Can I Get A Custom Jaw Angle Implant Made For My High Jaw Angles?

Q:  I have a very high jaw angle. My goal is to have a jaw implant that will lower my jaw angle as much as possible. The problem is that the biggest implant I have seen only has 35mms of vertical length and the inferior ridge is just under 10mms. Does a bigger jaw angle implant exist and I have just not seen it? If not, how can a bigger one be made if possible?

A: Your are correct in your assessment that no off-the-shelf jaw angle implant can drop one’s angle down anymore than 10mms at most. Anymore more than that requires a custom implant to be made which can bring it down closer to 20mms. Such exceptional jaw angle extensions are uncommonly requested or needed which is why no stock implant exists with that degree of accentuation. I have made custom jaw angle implants that do achieve what you are after. They require a jaw model to first be made which is done from a 3-D CT scan of the patient. The jaw model made is then the exact anatomy of the patient from which the design and model are created.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana