A simple method to enable feeding during maxillomandibular fixation of the jaws.

The use of maxillomandibular fixation after surgery on the jaw bone invariably affects the dietary intake and the oral hygiene of patients. When the upper and lower jaws are kept in occlusion, the patient has to take bland food that has to sieve through the crevices between teeth to enter the oral cavity. This results in food accumulation around teeth, orthodontic appliances, and surgical wound. Feeding in this manner can also be very trying on some patients. A simple method is devised in which finely minced food can be introduced by a catheter directly into the oral cavity.