Is Burring An Effective Method Of Frontal Bone Reduction?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in frontal bone reduction. (forehead reduction) What’s the average bone thickness of the frontal bones? How much can you usually take off that will a visible different?

A: Burring is the only effective method for forehead reduction or reduction of frontal bone bossing. Frontal bone thicknesses can range from 12 to 17mms in my experience. The bone can be reduced down into the diploid space. How thick the bone is down into that space (how much can the frontal bone be reduced) is best determined by a lateral skull film or CT scan by which the amount of bone reduction can be measured. In my experience that is anywhere from 5 to 8mms. That may not sound like a lot of frontal bone reduction but when done over the entire surface of the forehead it can create a much greater effect than the numbers alone would suggest.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana