Will Custom Jaw Angle Implants Restore Me To My Previous Appearance?

Q: Dr. Eppley,  two months ago I received surgery which was to rebuild my jaw bone deficiency due to prior jaw reduction surgery. This was done with jaw angle implants placed through the mouth. But I am not satisfied with the result. I have heard of custom made implants? Can I get to my previous appearance by using this method? If it is possible, how much does it cost? And can the Medpor jaw implants with screws be removed?

A: There is no question that custom implants made off of a patient’s mandibular model is the best way to get whatever desired jaw angle shape one wants. Nothing can be more accurate than premaking an implant for the exact defect. Off-the-shelf implants, while successfully providing a new look in many cases, do not work well when one is trying to restore their original anatomy. That is not what they are made for. I have removed/modified many Medpor jaw angle implants, and although they are certainly not easy to remove, it can be successfully done. The sooner they are removed after placement the better but even if in place for years they can still be successfully extracted.

The cost of manufacturing custom implants adds about $3500 in addition to the overall cost of jaw angle implant surgery.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana