How Is Mouth Widening Done?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have very small mouth and I hate it! Iwas looking up online about widing my mouth and your name comes up the most! I saw this type of surgery (lateral commissuroplasty) and I am curious as to how it is done and the results. Thank you!

A: While a lateral commssiuroplasty will widen the location of the corners of the mouth, there will be some fine line scars at the junction of the vermilion-cutaneous junction. The procedure is, in essence, a Y-V vermilion advancement. The horizontal limb of the Y is how far the new corner will be located to the side. The line is then cut (opened) and the vermilion of the corner of the mouth is then advanced outward to the end of the line that was opened and then sutured there. This is how the mouth gets wider. Is it a good cosmetic procedure? I think it depends on how small a mouth one has. I would have to see pictures of your mouth to see if it would be beneficial for your aesthetic goals. Scars are always a trade-off for any lip vermilion procedure so you have to have a significant enough aesthetic problem to make that exchange.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana