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

A chin implant will improve the profile and facial balance.  The issues of the bite, braces, and jaw alignment need to be assessed as well.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

I have to agree partially with your dentist. You have a moderately small jaw. The best option in my opinion is to get orthodontics and then jaw surgery. You might need to remove some teeth meanwhile. The jaw surgery will give you the best bite and profile. 

orthodontic work or braces probably will not help you reach the goal that you have in mind.  I really like the shape of her face from the front view, it is very oval and tapered towards the chin.  I would probably recommend something like a medium or even a large depending on what your examination showed and make sure that the front or tip of the chin implant was nicely tapered to maintain the "V-shaped" or oval shaped tear face that is so attractive.  The orthodontic work that you may or may not have done may help the overall appearance of everything but would not appreciably advance your jaw or chin to create a look that you desire.You may also be a good candidate for a genioplasty which involves incisions inside the mouth and actual cuts in the jaw bone itself around the chin area to remove that segment of the mandible forward.Best of luckChase Lay, MDDouble board-certified facial plastic surgeon

Great questions but NOT for via the internet. IN PERSON examination, X-rays, measurements are needed to determine best sized chin implant. Not only for shape but size... 

 Orthodontic braces are used to straighten your teeth and will not have any appreciable effect on your weak chin profile. To augment your weak chin profile, a chin implant is inserted through sub mental incision  and is placed  over the bone  to give cosmetic improvement. The chin implant will not have any bearing on your  dentition. For many examples, please see the links below

Unless you have orthognathic surgery with your braces, your chin position and facial profile will not change. While a chin implant wil improve your profile, it may make your chin wider in the front view which may be undesireable for a female. You may need to consider a sliding genioplasty to bring the chin forward and also make it more narrow from the front view.

If you have bite issues you definitely could benefit from orthodontia and possibly jaw advancement. Braces alone will not significantly alter your chin projection but will likely improve your bite. Conversely, a chin implant can have a dramatic effect on your profile appearance but will not remedy any issues with your teeth or bite. Stephen Weber MD, FACSDenver Facial Plastic Surgeon

Chin implants are used to improve the projection of the chin.  Braces align the teeth so that you have better occlusion or bite.  A jaw advancement may potentially do both, but this is significantly more surgery and expensive, so many patients would like to avoid that route.  So, you can choose chin implant, braces, or both.