Chin Aesthetics and Chin Implants
I think the purpose of this article becomes clearer if we divide the lower jaw, medically called the mandible, into two parts. If there is a problem with how the teeth sit in the lower and upper dental arches and they do not meet properly, you have an orthognathic problem. In a person whose lower dental arch is set back orthognathically, the chin is usually set back as well, although I have occasionally seen otherwise. In some people, the chin is set back even though there is no orthognathic problem.
So set back compared to what, and according to whom?
There are many ways of calculating it, but roughly, you can think of it like this: in your side-profile photo, the most prominent point of your chin lies behind the most prominent point of your lips. Patients with orthognathic problems need to be assessed jointly by an orthodontist and a jaw surgeon. Do not think of this simply as putting braces on the teeth. In adolescence this is very easy: the tooth roots are not yet very rigidly anchored in the mandible, and because growth is continuing, the treatment easily finds its place hidden within the growth process. Patients we see at an older age, whether or not they have had orthognathic treatment (and even just after adolescence counts as late for orthognathic surgery), may not want to deal with the alignment of their teeth and may simply wish their receding chin to come forward. In fact, it is usually we who tell most patients that they have this problem. They are generally not very aware of it.
The orthognathic surgery process usually takes between 1 and 3 years. Whether or not the patient accepts this process, except in special cases, a strong character can be added to the jaw by placing an implant at the chin. This will also make a rhinoplasty you may have, or fat injection to the cheekbones or forehead, look richer and more characterful.
Still, when considering a chin implant, orthognathic problems must not be overlooked, and an orthodontist's opinion should always be obtained.
A chin implant can be placed either through the mouth or from under the chin. It is a procedure that does not take very long. With the fine detail it provides, it further enriches our other operations.
The information on this page is for general information only; always consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.