Jaw surgery- Help me plan D:

JaydedMiss

Probably not the place to post it but im not really sure where and im always here so...

Im a bulk eater I eat alot and love chewing and different textures is how i feel satisfied so it will be hard. Anything else you can think i can prepare for ahead of time (doesnt need to involve food) let me know! Not something i have happen im not sure how to plan but planning helps the anxiety >.<

Their removing my 3 back teeth on one side + part of my jaw they let get infected by ignoring my complaints. (im a bit salty wont lie lol) Followed by a few weeks healing and another surgery to place in fake bone and a few weeks more healing.

Im scared. I know it will be atleast a few weeks before I can work food back in and a good portion ill be drugged up and asleep. Id like to maintain as much of my healthy macros and nutrition as I can- I know obviously they wont be as good unless i want to like...blend up all my meals and smoothie them -ew lol

I need ideas on what I can eat. I know about smoothies and like pudding and icecream- Not ideal but sill most likely be my go to- Any nutrient dense foods you can think to add in a way ill be able to eat them? Id like to try and get as many calories as i can, I assume eating to much wont be the issue

Im eating maintenance up until the surgery to give myself the best running headstart i can for the healing process. And help with the overall stress level i have over the thought. Its so cringy and scary to me thinking of having part of my jaw cut out >.< Id just like to be as prepared as i can, In every way i can plan. Plans help.

janejellyroll

I had major jaw surgery when I was 18 (also had part of my jaw removed, but on both sides) and my teeth were wired shut for about 5-6 weeks.

I don't know if I will be very helpful because I wasn't that focused on nutrition, but I had a lot of meal replacement shakes (like Boost) and root beer floats. I don't remember feeling very hungry. I think it helped that I got enough protein though the meal replacement shakes.

Is your jaw going to be wired or will you just have to avoid chewing?

phwdjones

I'm actually going to be getting jaw surgery hopefully next year - its for aesthetic reasons though and will involve a BSSO and lefort1 (breaking both jaws and sliding them forwards). In most cases of jaw surgery you are unable to eat solid foods for a good month at the minimum (so I've heard from various surgeons).

Up until then you will have to get by on smoothies, shakes etc - but in your case it doesnt sound like you are getting full on orthognathic surgery, just a piece of one jaw is being cut? I've never heard of that before.

If its only a section of the lower jaw being removed then you will likely be able to eat softer foods quicker, i.e. pasta, mince etc. Do a google of 'jaw surgery diet' and you can get an idea - lots of tips there.

JaydedMiss

janejellyroll wrote: »

I had major jaw surgery when I was 18 (also had part of my jaw removed, but on both sides) and my teeth were wired shut for about 5-6 weeks.

I don't know if I will be very helpful because I wasn't that focused on nutrition, but I had a lot of meal replacement shakes (like Boost) and root beer floats. I don't remember feeling very hungry. I think it helped that I got enough protein though the meal replacement shakes.

Is your jaw going to be wired or will you just have to avoid chewing?

honestly never even considered meal replacement shakes. im in healthy weight loss mode they never cross my mind since i like to chew lol ty.

Also i havent had a rootbeer float in YEARS now im craving it hah. Such interesting things.

All he told me was I wont be able to eat solids for weeks after the second surgery and in between the two. Honestly id tell myself to get a new surgeon but since hes the specialist surgeon...

He makes me very uncomfortable XD Whole other topic though. Point being he didnt give me much info at all.

phwdjones wrote: »

I'm actually going to be getting jaw surgery hopefully next year - its for aesthetic reasons though and will involve a BSSO and lefort1 (breaking both jaws and sliding them forwards). In most cases of jaw surgery you are unable to eat solid foods for a good month at the minimum (so I've heard from various surgeons).

Up until then you will have to get by on smoothies, shakes etc - but in your case it doesnt sound like you are getting full on orthognathic surgery, just a piece of one jaw is being cut? I've never heard of that before.

If its only a section of the lower jaw being removed then you will likely be able to eat softer foods quicker, i.e. pasta, mince etc. Do a google of 'jaw surgery diet' and you can get an idea - lots of tips there.

Sounds horrible And yes my molar grew in and my dentist wouldnt listen to me because it hadnt poked through and xrays showed it was there but not moving. Wasnt moving because it was pushing against my other teeth...causing them to pinch and grind together caused the pain i felt- and an infection which spread through my jaw before anyone would listen. They have to cut out the right third of my jaw out and replace the bone to avoid it spreading more. Told ya, Im salty no one listened to me this was super avoidable and its not as scary sounding as yours but im terrified. So creepy. Never thought to google jaw surgery diet- Didnt even occur to me its a common enough procedure for much to pop up. I dont think my brains working very well im all stressed i will go do that now

janejellyroll

JaydedMiss wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

I had major jaw surgery when I was 18 (also had part of my jaw removed, but on both sides) and my teeth were wired shut for about 5-6 weeks.

I don't know if I will be very helpful because I wasn't that focused on nutrition, but I had a lot of meal replacement shakes (like Boost) and root beer floats. I don't remember feeling very hungry. I think it helped that I got enough protein though the meal replacement shakes.

Is your jaw going to be wired or will you just have to avoid chewing?

honestly never even considered meal replacement shakes. im in healthy weight loss mode they never cross my mind since i like to chew lol ty.

Also i havent had a rootbeer float in YEARS now im craving it hah. Such interesting things.

All he told me was I wont be able to eat solids for weeks after the second surgery and in between the two. Honestly id tell myself to get a new surgeon but since hes the specialist surgeon...

He makes me very uncomfortable XD Whole other topic though. Point being he didnt give me much info at all.

phwdjones wrote: »

I'm actually going to be getting jaw surgery hopefully next year - its for aesthetic reasons though and will involve a BSSO and lefort1 (breaking both jaws and sliding them forwards). In most cases of jaw surgery you are unable to eat solid foods for a good month at the minimum (so I've heard from various surgeons).

Up until then you will have to get by on smoothies, shakes etc - but in your case it doesnt sound like you are getting full on orthognathic surgery, just a piece of one jaw is being cut? I've never heard of that before.

If its only a section of the lower jaw being removed then you will likely be able to eat softer foods quicker, i.e. pasta, mince etc. Do a google of 'jaw surgery diet' and you can get an idea - lots of tips there.

Sounds horrible And yes my molar grew in and my dentist wouldnt listen to me because it hadnt poked through and xrays showed it was there but not moving. Wasnt moving because it was pushing against my other teeth...causign them to pinch and grind together caused an infection which spread through my jaw before anyone would listen. They have to cut it out and replace the bone to avoid it spreading more. Told ya, Im salty no one listened to me this was super avoidable and its not as scary sounding as yours but im terrified. So creepy. Never thought to google jaw surgery diet- Didnt even occure to me its a common enough procedure for much to pop up. I dont think my brains working very well im all stressed i will go do that now

Yeah, the meal replacement shakes are great (IMO) for situations like this because they're specifically designed to replace meals -- they typically have a good amount of protein and fat and lots of added vitamins. At least, that's how I remember it, I haven't had one in twenty years! Back when I had them, Boost had a mocha flavor that I really liked.

JaydedMiss

YepItsKriss wrote: »

Lol because I'm ridiculous.. id be making milkshakes to just to get a nice bulk of my maintenance calories out of the way incase drinking is still a tad painful
.

I do half survive off nice-cream to begin with so thats a benefit haha. Love that *kitten* xD Got me out of the habit of makign smoothies i should get back into them beforehand. Nice cream just has a texture i like. Im going to miss textures

janejellyroll

JaydedMiss wrote: »

YepItsKriss wrote: »

Lol because I'm ridiculous.. id be making milkshakes to just to get a nice bulk of my maintenance calories out of the way incase drinking is still a tad painful
.

I do half survive off nice-cream to begin with so thats a benefit haha. Love that *kitten* xD Got me out of the habit of makign smoothies i should get back into them beforehand. Nice cream just has a texture i like. Im going to miss textures

It was the worst part for me. I never really felt hungry, I just missed chewing and the variety of different types of foods.

JaydedMiss

janejellyroll wrote: »

JaydedMiss wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

I had major jaw surgery when I was 18 (also had part of my jaw removed, but on both sides) and my teeth were wired shut for about 5-6 weeks.

I don't know if I will be very helpful because I wasn't that focused on nutrition, but I had a lot of meal replacement shakes (like Boost) and root beer floats. I don't remember feeling very hungry. I think it helped that I got enough protein though the meal replacement shakes.

Is your jaw going to be wired or will you just have to avoid chewing?

honestly never even considered meal replacement shakes. im in healthy weight loss mode they never cross my mind since i like to chew lol ty.

Also i havent had a rootbeer float in YEARS now im craving it hah. Such interesting things.

All he told me was I wont be able to eat solids for weeks after the second surgery and in between the two. Honestly id tell myself to get a new surgeon but since hes the specialist surgeon...

He makes me very uncomfortable XD Whole other topic though. Point being he didnt give me much info at all.

phwdjones wrote: »

I'm actually going to be getting jaw surgery hopefully next year - its for aesthetic reasons though and will involve a BSSO and lefort1 (breaking both jaws and sliding them forwards). In most cases of jaw surgery you are unable to eat solid foods for a good month at the minimum (so I've heard from various surgeons).

Up until then you will have to get by on smoothies, shakes etc - but in your case it doesnt sound like you are getting full on orthognathic surgery, just a piece of one jaw is being cut? I've never heard of that before.

If its only a section of the lower jaw being removed then you will likely be able to eat softer foods quicker, i.e. pasta, mince etc. Do a google of 'jaw surgery diet' and you can get an idea - lots of tips there.

Sounds horrible And yes my molar grew in and my dentist wouldnt listen to me because it hadnt poked through and xrays showed it was there but not moving. Wasnt moving because it was pushing against my other teeth...causign them to pinch and grind together caused an infection which spread through my jaw before anyone would listen. They have to cut it out and replace the bone to avoid it spreading more. Told ya, Im salty no one listened to me this was super avoidable and its not as scary sounding as yours but im terrified. So creepy. Never thought to google jaw surgery diet- Didnt even occure to me its a common enough procedure for much to pop up. I dont think my brains working very well im all stressed i will go do that now

Yeah, the meal replacement shakes are great (IMO) for situations like this because they're specifically designed to replace meals -- they typically have a good amount of protein and fat and lots of added vitamins. At least, that's how I remember it, I haven't had one in twenty years! Back when I had them, Boost had a mocha flavor that I really liked.

Ill definatly look into the different shakes! I honestly feel stupid for not even thinking of them, They are something i generally try to tell people here they dont need its so engrained in my brain now it never occured to me lol. This would be the exact type of thing theyd be a good choice for. Theres just so many bad choices surrounding them my brain switched off lol

nikkit321

Yogurt, cottage cheese, oatmeal, ice cream, protein/meal replacement shakes. My husband had jaw surgery and was wired shut but it was before I met him so I'm not much help. Good luck!

JaydedMiss

YepItsKriss wrote: »

Also.. mac and cheese if it's creamy enough I used to not even chew that cause I could just swallow it whole lol

Sounds like a great excuse to make extra creamy mac n cheese...maybe this wont be so bad LOL -for real though im so scared >.< lol

ccrdragon

I had orthognathic surgery when I was 37 (both jaws moved/spread). I was not allowed to eat solids for 3 1/2 months afterwards. Soup is very good and filling, eggs and pasta can usually be consumed w/o chewing, shakes are great because you can blend pretty much anything (veggies, fruit, protein powder, etc) to create the shake. I also found that ground meat as long as it is cooked loose can be swallowed with a little practice.

mitch16

When I had wisdom tooth surgery I ended up eating a lot of yogurt, applesauce, and cottage cheese. I love food, too, but to be honest, the thought of trying to eat real food during that time stressed me out even more. I lost 8 pounds and my surgery wasn't even complicated. Boost/Pediasure type shakes and smoothies with all types of fruits/veggies would help you get your micronutrients. I still don't know the best way to eat actual meat--soups maybe? They certainly wouldn't make an appetizing shake... My mom tried to feed me baby food meats and I just couldn't do it--I fed those to the cat. I did find myself desperate enough for a salty snack that I was licking the salty/cheesy goodness off of Doritos and then throwing the chips away.

JaydedMiss

ccrdragon wrote: »

I had orthognathic surgery when I was 37 (both jaws moved/spread). I was not allowed to eat solids for 3 1/2 months afterwards. Soup is very good and filling, eggs and pasta can usually be consumed w/o chewing, shakes are great because you can blend pretty much anything (veggies, fruit, protein powder, etc) to create the shake. I also found that ground meat as long as it is cooked loose can be swallowed with a little practice.

My grampa lived for 5 months with no teeth and he lived off donuts. But im going to assume having no dentures and just gums is different thn a very likely easily infected open wound in my mouth and i should avoid some things xD Some of this stuff is great even if its just for texture. Im definatly a texture and chew person i cant eat a meal without 3-5 different textures or im starving.

JaydedMiss

mitch16 wrote: »

When I had wisdom tooth surgery I ended up eating a lot of yogurt, applesauce, and cottage cheese. I love food, too, but to be honest, the thought of trying to eat real food during that time stressed me out even more. I lost 8 pounds and my surgery wasn't even complicated. Boost/Pediasure type shakes and smoothies with all types of fruits/veggies would help you get your micronutrients. I still don't know the best way to eat actual meat--soups maybe? They certainly wouldn't make an appetizing shake... My mom tried to feed me baby food meats and I just couldn't do it--I fed those to the cat. I did find myself desperate enough for a salty snack that I was licking the salty/cheesy goodness off of Doritos and then throwing the chips away.

I cant help but laugh at the thought of you all puffy cheeked licking doritoes. Its kind of sad LOL. In a good/cute way lol. No offence Cottage cheese is another good one im hearing if i can get a friend to bring me groceries..my fridge isnt very good for dairy. maybe ill pre freeze some cottage cheese portions. This is why i feel beter planning!

LiveLoveFitFab

I had my jaw broken a few years back. By a dentist, nothing bad. I went 4 months without solid food as a result.

Those ketchup bottles you buy for picnics were my absolute best friend. You can literally just make anything into a smoothie and squirt it in, without making a mess or causing issues. Have one or two for savory foods, and another for sweet foods. Don't mix them.

Some more hints for you-

Soup in the blender for those salty cravings. I made a bunch of really good soups beforehand and froze them for easy eating. Almost any soup can be blended or you can use a grater on the veggies if you want to eat the soup with a spoon without having to chew.

Meat blended up tastes awful, so make sure you get some high quality protein powder. I used a vegan powder and a whey casein blend. Your body needs protein to heal. And lots of calcium for bone growth.

Avocados, for extra calories, can be added to any smoothie. Use fruits without tiny seeds if you have stitches, you don't want those getting in the cuts and causing issues. Get lots of different frozen fruits for a variety.

Make sure you are eating regularly. I ate every 3 hours, even at night to get enough calories for healing. I still lost 20lbs over 4 months though.

Get up and moving regularly, but don't worry about exercise until you are good and healthy.

Good luck! Let me know if you have any questions.

JaydedMiss

you guys are so great thanks so much for all the feedback! It helps knowing im not alone in the experience lol

Graelwyn75

Soups, ice cream, full fat Greek yoghurt with banana or other fruit mashed in, shakes, smoothies, hummus, scrambled eggs, root vegetable mash or mashed potato, protein shakes, chocolate/banana milk, jello, certain desserts are soft like tiramisu and creamed rice pudding. Just going to take a bit of imagination and looking round the shops. Also cereal if it is the kind that sort of goes mushy with milk poured over it.