The normal position of the chin in relation to the lips in a person with good facial proportions is such that the lower lip is 1-2 mm behind the upper lip and the chin is 1-2 mm behind the lower lip. There are great variations in facial harmony based on genetics, gender, and ethnicity. There are also chins that are too long or short, which can be treated by impaction or descent mentopasty. When the chin is very retruded or protruded in relation to the lips, according to these references the advancement or retreat of the chin forward reduces the relative distance from the lips to the chin. Dr. Birbe uses landmarks on the face to assess proportions, but there is an artistic component to mentoplasty planning that takes into account gender, ethnicity and chin shape.

Mentoplasty is often combined with orthognathic surgery and rhinoplasty. Both improve facial proportions and make the end result better. A neck liposuction may be suitable for patients with fat under the chin. In cases with signs of facial aging, such as skin laxity, the appearance of a double chin, deep facial lines and folds in the skin of the neck, the face lift associated with mentoplasty is the treatment of choice.

There are different mentoplasty designs such as oblique, “Chin Wing” or “Chin Shield”. Simple advances or setbacks are good candidates for oblique mentoplasties. The Chin Wing design is indicated when we also want to change the shape of the angle of the jaw, while the Chin Shield helps to compensate for mentoplasties in patients with marked labi-mental grooves.

All cosmetic surgery has some risks, in general, chin implant surgery is very safe. As with all surgeries, there is a small risk of infection, or slight bleeding. You may have a tingling sensation on your lip for the first few days.

Dr. Birbe specializes only in the face and does not perform body surgery. The facilities, the experience of the team of more than 15 years, and the surgical material used, as well as the virtual planning ensures that Dr Birbe can provide you with the desired result. Dr. Birbe removes chin implants placed by other surgeons every year due to the implant it is out of balance with the individual’s face or is moving out of place, or causes resorption of the jaw bone in contact with the implant.

An isolated mentoplasty or associated with a rhinoplasty, a lift or liposuction is an excellent candidate to be done with intravenous sedation. A mentoplasty associated with bimaxillary orthognathic surgery is usually done under general anesthesia.

The removal of chin implants depends on the type of implant that has been inserted and its method of fixation: Silicone implants remove well. Non-silicone implants such as Medpor (porous high-density polyethylene), hydroxyapatite, mesh, and Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) are more difficult to remove the longer they have been in the patient.

If you have no occlusion problems and the shape of the jaw angles is correct, a mentoplasty is all you need. If you have a malocclusion caused by a short jaw, or the shape of the mandibular angles is not good, you will need a jaw advance surgery and sometimes associated with simultaneous mentoplasty.