Will Mouth Widening Surgery Give Me A Wider Smile?

Q: Dr. Eppley, Hi, I have a natural narrow mouth in neutral position. I am considering a lateral commissuroplasty to make my mouth in neutral position a little bit wider and model look. (2mms each side). However, when I smile my mouth is wide, so by getting this lateral commissuroplasty, while my smile get wider? I don’t want my smile wider, just my mouth when it’s in a neutral/expressionless position.

A: By definition if you make your mouth width greater at rest it will become greater when you smile. That is the aesthetic tradeoff.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana