Jaw joint surgery

Our Procedures

Brisbane Open Jaw Joint Surgery

Your Brisbane Surgeon may decide that the best way to sort out the problems a patient is experiencing from the jaw joint is to perform “open” surgery. Open surgery involves exposing the jaw joint fully by making a cut in front of the ear.

The length of the jaw operation depends greatly on what the oral surgeon will be doing on the jaw joint. If the jaw procedure is relatively simple (e.g. repositioning of a slipped cartilage) surgery may take less than an hour. If the jaw surgery is more complex (e.g. partial or total joint replacement) then the operation or jaw procedure will last for several hours.

Jaw Joint Procedures

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Recovery from Open Jaw Joint Surgery

The area in front of the ear is likely to be sore for several days after surgery. Regular pain relief will be arranged. It is also necessary to make sure that the area heals without any infection and so patients may also be given antibiotics.

Immediately after the jaw operation the patient’s face will be swollen and feel tight, the jaw will be stiff and patients will find that they cannot open their mouth very wide. Bruising is variable and can last several days, it is not uncommon to experience bruising in this type of jaw operation. Any swelling can be reduced by using cold compresses and sleeping propped upright for a few days. Most of the swelling will have disappeared after a week and your jaw will start to feel a lot better.

For the first week or so patients will only want a soft diet. Some may find that their bite feels strange for a couple of weeks.
This obviously varies from person to person and depends on what sort of jaw surgery has been performed. Most patients spend one or two nights in hospital after their open jaw operation, again this varies enormously from person to person. Most people require a week or so off work.

All cuts made through the skin leave a scar but the majority of these fade with time and are difficult to see when they are fully healed. It may take several months for the scar to fade but eventually, it should blend into the natural folds and contours in front of the ear.

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ABOUT FACIOMAX

Maxillofacial and Oral Surgeons treat a wide variety of diseases involving mouth, teeth, jaws and face. Our team of Brisbane Oral Surgeons are at the forefront of the latest surgical expertise and with our experience, we are able to provide an unparalleled excellent standard of care.

FIND US AT
  • Level 5, Morris Towers
    149 Wickham Terrace
    Brisbane, QLD 4000