So how is Clark doing?

Back in 1998 or '99 (well before the cancer & other resulting issues I've had), I had my jaw wired shut too. I was playing slo-pitch and had hit the ball to the shortstop. This dude was the 6'6" fireman type - the sandlot hero. Anyways, I was running to first base and he whips the thing towards first. I could HEAR the ball travelling towards me. The woman playing first base got scared of it and ran away, and the ball hit me on my jaw. Nice compound fracture, but my teeth survived. Anyways, I have a titanium plate under my skin on my chin, and was wired shut for six weeks. I had the type with internal plates and they were closed together with rubber bands. After a few days it loosened up a bit so I could pop a straw through the gap. Eventually I could squeeze thin noodles through there and swallow them.

I bought a blender and tried all sorts of things. Ultimately I found that most of the recipes were not all that palateable. Trying to blenderize a chicken thigh or breast, some mashed potatos and a bunch of gravy just didn't work for me. It was either too thick, or just gross if you have to add a whole bunch of liquid to make it flow. I lived on Boost and milkshakes for a few weeks. Kinda like my first few weeks after my partial glossectomy and during radiation treatments.

If I had to deal with it now, I'd add some protein shakes and some homemade juices made with my handy dandy masticating juicer, some soups and once thin noodles can be slurped down, add those for that nice fulfulling carbohydrate hit.

Waterpik will be ok for the outside, but since his teeth are wired together, all you can really do to rinse the inside is used a mouth rinse of some sort. Not sure if you've been given any suggestions from your team of doctors, nurses and dental folk, but I've been using a rinse with half a teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in about half a cup of water. I see there are other recipes around that have a lower concentration, or either add or substitute salt for the baking soda. {EDIT} I should add that you might want to check that any mouth rinse solution you chose won't affect whatever they are using to wire the jaw shut {/EDIT}