How Can My Face Be Shortened?

Q: Dr. Eppley, Can you tell me what the cost of jaw surgery would be to shorten and recontour the face? I attached photos which show my face length.

A: The concept of facial shortening by double jaw surgery is based on whether you have vertical maxillary excess and a gummy smile. If one does not, then shortening the lower facial bones is going to bury your teeth under your upper lip which has a very negative aesthetic outcome. The pictures you sent do not show you smiling but I suspect you do not have true vertical maxillary excess as, even with non-smiling, one would have an open mouth posture or show evidence of mentalis muscle strain when the lips are together. Without true vertical maxillary excess, one has to look at a variety of other compensatory facial procedures like vertical chin reduction, subnasal lip lifts and rhinoplasty (that shorten the facial look) and potentially procedures that increase facial projection. (e.g., cheek augmentation) To determine the potential impact of any of these procedures on your face I would need to see some better pictures for computer imaging. (front and side views that are non-smiling)

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana