A strong and/or well defined jawline is a valuable aesthetic feature of the lower face in both men and women. While isolated and combined individual chin and jaw angle implants can be effective at achieving it, a one-piece wrap around jawline implant is the most effective way to achieve a completely smooth jawline augmentation. Made from the patient’s 3D CT scan, the ability to create the chin and jaw angle dimensions and make a connection between them ensures the best control of the jawline augmentation change.
The placement of most custom jawline implants is done through a three incision technique, an external submental and a paired intraoral posterior vestibular incisions. This usually permits the implant to be inserted as a single piece by threading through both sides of the implant through the central external submental incision. When the jaw angle sections of the implant become very large, it may be necessary to section the implant in half and insert it in a retrograde fashion. (feeding the split chin part of the implant forward through the posterior intraoral incisions and reuniting them in the middle)
But in more moderately-sized custom jawline implants, they can be placed completely through an intraoral approach. The submental skin incision can be converted into an intraoral anterior vestibular incision. The implant can then be inserted by feeding it through the incision on the inside of the lower lip, thus creating a ‘scarless’ custom jawline implant technique.
Just like a smaller chin implant, the chin portion of the custom jawline implant must be adequately secured to the bone. This ensures that it stays down at the lower edge of the bone as it was designed to be.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana