Should I Get Implants Or Orthognathic Surgery For My Weak Jawline?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in jaw implants for my weak chin. I would like to know what the implants are made from and how durable they are. I do martial arts and blows to the face are quite common, so I wonder how well the implants will endure against physical trauma? Also do you believe there might be a possibility that corrective orthognathic surgery might help me, both cosmetically and in terms of snoring/breathing issues? Thank you. 

A: The chin and jaw angle implants are made from silicone of a firmness slightly less than bone. I screw the implants into the bone that they will never move from their implanted position. It will require a force great enough to break the bone to ever dislodge them. And they might actually be a buffer against traumatic forces, ultimately protecting the bone to some degree. Whether you would benefit by orthognathic surgery instead of jawline implants is not a question I can answer based on the information you have provided the best way to answer that important question would be to get and orthodontic evaluation and see if the process of pre- and postsurgical orthodontics and orthognathic surgery would be a more appealing alternative that at least partially address the underlying bone problem of your weak jawline. You owe it to yourself for the sake of educational completeness to get such an evaluation.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana