Can Jaw Angle Implants Be Used To Correct Jaw Angles That Had Been Shaved Off?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had jaw implant surgery using Goretex implants in my jaw, and ended up putting them all around my chin in areas I didn’t want. 

My surgeon went way off base and I asked to have them removed. What he didn’t tell me, was that he shaved down the back gonial area of my jaw to put these implants in. If I knew he was going to do that, I wouldn’t have consented. Honestly, it doesn’t make sense to me how he does that since goretex has such a high rate of infection. 

Anyway. He took away the one thing I loved about my old jaw, the angles. And I really want them back. 

I was wondering if it was possible to do very small gonial implants in hope to mimic the old shape that I had? What’s left now are these very weird significantly sanded down parts. 

I will have to wait a few years to be able to afford the surgery again. But knowing that there’s hope to look like my old self is something I really need. 

Hopefully it’s possible, I like how you do the imaging for the implants. So what are the limits in size? 

Have a good day,

A: Thank you for your inquiry and detailing your surgical history and objectives. Jaw angle implants can be done in any size that suits the patient. There are no size limitations when it comes to ‘smallness’. All that matters is what the patient needs. The only question is whether such ‘reconstructive’ jaw angle implants need to be custom made or whether modified standard implants will suffice.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana