Do I Need A Custom Jaw Wrap Around Implant?

Q: I have a weak jawline and would like to do something about it. I have previously had a chin implant but it did not appear to have made much of a difference. The implant didn’t address my weak jawline. I would like to find out more about the wrap around jaw implant. How many days do I have to wait between 3D CT scan and the actual surgery? I have attached a side view picture of myswlf for you to see what I mean.

A: Thank you for sending your picture. Based on this one view, I am seeing the need for chin augmentation and possible jaw angle imlants. But it is not clear to me why a custom-made implant would be necessary. Such wrap around implants are most beneficial when the entire jawline needs to be augmented from one angle to the other It is especially useful when the entire jawline is vertically deficient for which there is no off-the-shelf implants available. Horizontal or minor vertical jaw angle deficiences can be managed by non-custom made implants. I would be curious to know why has interested you in the custom wrap-around jaw implant. Perhaps it is because you have had no success with a chin implant already. But that may be because the size and style of implant chosen was too small. I would need to know what type and size of chin implant was used to determine whether to go with a stock or custom implant for better correction.

To answer your other question, the usual turn around time from the patient getting a 3-D CT scan and then the jawline implant being ready for surgery is about 6 weeks.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis Indiana