My face looks unbalanced from grinding my teeth, how can I fix this? (Photos)

Question

Hi there, I am a 34 year old female. I have had braces before. But I grind my teeth at night. As a result I have noticed my chin receding. Hence making me cheeks and nose look bigger. My face is unbalanced it’s my nonexistent chin. I’m not sure what to do. Any recommendations would help out a lot. Should I get genioplasty with jaw adjustment, a chin implant or facelift dentistry?

Michael Kulick, MD, DDS · Answer

As a former dentist, I see that you have two independent problems. The first is the issue of bruxism grinding one's teeth. This is best served with a dental equilibration and the wearing a mouth guard. This is usually worn at night but some need to wear the mouth guard during the day also.The other problem is your weak chin. This would be helped with a chin augmentation. Correcting your chin projection will not have any impact on your dental occlusion but would help your profile. Hopes this helps.Sincerely,

Michael Kulick MD

   Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

   Member of ASPS, ASAPS
   Recipient of the Klingbeil Award from ASAPS – Teaching Safe Techniques and Advanced Technologies

Michael Kulick MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Member of ASPS, ASAPS
   Recipient of the Klingbeil Award from ASAPS – Teaching Safe Techniques and Advanced Technologies

Michael P. Morrissette, DDS, FACS · Answer

Thank you for the photos and you indeed have a recessive chin. In patients where the degree of recession is greater than 5 mm I prefer an advancement genioplasty. With this procedure, your own natural chin can be brought forward up to 8-9 mm. It provides a natural, well contoured and youthful profile. I also perform chin surgery with silicone implants but your case would achieve better balance with a genioplasty. I perform genioplastry in the office with intravenous sedation. There is no need for hospitalization. Our out of town patients return home the next day. As for the grinding, ask your dentist to make you a nightguard.

Kimberly Lee, MD · Answer

If you are considering enhancing your chin, it may be prudent to start with a reversible, non-permanent option before committing to a permanent treatment.  Please consult with a board certified specialist who can guide you.  3-dimensional computer imaging can also help you visualize what you may look like afterwards and serve as a communication tool with your surgeon.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

The side profile photographs demonstrate a recessive and weak chin profile for which a chin implant can improve.  Chin implants are manufactured in a large array of thicknesses, sizes, and shapes which is best determined at the time of the consultation and examination.  In our practice, we place chin implants under local anesthesia as an outpatient procedure.  A chin implant will have no bearing on the way the teeth fit together.  Liposuction in the neck can accomplish removal of fat deposits in that area for additional improvement in the jawline.  For more information about chin implants and many examples,  please see video below

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD (retired) · Answer

Hi, see your dentist and ask about a bite guard.  This however has no real impact on you having a weak chin  a lack of forward projection of the mental bone itself.  I have performed many facial shaping procedures, including Chin Augmentation with dermal fillers or silastic chin implants, for over 30 years.  When the chin is weak, this creates an imbalance making the nose appear larger, the mid face top heavy, the lower face looks short, de-emphasizes the lips and allows early formation of a "double chin".  
 Proper placement of a silastic chin implant adds forward projection to the chin thereby creating harmony and balance to the lower face.  Using the same incision, liposuction can be performed to reduce the fat and further shape the neck.  Excess skin, from below the chin, can also be removed through the same incision.  
 I have found that placement of a silastic chin implant, through a small curved incision under the chin (also allows excess skin removal) to be very safe, quick, highly effective and far less invasive than a sliding genioplasty (requires extensive tissue dissection, bone cuts and placement of metal screws and plates to secure the cut segments of bone).  I perform chin implant surgery in 30 minutes or less, often using a local anesthetic alone.  In my opinion, you are a good candidate for chin implant surgery.  
 When consulting with surgeons perhaps ask not only is your chin weak but do they have experience performing chin augmentation?  The attached video shows how I determine whether the chin is weak.  The second part of what that surgeon said is absolutely correct.  The selection of the proper size, shape and thickness as well as the proper placement of the silastic chin implant are all "key" elements in creating a naturally looking chin.  If too large of an implant is used in a woman, the chin can look relatively masculine.  That's where experience, performing chin implant surgery, comes into play.Hope this helps.

Michael Elam, MD (retired) · Answer

I would first suggest getting a mouth guard to stop you from grinding your teeth this is a very simple solution. As far as your facial aesthetics you have a slightly weak chin, some small fatty deposits under the chin, and you have full lower cheeks. I would suggest a combination procedure of chin augmentation, buccal fat pad reduction and sub mental cervical liposuction. This combined procedure will provide you with a nicely balanced profile and overall facial aesthetic. See many examples of this combination procedure in the link and video attached. Best regards, Michael V. Elam, M.D.

My face looks unbalanced from grinding my teeth, how can I fix this? (Photos)

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