Your Questions
Your Questions
Q: Dr. Eppley, I am having quite a bit of dental surgery in my mouth, two 2 dental implants were put in this past April.. Hopefully, I will be having the customized permanent titanium abutments put in next month. After that I will be having permanent crowns put on these abutments. When these crowns are finished, I will then be having another crown put on another tooth unrelated to my dental implants. I am concerned about having any eyelid lift surgery so soon after my dental work. Should I be worried? Should I space several months in between the time I have my last dental work and my cosmetic surgery? Should I be taking an antibiotic before each the above dental procedures? How can I prevent any chance of infection from occurring in my eyes? I would so appreciate your input regarding this matter.
A: There is no solid scientific or medical evidence that would link the bacteremia that may emanate from skin surgery to causing infection around osseo-integrated dental implants, particularly when the placement of the implants were put into the bones months before. Or in reverse. I think it is unnecessary to take antibiotics before your dental procedures but that is a decision between you and your dentist. I see no connection between any of this or your family history to any risk of infectivity from having eyelid or blepharoplasty surgery, particularly since antibiotics are given during this surgery anyway.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana
Q: Dr. Eppley, Not sure what I really need. My forehead has deep wrinkles, I have sagging eyelids, bags under my eyes and jaw line and under chin drooping. Is this a full facelift or what?
A: What you are describing are numerous facial aging changes that are located around the two main areas that bother people the most, the eye area and the jawline/neck region. Unless there is some significant eyebrow sagging, the forehead wrinkles are treated with Botox injections and not surgery. Changing these two aging facial areas require a combination of blepharoplasties (eyelid lifts/tucks) and a neck-jowl lift. This is often interpreted as a ‘full’ facelift but this is not really an accurate description. A facelift is the purest sense of the word really just addresses the neck and jowl area and nothing above the lower 1/3 of the face. You may have interpreted eyelift surgery as part of a ‘facelift’ but they really are a separated procedure that is often done simultaneously for a more complete facial rejuvenation effect.
Please send me some pictures of your face for my assessment and a more individualized answer for your needs.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis,Indiana