I'm looking into getting dimpleplasty. However, I have braces. Would my braces cause any issues during or after the procedure?

Question

Thank you for your time

Rajat Gupta, MD, MS, DNB · Answer

I personally would not prefer to do a dimpleplasty with braces on. Reason being, it is hard to clean every nook and corner of the braces and you may have some residual in bacterial source and operating any area close to it could cause infection. I would personally delay this surgery to once your braces are off.

Amiya Prasad, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. You are asking if dimpleplasty can be performed if you currently wear braces.
I can give you some guidance about dimpleplasty as it relates to braces. A little background: I’m a Board-certified cosmetic surgeon and Fellowship-trained oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgeon. I’ve been in practice in Manhattan and Long Island for over 20 years, and dimpleplasty is one of the areas of recognition for our practice. People come from around the world to our practice for dimples, and we’ve been featured in various media regarding dimples. 
Just so you understand the concept of how dimpleplasty works, and the procedure’s relationship with braces, you first have to understand natural dimples. People with natural dimples have this opening in a muscle called buccinator muscle that has a connection with the skin,  so when they smile, the skin of goes in and creates a dimple. 
When we do dimpleplasty, generally speaking, we work from the inside of the mouth to create an opening, then attach the muscle to the skin to create a dimple. This dimple is always there in the beginning so there is a connection, but that eventually softens with time so you will only have the dimple when you smile. 
How do braces fit into the dimpleplasty procedure? It begins with proper oral hygiene. One of the things I emphasize to my patients is when you do surgery inside the mouth, you are dealing with an area that naturally has a lot of bacteria. We go through precautions such as placement of oral antibiotics, and have patients use antibacterial mouthwash. When it comes to braces, good oral hygiene becomes more important to prevent problems with the teeth from bacteria stuck around the braces. I even further emphasize the importance of good oral hygiene prior to undergoing dimpleplasty such as the use of Waterpiks and everything else to make sure food is cleared and there is minimal chance of bacteria. You want to have those practices in place. Logistically speaking, for me or any surgeon, when someone has braces, there is a possibility some of the gauze or other instruments interfacing with the braces, so sometimes the gauze can get stuck a little, so we just have to be careful. Otherwise, I see no reason to not get dimple procedure because you have braces.
I think it is very important to go to someone who is very experienced with doing dimples. It’s one of the procedures that looks like it should be simple, but it is deceptively complicated to perform with consistency and facility. Like anything else, an experienced surgeon is going to be very good because of the continual practice and experience. I think that finding an experienced dimple surgeon to have your procedure done with, and understanding that braces do play a small inconvenience in the technical aspects of the surgery will help you achieve a more likely successful outcome. I hope that was helpful, I wish you the best of luck, and thank you for your question.

I'm looking into getting dimpleplasty. However, I have braces. Would my braces cause any issues during or after the procedure?

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I'm looking into getting dimpleplasty. However, I have braces. Would my braces cause any issues during or after the procedure?

Answers (2)

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Dimple Surgery

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.