How Can My Face Be Straightened?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am 28 year old female.When I was12 whenever I opened my mouth very wide the left side of my face clicked under my ear. Therefter it became more painful to open and I had great difficulty in eating chewy foods. By the time I was 18 my face looked obviously asymmetric. My jaw is not properly aligned. I have been to an orthodontist and was told that I would need corrective jaw surgery which I can not afford and he also said it may not necessarily make my face look straight even if my jaws were better aligned. What can I do to straighten out my face?

A: Your face is significantly asymmetric due to an underdeveloped left side. That extends from the cheek bone down to the jawline with a significant left chin deviation.Your non-major orthognathic surgery options include a combined procedure by repositioning the chin bone (opening wedge genioplasty), a left cheek implant and fat injections to the left side of the face. These three procedures will help fill out the left side of the face and straighten it by aligning the chin with the midline of the face.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana