I'm 18. How do I tell if I have a poor maxilla? How do I bring it forward? Will cheek implants help?

Thank you for your question. See a facial/plastic surgeon, or Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, and have an evaluation. An Oral Surgeon would also be good to consult with. I hope this helps!

There are different grades of maxillary hypoplasia and negative malar vectors and the grade will catalyse the decision as to which option is the best for your case. Over  the last decade we have developed the ability to address these cases without having to rely exclusively on surgical interventions. In that perspective facial implants are becoming less popular as we can use high viscosity fillers that can be tailored to each face and to the aging changes that will occur over time. A malar implant can be a good option only in selected cases and my advise to you is to research extensively and consult with specialists in the field. 

There are 2 ways to  bring the maxilla forward, cheek implant placement, and a osteotomy of the maxilla and setting it forward. In our practice,  when patients have a flat cheek profile, we consider placing small Silastic cheek implants through an intra-oral approach under a brief general anesthesia. For many examples, please see blank below 

  I have performed many Cheek Augmentations with dermal fillers (I prefer Perlane) and using Cheek Implants for a permanent augmentation for over 25 years.  Without non-smiling photos of your face, there's no way to tell if you are a candidate for either.  Fillers are a quick office treatment while cheek implants are made out of silastic and require surgery for placement.  I have to be honest and tell you that it's a bit unusual for an 18 year old to require cheek implants as the face still retains a significant amount of baby fat around the cheeks.  You can always e-mail us photos for further evaluation.  Hope this helps.