Can My Facial Asymmetry Be Improved With A Jaw Implant?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have significant facial asymmetry whereby my mandible is less developed on the right than on the left. This causes the left side of my face to look “empty” and flat, with my chin pointing off to the left. I am hopeful that this can be improved with a jaw implant. The problem bothers me a lot, and makes me camera shy. Improving my facial balance would mean a lot to me, and I would be very grateful for a chat with you about this.

A: Thank you for your inquiry and sending your pictures. In mild cases of jaw asymmetry (5mms or less from chin midline) a total jaw implant can be a very effective procedure to correct the asymmetry as both sides of the jawline and chin are built out differently to make the chin/jaw symmetric from the front view. But when the jaw asymmetry is more significant with the chin shifted more than 5mms from the midline as in your case the build out between the two sides can make the chin and jawline too wide for your face to achieve symmetry. Thus in your case you use a sliding genioplasty to shift the chin back to the midline and concurrently place custom jawline implants to build up the two sides which merge into the repositioned chin bone by preoperative computer design.

These recommendations are based on a picture analysis. But ultimately review of a 3D CT scan and looking at various chin bone changes and implant designs will determine the best treatment plan for your face.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana