Genioplasty questions

[Teeth of Cthulhu]

I'm finally getting braced in August and preparing for a bimax advancement within the next 18 months or so. My query is this: I've been told by my surgeon that my chin has a very unusual shape - prominent at the "button", but recessed everywhere else and also too short. The thing is, it already meets the lower lip line, and I already have a somewhat deep labiomental groove. I'm concerned that having anything done to my chin would accentuate these problems. Would a vertical + horizontal genioplasty move the lower lip forward a bit along with the chin? Is there any way I could augment the chin without deepening the labiomental groove substantially?

To put things in perspective, my chin looks like this guy in the left picture. I don't want to end up with a result like on the right, i.e. a witches chin.

[TwitBerry]

If you have the same chin/labiomental fold issues as the guy in the photos, then you are wise to be concerned. You need a surgeon with good aesthetics & skills to address a recessed mandible with a prominent chin. I speak from experience when I say: Ask questions! I had the same issues, only my surgeons/orthodontists never once addressed it, and I never noticed it until after I looked at my photo records post surgery. In short, I ended up with the profile on the right. I'm female, BTW, so it's so not a good look. It's disfiguring and depressing.

Advancing the mandible without addressing the chin & fold will more than likely result in the profile on the right. Just moving the chin forward alone via genioplasty (separate procedure) would definitely deepen the fold. Some here on Archwired have had chin reductions when their mandibles were brought forward. There are so few with photos, though, so I can't gauge the success of these.

Just FYI: There are a lot of hack doctors out there, driven more by money than a patient's best interest. The unethical & hacks definitely outnumber the good. If your surgeon does not address your chin/fold issues, then s/he may be just another bad surgeon. OR, you may not be a good surgical candidate to begin with. In my case, I was not a good candidate because of the same logistical problems.

Good luck to you.

[Teeth of Cthulhu]

Perhaps the pic I posted was a bad example. My Chin is more similar to this woman in the left picture. She had a minimal horizontal advancement genioplasty but with 4mm vertical height added and the impovement looks substantial.



One surgeon I saw considered the possibility of a setback genioplasty but my current surgeon believes my chin looks "pointy" because it is too vertically short, rather than too prominent.

[TwitBerry]

Her results are much better than the previous. Are you looking to avoid jaw surgery by going with genio alone? I'm not a doctor so wouldn't have a clue if the movements used on her will work for you. I would still be very cautious. The vertical lengthening seemed to have effaced her moderate fold with soft/muscle tissue. It would be interesting to see a front view. I would ask your surgeon (along with maybe a few more) if this is a realistic option for your features. This would not have been a good alternative for me, since my face was already longish and chin prominent.

Good luck to you.

[Teeth of Cthulhu]

I will definitely be having the jaw surgery, but my surgeon has told me that it basically won't change the shape of my chin, i.e. my chin will still look pointy. He actually suggested some kind of wrap around + vertical lengthening implant but I'd rather work with bone if it's at all possible.