How to fix uneven smile after Bell’s palsy? (Photo)

Thank you for your picture and questions. These types of cases can be very complicated and the solutions are not always easy. A physical exam is required to see your movement and animation. Make sure you see a plastic surgeon who is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery for a consultation.Good luck!Dallas R. Buchanan, MD, FACSOwner & Board-Certified Plastic SurgeonVIVIFY plastic surgery

Thank you for your question.  This is an all too common problem that many docs do not have experience treating.  You have developed something called synkinesis  that is a result of the way the facial nerve healed after your Bell's palsy.  You can gain significant improvement in function and symmetry with botulinum toxin injections.  In our facial nerve program, we utilize a physical therapist who ONLY treats faces and together, with toxin denervation and sometimes surgery, you can gain marked improvements.  Please find a board certified facial plastic surgeon that is well versed in facial paralysis to consult with. Best wishes.

My chermion, the late Doctor Lenard Rubin, invented an elegant technique in treating this problem. He would use two of the muscles that you chew with (the temporalis and masseter muscles) and the frontalis muscle to reanimate the face. He takes part of the temporalis muscle ( and sometimes the masiter) to improve your smile and the frontalis muscle to improve the symmetry of your eyebrows. This is a dynamic reconstruction. Doctor Roger Simpson, who is the current chairman, carry’s on Doctor Rubins position in helping patients just like you. I hope you find this information useful.