CRT

Hi, I didn't have C, just RT and it's the latter  that does the damage. Radiation causes fibrosis (scarring) and can stiffen your jaw. Have you been given any jaw exercises to do? If you haven't then ask to see your Speech and Language Team (SLT) and do them religiously as well as you can...that's all you can do. I did those and swallow exercises all the way through my treatment and beyond. I still do them now seven years on. 

I have had a partial mandibulectomy 2013 and radiotherapy  and a left maxillectomy 2019 and more radiotherapy and right maxillectomy 2022 with roof of my mouth covered with a graft from my arm. I have limited mouth opening also. I can open it 1 finger wide whereas you are supposed to be able to open it 3 fingers wide. I was given some exercises to do using tongue depressors stacked on top of each other to try and improve my mouth opening. I got so far and then stalled and cannot get my jaw open any wider. However I can still get my mouth open wide enough to get a spoon in and to clean what few teeth I have left. Also able to get my denture in and out O.K. with a bit of a wiggle.

Keep doing your jaw exercises as they certainly do help. You can also get a Therabite but I was told by my surgeon that the tongue depressor exercise works just as well. 

Lyn

Good evening MOYZ672acb, i had lower jaw reconstruction, but because I had radio and chemo after my first operation i just had the surgery. My jaw does not open as far as it used to, and i use a PEG because my swallowing is not very good. I can drink thin soups and liquids, so life is not too bad. Well done in persevering with your eating, as it all helps to keep the jaw and tongue working. I hope the treatment went ok, the first one is the worst as you don't know what to expect. Wishing you all the best for the rest of your treatment, take care.

                                                                             Chris 

Hi Dani, yes I have face exercises too.

Ho Lyn, thank you for responding, you are the first person I have come across that had the flap reconstruction across the roof of the mouth. I didn't need any work to my jaw. Do you know the reason you cannot open your mouth any wider? I do my exercises every day but like you, I can just manage the 1 finger wide. What size spoon I can eat from differs throughout the day.  I think I will get on touch with my speech therapist to see if I can get the stacking depressors.

Hi Chris, CRT was not as scary as I anticipated. I am actually able to eat solid food provided it is cut very small. I am so pleased with this.  I haven't asked whether my mouth opening will improve. I need to do this.  Thank you xx

Hi MOY. The reason I can't open my mouth wider is due to my jaw ops combined with the radiotherapy. If you can't get tongue depressors you can use icecream sticks. You might be able to get some from a craft shop. I use sticky tape to hold the tongue depressors together. I can only eat puree so fitting the spoon in works O.K. for me. I also have a gap where I have no teeth in my bottom right jaw after my mandibulectomy so that also gives me a bit of extra wiggle room. 

Lyn