Are Injectable Fillers Or Implants Better For Building Up The Jaw Angles?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have had injectable fillers placed along the back side of my jaw to give me more of a sharper angle appearance. It was Radiesse and it took two full syringes to get a modest effect. The result was good but I wished it was stronger and more pronounced. I have heard that if you keep getting the fillers they will build up overtime and you will get a permanent effect. Is this true? If it is not, then do you think jaw angle implants will give me what I want?

A: There are no synthetic injectable fillers currently approved in the U.S. that are permanent. So it is not true that repeat treatments of any injectable filler will lead to a long-lasting build up of any facial bone site. Most certainly injectable fillers are not a substitute for the volume and permanency that can be provided by jaw angle implants. What your injectable filler treatment has done is to demonstrate that augmentation of the jaw angle region is aesthetically beneficial for you. That can be very helpful when uncertain if such a facial change is worthwhile. This should give you the confidence of proceeding forward with this implant surgery.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana