Do I Need Jaw Surgery Or A Chin Implant/Slidinmg Genioplasty?

Q: Dr. Eppley, Dr. Eppley and his team seem top-notch –  highly skilled and experienced. I would request for a consultation, but it is far, unfortunately. May I ask for expert advice and/or referral?  

I have a recessed chin and no visible jawline which has bothered me since teenage years. Despite orthodontic treatment in the mid-90s (headgear + braces), my overbite persisted. I am embarrassed to say I still felt ugly, especially when I noticed my side profile in pictures at school. What’s worse, I did not use a retainer judiciously. Fast forward a couple decades and I have an appointment set for next week with a local orthodontist in Memphis, hoping to *finally* fix the overbite and some crowding that occurred over the last 8 years.

I have not seen the orthodontist yet, but I have been online reading a bit more, searching for doctors who have helped patients with similar profile photos as mine, looking at before+after photos. From these, I am reminded that braces alone will not help me with my lacking jawline + recessed chin. I discovered that I need help determining what would be the best approach: a chin implant, sliding genioplasty, or jaw surgery. Seeing that Dr. Eppley has helped so many patients with similar problems and facial features, would Dr. Eppley be able to determine which procedure would be needed? I attached photos of my face if that might help. 

I have no jaw pain, my bite seems okay other than the overbite. My face is slightly asymmetric (left cheek? larger than right). Simply put, I don’t think I need jaw surgery but I am unsure. If I only need a chin implant, that’s a relief, but if I need a sliding genioplasty, could I possibly find a surgeon with similar expertise as Dr. Eppley?

Thank you for taking the time to consider my case (photos attached)!

A: Thank you for your inquiry and sending your pictures. Like all chin augmentation patients one always has the option of a chin implant vs sliding genioplasty. While I think you would be best served by the sliding genioplasty long term, there is nothing wrong with a chin implant option…as long as it is the right chin implant style for a female and it is securely positioned on the bone.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana