Chin Implant

Q: Dr. Eppley, I think I need a chin implant. I have a recessed/weak chin and jaw I am looking to get corrected. I had braces as a kid and my teeth fit together fine. I was hoping a chin implant would help alone but my nose might be too large as well.

A: You have at least a 10mm chin deficiency. The choice between a chin implant or a sliding genioplasty is how you would view it from the front view. A sliding genioplasty will keep the chin at its existing narrow width. (unless an overlat implants put in front of it. Conversely a chin implant can make your chin wider/more squatter from the front view. That is what should principally make the aesthetic decision between the two chin augmentation approaches. Regardless of the method used, your labiomental fold will get deeper, unlike what you are showing by pushing your jaw forward to simulate the chin augmentation effect. (this is because the teeth come forward and help augment the labiomental fold)

A chin implant can also help reduce the appearance of a large nose by making the lower face more prominent. It may not eliminate the need for a rhinoplasty is a very large nose but it can delay or even change how the rhinoplasty surgery is done.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana