Can A Sliding Genioplasty Improve Lip Incompetence and Mentalis Muscle Strain?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have lip incompetence/mentalis strain. I have tried relaxing with Botox and it had worked but it is not permanent. I have been to the orthodontist and I have a slight skeletal open bite for which they said only jaw surgery would be able to fix my incompetent lips. However jaw surgery is a very risky and expensive procedure and I do not want to go through with it. Can a sliding genioplasty be able to bring the chin in a more forward manner and reduce the strain/incompetent lips? Thank you!

A: Improvement in lip competence and reduction of mentalis strain in some sliding genioplasty patients is one of the potential benefits of the surgery.  But that would depend on what type of chin movements are done and what is the anatomy of the patient’s chin initially.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana