Reason for Surgery

Due to my facial asymmetry, my occlusion did not match. Double jaw surgery wasn’t well known when I was younger. I didn’t know that I needed double jaw surgery for my case and proceeded to get clear braces that helped align my teeth. My orthodontist told me to try braces for one year but in the end, I wasn’t able to see effective results. My jaw became more slanted to the left side after that and since my occlusion did not match, my jaw became to ache. That is why I decided to get surgery.

Concerns

Since my facial asymmetry was severe, I didn’t tie my hair up. I formed a habit of putting my head down towards the side where my facial asymmetry was severe. When I stayed still, people would ask if I was angry. There were a lot of times where I would refrain from speaking since I didn’t want anyone to look at my mouth/teeth. I became more quiet after that. Since my jaw was slanted, even the alignment of my teeth became slanted. I would get frequent infections is my mouth since I would accidentally bite the inside of my cheeks often. My pronunciation was also off due to my poor occlusion which caused me a lot of stress.

Reason for Choosing EU

For the past 1~2 years, my jaw has been stinging and doing daily activities was becoming more difficult. Before my symptoms get worse, I decided to get surgery. I researched various clinics for one year. First, I learned that going to an Oral & Maxillofacial clinic was safer than getting surgery at a Plastic Surgery clinic. The reason why I chose EU Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery was because the doctor understood what kind of facial shape I wanted, and their surgery technique matched my case. The doctor was also honest and told me what was possible and what was not and told me the different types of side effects that can occur after surgery. This made me trust him and that is why I decided to put down a surgery deposit as EU was the last clinic I consulted at.

Day of Surgery

I slept almost for the entire day and lost track of time. I think I came to the recovery room at around 2:30p.m. After two hours, I could feel that the sensation for my jaw was returning and it was starting to hurt. I was surprised since I could feel most of the sensation on my face. Especially under the chin, it was hurting a lot T___T. But since it’s the first day, my face hasn’t gotten swollen as much as I thought it would. I heard that after surgery, nose bleeding can occur but it was the opposite for my case. I didn’t’ use a lot of tissues. Oh and a small mat is needed! Since you have to sit upright after surgery. My glutes ended up hurting more than my face. Bringing a small mat and humidifier was a good choice.

1 Day Post-OP

I got an injection for my swelling and for antibiotics. I also got the plug on my nose removed. My nose wasn’t blocked so it was easy for me to breathe but my throat was hurting throughout the night. I kept waking up because of the phlegm in my throat. While I was getting my mouth disinfected, I was told that I needed to practice matching my teeth with the wafers. It was my first time seeing my teeth after surgery. It was really fascinating that my lower teeth receded inwards. If I didn’t practice placing my bite to the correct position, I was told that rubber bands would be needed. I also received de-swelling laser treatment which made my swelling decrease compared to yesterday. In the morning, I received New Care so I wasn’t hungry.

2 Days Post-OP

Due to the phlegm, I woke up every 10 minutes. My face also got more swollen. Before surgery, I had symptoms of dry coughs, so it was a difficult day for me. I received laser treatment in the morning and got ready to discharge. The doctor told me he was going to disinfect my mouth. It stung a bit so I got teary eyed. As soon as I got home, I took the prescribed medication and went to sleep. Whenever I take the antibiotics, I get sleepy.

6 Days Post-OP

I had so much swelling before and now it’s starting to decrease. I don’t get slight nosebleeds anymore and breathing is not a problem anymore. I tried to practice smiling. It felt awkward at first but as I kept doing it, the corners of my mouth slowly started to go up easily. I think this will help me recover better.

7 Days Post-OP

 think this will help me recover better. rd at first but as I kept doing it, the corners of my mouth slowly started to go up eaI got my mouth disinfected today. I asked the doctors questions that I was curious about. The blocked feeling in my ears got a lot better! However, my mouth started to have a burning sensation. The doctor said to wait a bit and if it continued, he would prescribe me medicine. The burning sensation is disappearing but I still can’t get used to it. The sensation for the right side of my nose still hasn’t returned. There was an area in my mouth that would hurt the most during the disinfection session. When I checked my mouth, I saw that I had small screws which was why it was hurting. While receiving laser treatment, I think the swelling is decreasing. There are yellow bruises that formed below my neck. I hope it disappears soon.

8 Days Post-OP

The left side of my jaw felt tight and it was hurting so when I went for my laser appointment, the doctor also checked my jaw. He said it seemed that I had an inflammation so he prescribed me medication. Nowadays, the screws in my mouth are hurting more than the pain from surgery. When I asked if the screws were supposed to hurt, the doctor removed 2 screws from my lower jaw. I thought I had a high pain tolerance but the screw removal was painful… I ended up screaming. I got teary eyed and since the bruises on my neck was severe, I ended up getting topical medication for it. My body feels tired after surgery.

13 Days Post-OP

The bruises on my neck are almost gone since I’ve been using the topical medication for almost a week. I should have used it earlier LOL. I don’t have any huge discomforts nowadays. I’ve been eating more nowadays and I ended up watching mukbang videos all day. I finally get my stitches removed tomorrow! I hope it doesn’t hurt.

14 Days Post-OP

I finally got my stitches removed. I was nervous but it didn’t hurt. However, when the stitches for my upper gums got removed, I felt pain from the screws. I want to remove the rest of the screws quickly. Other than not being able to eat solid foods, I have been able to walk around outside without any problems. People around me get surprised when they see my bruises. When I see all the medications after my surgery, I realized that double jaw surgery was a big surgery. I asked the doctor when I would be able to eat chicken and hamburgers, and he said after 3 months. I really want to eat chicken though T__T. For now, I’m eating almond breeze, yogurt, Castella bread dipped in milk. My jawline is getting more visible, maybe my swelling is getting much better.

15 Days Post-OP

I’m doing the jaw exercises everyday. To be honest, ever since the first week after surgery, I feel that I can fit at least one finger in it. I do the jaw exercise whenever it pops up in my mind. After the stitch removal, I heard that the swelling decreases quicker. I can see some of my jawline already. I was told that I could eat ramen already. So when I ate it, I made sure that the noodles got soft and cut it up into small pieces. I scooped up the noodles with a spoon and it was really delicious. Since I’ve only been eating bread and cake recently, eating noodles was really tasty!

17 Days Post-OP

I’m getting tired of eating yogurt + castella bread. I watched a video on youtube of someone who had surgery and they recommended eating risotto so I tried making it at home. Cream cheese risotto was the easiest to make so I tried it and it didn’t taste bad. I’ll try making Rosé risotto tomorrow. I did my makeup for the first time after surgery since I was meeting my boyfriend today. The swelling on my cheeks and jaw still hasn’t healed completely so I look puffy. I tried to contour my face with makeup, but it was no use. I was able to cover the bruises on my neck with makeup. I’m practicing the jaw exercises as much as I can.

22 Days Post-OP

It’s been 3 weeks since my surgery. Time goes by quickly. I have an awkward wrinkle on the left side of my jaw. Originally, my left jaw was longer but now it matches the size with the right side! Dr. Shin only shaved the amount that I wanted so I’m satisfied. The right side of my nose had no sensation but now I’ve regained feeling in that area. Maybe it’s due to the medications that were prescribed to me, but I feel that I am recovering pretty quickly. Sometimes I can feel slight tingling sensations on my face, maybe it’s my nerves healing? For dinner, I ordered black bean noodles and cut it up and ate it with a spoon. It was really delicious.

28 Days Post-OP

The feeling on my right nose has finally returned! ~ Now I just need to wait for the feeling of the roof of my mouth to return! It hasn’t been a month yet but I’ve already regained most of the feeling back. I want to thank Dr. Shin since it’s due to his skills. I like to take selfies everyday to check my swelling. I used to use filters that made my jaw look slimmer when I took photos, but now I don’t need to do that anymore! There’s some dead skin that piled up on the screws which makes it look like I have a mouth infection T__T. I also want to stop using the wafers. By lower teeth and the left side of my jaw hurts. Since I’m only consuming bread and noodles, I’ve lost about 3kgs.

31 Days Post-OP

It’s been exactly a month since my operation. I got my one-month progress check. When I said that I had discomforts with my wafer, the orthodontist came to check up on me. After two more weeks, I can take off my wafers and start my braces again. I was told that I could take the wafers on and off and how to maintain it. When I took the one month progress photos (medical photos) and met Dr. Shin. He showed me the comparisons for my before/after pictures and said that I was still swollen but my chin got shorter. My recovery is going well and he said I just need to wait for my swelling to decrease. I’m almost starting to forget how I used to look, but I’m 100% satisfied that I did surgery. I suddenly got curious about the amount of reduction that was done during the surgery so I asked the doctor and he went and got my surgical chart quickly.

There was some tingling sensations near the area where my pins were located. When I asked about it, I was told that it was due to my nerves healing. When I told the doctor that the mini screw on my upper gums were hurting, he removed them for me. While he was removing them, he told me it must have been painful all this time T__T. I feel much better now. My upper teeth felt a bit cold when I got the screws taken out. I was also able to ask everything I was curious about and Dr. Shin explained everything to me kindly. ♥ I made such a good decision to get surgery at EU. The doctors and staff at EU listen to patients and always makes sure to act fast whenever patients need anything. ♥

36 Days Post-OP

Since my chin got shorter, I decided to get “see through bangs.” In the past, it would have made my jaw and chin stand out but it’s not like that anymore so I’m glad. I’m trying to go on walks everyday for one day and started indoor exercises at home. Compared to other reviews I read, I think my swelling takes more time to decrease. Whenever I do the jaw exercises, the left side of my jaw feels tight. I cannot fit two fingers in my mouth for now, so I’m trying my best to open my mouth as much as possible. I need to be able to fit 3 fingers by now though… but next time, I’ll be able to take my wafers off.

45 Days Post-OP

I can finally remove my wafers now! While getting my wafers taken out, I also got the screws at the front of my gums removed but I have to use rubber bands. I’m trying my best to practice opening my open. Now, I only need to do braces! Whenever I take pictures, I noticed that my nose got a bit wider after surgery. I keep staring at my nose T___T. I’m not experiencing any discomforts nowadays, and I can feel tingling sensations near my mouth. Whenever it tingles, it feels like I’m touching a bruise. I’m guessing that it’s a sign that my nerves are returning back to normal. My swelling seems to get better each day. As expected, time is medicine.

60 Days Post-OP

It’s been two months since surgery. I’ve been back to my workplace for two weeks now. My colleagues saw my face and said that I look a lot softer now! When I would stay still with a poker face, I would look angry but now, I look softer so I’m satisfied! Compared to just staying at home, moving around and going to work seems to make my swelling decrease faster. The sensation for the roof of my mouth has returned, I think it got 75% better? My dental midline does not match which worries me. I’m trying my best to position it by looking in the mirror. Whenever I open my mouth, the left side of my jaw would hurt but now, it doesn’t hurt anymore. If I try to open my mouth as wide as I can, I can almost fit 3 fingers in. I want to recover quickly so that I can eat chicken. T__T

74 Days Post-OP

I went to the clinic for my orthodontic treatment. Since my dental midline does not match, I have to use rubber bands to position it. The orthodontist explained information about the occlusion to me very easily so that I could understand. As expected, he’s very kind. I also changed my wires to a thicker one and it is kind of painful T__T. My whole teeth hurts… Since I also have to use rubber bands, I tend to get more food stuck in my mouth. It seems that I lost a bit of weight. In my opinion, braces hurts more than surgery.

88 Days Post-OP

After surgery, I feel confident to take selfies at any angle! Due to my swelling, I look like I gained weight, but other than that, I’m satisfied. Opening my mouth when eating is getting more comfortable now. Now, I can fit 3 fingers in my mouth and I’ll still have some space left. When I saw the xrays for my bones, I made sure that I didn’t chew on my molars, just in case T__T. But now, my bones seem to have healed? So I’m eating foods like salad and soft hamburg steak. Maybe that’s why I’ve been gaining weight nowadays. Whenever I brush my teeth, it stings. I think the sensation is starting to return.

102 Days Post-OP

It’s been 100 days since my surgery. Time flies by! During the weekend, I had an appointment for my orthodontic treatment. Since I was using rubber bands to match my occlusion, I can finally take them off since my midline is matching now! The doctor said I did a good job of using the rubber bands as much as I could. The swelling on my cheeks have reduced a lot. What I thought was skin sagging must had been swelling since it disappeared. But I still want to get lifting procedures. Now, I really don’t have any discomforts at all! The sensation for the roof of my mouth has returned and I can open my mouth easily. I can finally eat meat and chicken now.

126 Days Post-OP

After 3 months, I have been eating meat without any problem. For nuts, I can chew them easily but chewing squid is still pretty tough. However, whenever I chew with my molars, I could hear the clicking noise from my jaw joint which worried me. But after some time, it got better. I still need to be careful until 6 months though. Now, I can stand confidentially in front of a camera. My face seems to get smaller as the swelling starts to get better. I should have gotten surgery earlier!

131 Days Post-OP

The other day, I recommended double jaw surgery to my friend who had malocclusion. That friend had been thinking about orthodontic treatment for a long time. The side effects after surgery isn’t too bad and since I’m highly satisfied, I recommended double jaw surgery at EU. Since there is a strong stigma that double jaw surgery is a very risky surgery with harsh side effects. But after getting surgery at EU, I do not have any harsh side effects as of now. The pin at my upper jaw near my nose kind of bothers me though T__T. I’m considering pin removal surgery in the future.

159 Days Post-OP

When I went for my monthly orthodontic treatment procedure, I took an xray and met with Dr. Shin. He told me that my bones are sticking and recovering well and that my slight double chin is a bit saddening (I felt the same T__T). So he recommended laser lifting treatments. I reserved a lifting procedure treatment on the same day LOL.

I do not have any discomforts from double jaw surgery, but I’m worried about my double chin. When I brushed my teeth, I was surprised that the sensation has come back almost completely. I’ve been doing braces for one year now so I hope I can get them removed this year. Sometimes, the screws on my gums bother me. It suddenly got swollen.. so I’m still trying to get used to the screws. I want to take them out quickly.

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180 Days Post-OP

It’s been 6 months since my surgery! I still have some swelling on my face T__T. Due to my double chin, I’m receiving laser lifting treatment. Maybe it’s because of that, the swelling has been decreasing and my jawline is becoming more visible. When I chew meat, I can hear a sound on my left jaw but I got used to it. The loss of sensation on my upper jaw is also returning. I went in for an appointment for my orthodontic treatment and asked when I would be able to take off my braces. Since my dental midline is at a good position, if my teeth can maintain that position more, I was told that I can get it removed after 6 months. I want to take it off as soon as possible.

207 Days Post-OP

Now, I really don’t have any discomforts! When chewing food, I can eat whatever I want without any problems.

I received treatment for my cavity recently. Next time, I’ll go to the clinic for my orthodontic treatment. They said that I will have to put screws in the lower gums on my left side under anesthesia T__T. I’m already scared…

211 Days Post-OP

I wanted to get my driving license renewed so I took a ID picture after a long time. Before, the asymmetry on my jaw would be really obvious in pictures but now, I don’t have to worry about that. Due to my braces, it still feels awkward when I smile but when I get them removed, I plan on taking another picture! When I get my photos retouched, I don’t have to edit my jaw anymore!

221 Days Post-OP

There was a loose screw on the left side of my lower gums. Since I had to put it back on, I was nervous. When I met the doctor, he told me that I did a good job maintaining my bite with the rubber bands so I don’t really have to put the screw back on. I was planning on eating a lot of delicious foods after my appointment so I’m glad that I can eat without worrying. He told me to use the rubber bands until next month. The right side of my jaw that made noises whenever I ate got better now. However, I snore now which didn’t happen before. I tend to wake up due to the noise of my snoring sometimes. I thought I didn’t have any side effects; I wonder if snoring is a side effect? Anyways, I met my friend after 9 months and they told me that it didn’t look obvious that I got surgery and that my results were natural so I’m glad. ♥

283 Days Post-OP

It’s been 9 months since my operation. Whenever I brush my teeth, I can feel the toothbrush on my molars and the roof of my mouth. The sensation is almost back to normal. In the past, whenever I chewed meat the right side of my jaw would make a noise. Now, I can hear a noise on the left side of my jaw. I’m worried T__T. When I open my mouth widely, there are times when I cannot open it widely, especially when I yawn. I used to be worried about my double jaw, but since I’m receiving treatment for it, my jawline is getting more visible now. I’m going for a dental appointment next week and I’m almost done with it now.

317 Days Post-OP

It’s been 10 months since surgery. I almost forgot that I had surgery. When I went for my orthodontic treatment check up, I told them that it feels like my right molars are positioned a bit off, but I was told that my teeth are trying to adjust to the proper position. Although the rubber bands are causing my gums to hurt, I still have to use them.

1 Year Post-OP

I feel like one year would not pass by quickly. Now it’s been a year. It was around this time when I remember telling my company that I will take a medical rest for surgery. Sometimes I have regrets since I felt like I should have done the surgery earlier. The nerves on my upper jaw has been returning back to normal, and I have no discomforts. The area next to my nose, it still feels a bit uncomfortable when I smile. Maybe it’s due to the pins? I’m planning on getting a consultation to get my pins removed soon. When I get them removed, it’ll really be the end of my surgery journey. I can’t believe it’s already been a year!