Hi, Watto - I'm just over the ditch in NZ. I am care-giver for my husband, Eric, who has had OC. He uses a Therabite. It HAS helped him increase his ability to open his mouth, but only to the maximum available with the device. It took him from one fingers breadth to just over two.

Removing his prosthesis is still difficult if he's tired and the very idea of impressions for a permanent obturator (prosthesis) with teeth attached is quite challenging. But we'll meet that if and when.

They are an expensive thing to get, so ask at your Hospital. I don't know what the funding policy is in Australia but you might qualify for assistance? Eric was lucky - having been diagnosed at our Dental School and being cared for there, with all mouth care since surgery, the Professor who has been treating him "found" one and gave it to him - brand new, no cost to us.

He had also used the spatula option, as Christine mentions above - but that caused far more discomfort than using the Therabite does. It's a case of perseverance, I guess. That and taking some pain control before starting, in the first instance. (He has some pink gel Xylocaine (?) that he can use to reduce discomfort inside his mouth - a temporary relief, but often enough to do what he has to do to regain a semblance of 'normal'.)

I just asked Eric and he said that though the spatula thing hurt more it was probably slightly more effective in the long-run and if he has to, he'll return to it to enable the next stage of his rehab.

Good luck!

Liz