Mentoplasty
Mentoplasty Related Terms:
Chin Augmentation, Chin Augmentation, Chin Implants, Chin Sculplting, Chin Surgery, Cosmetic Surgery, Double Chin Liposuction, Face Procedures, Plastic Surgery, Surgeon
Mentoplasty - What Is It?
In Greek language, mentum means chin and plassein means forming or shaping. Hence, shaping the chin had been termed as Mentoplasty. It is also called as Genioplasty or chinplasty. Mentoplasty is resorted to for correction malformations of the chin. When the jawbone growth on one side is not equal to the growth on the other side, it would lead to facial asymmetry. In certain cases, a part of jawbone might be missing at the time of birth itself. This condition is known as congenital agenesis. Larger and smaller chins might also be corrected by Mentoplasty. The cost of Mentoplasty would vary according to the complexity of the situation and the procedures adopted by the plastic surgeon.
Mentoplasty - How Is It Done?
Mentoplasty is an osteotomy cosmetic procedure, where bone is cut to lengthen or shorten it or even change its alignment. This chin rounding procedure is performed mainly on adults. If it should be done on children, their permanent teeth must have come in and the jaw should be near the adult jaw size. Chin augmentation is more frequent than chin height reduction, since smaller chins are most common than prominent or large chins. Chin augmentation could be achieved by inserting chin implants or by sliding Genioplasty. Insertion of implants would take about 30 to 60 minutes. Sliding Genioplasty might take between 45 and 90 minutes. In cases Mentoplasty is combined with orthognathic surgery, the cosmetic procedure might take even 3 hours.
Mentoplasty - After the Surgery:
For the Mentoplasty to be successful, the plastic surgeon would study the x-ray of the head and the jaw, along with the dental history of the patient. The surgeon would advice that the patient should stop all medications and smoking 2 weeks before the plastic surgery. About 10 days rest would be needed after the operation before the patient could resume work. The diet should be a liquid one or soft for about a week. Infection, allergy to anesthetic, and bleeding are the common risks. If the problem is acute, the patient should immediately consult the surgeon. However, the average rate of complications due to Mentoplasty is only about 5%. Hence, it is quite a safe cosmetic procedure nowadays to have an attractive chin profile.