Jaw Angle Implants

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had lower jaw surgery (Sagittal Split Osteotomy) done a few years ago to correct my bite, and believe I would benefit from a jaw angle implant to improve my jaw angle. From what I read, it seems like this a a procedure that has a relatively high rate of failure. I would like to discuss and determine if this procedure would be recommended for me.

A: Thank you for your inquiry. I have an extensive experience with jaw angle implants and they do not have a higher rate of problems than any other facial implant. But because they are bilateral, implant/angle asymmetry is not rare. This is not only technique-related but also because many patients have natural jaw angle asymmetry which becomes magnified with implant augmentation. Such jaw angle asymmetry most certainly applies to you since you have had ramus osteotomies whose healing always creates some bony asymmetry.

I would need to see pictures of your face for an assessment and computer imaging as well as current x-rays (at least one year after your surgery) to see what your jaw angles look like. It is a question to determine what style of jaw angle implants you aesthetically need as well as whether standard or custom implants would be needed.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana