the opposite, downgraft to show more teeth. So you're sure that description describes a multi-segment lefort? Why didn't I have any stitches in my gums I wonder?
Also, my maxilla doesn't feel wider at all.

I'll take those measurements when I get back home in a week. Thanks for that!

I have a feeling I can move my jaw more than those measurements.

Ah well the journey continues.

If you had a LF1 you definitely had some kind of stitches in your mouth to re-attach the soft tissues. Maybe they were dissolvable or something.

[Lazlo]

If you had a LF1 you definitely had some kind of stitches in your mouth to re-attach the soft tissues. Maybe they were dissolvable or something.

yeah they were dissolvable and they were so far up my gumline I couldn't really feel them. But I didn't have stitches between my teeth. I always thought if you have a "three-piece" lefort you will have stiches between your teeth where the maxilla and dental arch was cut in two places (thus dividing the maxilla into three pieces), but I never felt the three-pieces. I have a feeling he simply is referring to the downgraft as an additional osteotomy? And he never did the widening of the maxilla. Is that possible?

[Post bimax]

yeah they were dissolvable and they were so far up my gumline I couldn't really feel them. But I didn't have stitches between my teeth. I always thought if you have a "three-piece" lefort you will have stiches between your teeth where the maxilla and dental arch was cut in two places (thus dividing the maxilla into three pieces), but I never felt the three-pieces. I have a feeling he simply is referring to the downgraft as an additional osteotomy? And he never did the widening of the maxilla. Is that possible?

My LF1 was 3-piece and my stitches were in the same place. I don't know about the rest though.

[fresh-double-jaw]

How soon after surgery could you move it so much ?  I think thats fortunate as I cant move mine sideways at all 6 weeks after surgery and still can barely open my mouth more than a about 8-10 millimeters.

[Lazlo]

How soon after surgery could you move it so much ?  I think thats fortunate as I cant move mine sideways at all 6 weeks after surgery and still can barely open my mouth more than a about 8-10 millimeters.

I dunno its weird I was find to move my jaw in all directions 3 weeks out of surgery. I also had no numbness except in my lip and chin area and those have stayed numb, but I had feeling everywhere else. Honestly, considering I had lefort 3 piece and bimax with genioplasty, my recovery was relatively a breeze.