Genioplasty

Abstract

The chin is an important structure in creating an aesthetic facial shape. Not only does it contribute to facial proportion in frontal and lateral views, but it also supports the overlying soft tissues. The chin can be moved three dimensionally with an osteotomy (osseous genioplasty) or can be augmented with an alloplastic implant (implant genioplasty) for more limited changes in chin position. The versatility of an osteotomy provides more precision to move the chin to its ideal position, but it is a more invasive procedure when compared to an implant. Most surgeons consider an alloplastic chin augmentation a simpler procedure with a faster recovery, but in the majority of indications, an implant cannot provide the same result as an osseous genioplasty. When compared to other maxillofacial procedures, either type of genioplasty is a relatively straightforward procedure that produces a predictable result with a fast recovery.