Am I A Good Candidate For A Chin Implant?

Q: Dr. Eppley, Can you please let me know if you think I’d be a good candidate for a chin implant? If so, what type of implant would you recommend? Do you typically use general or local anesthesia for chin implant surgeries? Please see attached photos of my chin. Despite my recessed chin, my bite is normal. I used to have an extreme overbite but I corrected it with braces as a child. 

Thank you!

A: Thank you for your inquiry and sending your pictures. Ideally you would be far better served by a sliding genioplasty because your chin needs vertical lengthening as well as increased horizontal projection. With a vertically short chin and a deep labiomental sulcus it is more ideal to vertically unravel the compresses chin tissues. It is also better for your submental neck tissues as well. But since you asked about a chin implant that also would be beneficial but not as good as the sliding genioplasty. I would use either an anatomic or small vertical lengthening chin implant style. The key about using an implant in the patient who is better served by moving the chin bone is to not ask the chin implant to do too much. With your soft tissue anatomy this is how you get into undesired aesthetic effects.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana