28-year-old with a receding chin. Would chin implants improve my profile better than braces? What size would be ideal? (Photo)

You are a good candidate for a chin implant. To determine the size and contour an exam would be required. Wearing braces does not perform the same function as a chin implant. You should do both. The sequence would be determined by your plastic surgeon and dentist together in consultation. The face is divided into thirds. The first third extends from the hairline to eye level. The second from eye level to the upper lip and the lower third from the upper lip to the chin. What we look for is a harmonious profile, that is a balanced profile. Sometimes all that it takes is rhinoplasty, sometimes a rhinoplasty with chin implant and sometimes just a chin implant. This seems to be the case with you. I perform all of my chin implants through a buccal incision, that is....through the inside of the lower lip. I prefer this approach because all too often I have seen chin implants displaced downward when the incision has been made under the chin.There are many surgeons that are very successful with this method and as for me, it's a matter of personal preference.I encourage you to look up the surgeon you eventually select and make sure they are certified by the American Board of Plastic surgery and have years of experience in performing chin implants. Furthermore, request to see before and after photos of previous patients by that doctor....not a clinic or surgery center. Do your homework......research and verify the doctor's credentials. Have they had problems with the Board of Medicine, disciplinary or otherwise. Any law suits? Good luck.

You describe the treatment plan from your
dentist as an extraction of teeth and a period of braces. By extracting teeth
from your upper and lower jaw it will allow the dentist to retrude (bring back) and
retrocline (tilt back) the teeth, improve balance between the upper and lower dentition and
give some improvement of your facial balance. Overall though, from your images,
your chin will likely remain recessed and require some form of augmentation. Generally
as we age, our facial bones recede. I prefer to augment and protrude the facial
skeleton where appropriate, as it tends to have less ageing effects on the
face. If your dentist is planning for extraction of teeth, a period of braces
and orthognathic surgery (moving the lower jaw bone forward) then this is a
very powerful way to improve both the way the upper and lower teeth meet and
also your facial balance and chin position. This is a significantly more
involved treatment plan but can result in very dramatic and long-term facial
changes. The main reason to consider this option is if you have a bad occlusion
(your upper and lower teeth do not meet correctly). Long-term abnormal
occlusions can lead to jaw pain and abnormal wear patterns for the teeth. Chin
augmentation alone is very reasonable to consider if your occlusion is satisfactory.
A chin augmentation can be done with either an implant or an osseous
genioplasty (using your own bone). A chin implant is the simplest treatment
plan and can also be reversed (removed) relatively simply. An osseous
genioplasty involves moving the chin portion of your lower jawbone forward and
has the benefit of utilizing your own bone rather than an implant – it is less
easily reversed but often a good procedure to consider for a younger patient.
If you decide on a chin implant then clinical examination and cephalometric
analysis will help with your decision on size. My advice would be to get a
further opinion from a Plastic Surgeon trained in Craniofacial Surgery. A sound
opinion requires a face-to-face consultation. Good luck. Regards, Dr Guy Watts