Are silicone/silastic chin implants easily detectable on dental or regular x-rays?

Question

I want to get an extra large anatomical implant, however I want it to be a totally private. I would rather opt out of getting the chin implant fastened with screws, since they are quite easily discernible on an x ray.

Robert M. Lowen, MD · Answer

Yes, they would be unmistakable.  Everything but fat is radiologically detectable. Although you are hoping to avoid being detectable by not having screws placed, the silicone itself will show up.

Michael Kulick, MD, DDS · Answer

Depending on what X-ray view your dentist took, the different density could show up, even without screws. It would be hard to fool your dentist but with HIPAA, this information would need to be kept private. Hope this helps.Michael Kulick MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, San Francisco CA
   Member of ASPS, ASAPS
   Recipient of the Klingbeil Award – Teaching Safe Techniques and Advanced Technologies

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD · Answer

While the implant itself is translucent it can often be seen on careful inspection of a panorex (not small dental films) as a faint outline on the chin. So it may be possible to see it.

Chase Lay, MD · Answer

Morning,It's probably a non-issue for you since screws aren't commonly used for silicon implants except maybe when placing it through the mouth.  Just ask your surgeon what the plan is and then seek more than a few consults to get the information and plan you're looking for.  Silicon implants themselves can be seen on X-ray but they're not as obvious as one might think.And btw, if you're so private about this that you don't even want a dentist or doctor to be able to see it on X-ray then think carefully before proceeding.  One way or the other it may be apparent to someone close to you someday that you have an implant.  Staying private about it in your personal life is certainly understandable but you should never put yourself in a position to hide surgery or medical history from a medical professional.Chase Lay MD

William Portuese, MD · Answer

A regular  silicone chin implant will probably have a very faint shadow if there's a chin  implant in place on an x-ray. In our practice, we do not use any screw fixation for chin implants. We place the implants under local anesthesia as an outpatient procedure and place one stitch to sew the implant down which is  dissolvable suture

Michael Elam, MD (retired) · Answer

Dear chinimpl, silicone implants could be detected on an x-ray however all patient information is protected with HIPAA compliance so your information is confidential. We often tell our patients to let their dentist know they have an implant if they are having extensive dental work done so the dentist is careful not to apply to much pressure to that area while the patient is under anesthesia, gas, or numbing shots. Most surgeons do not use screws with silicone implants so that should not be a factor. See examples in the link and video below. Best regards, Michael V. Elam, M.D.

Are silicone/silastic chin implants easily detectable on dental or regular x-rays?

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