Chin Implant Surgery (Mentoplasty) Treatment Cost in India

An individual can be recommended to undergo a mentoplasty surgery due to various reasons.

To correct the chin malformations that may have arisen from the bones that make up the jaw's developmental abnormalities. For instance, there may be a case where the jaw bone grows only on one side of the face and not on the other side, leading to asymmetry in the face. In some other cases, it may be found that the jawbone is missing, and this condition is referred to as congenital agenesis of the jaw.

Sometimes it is important to reshape the chin which is not in proportion or sync to other facial features.

Mentoplasty can be a part of gender reassignment surgery and the size and shape of the chin and lower jawline are found to be different among men and women. There are people who choose to get mentoplasty done which is a part of their gender transition regime.

Mentoplasty can follow a craniofacial reconstruction procedure which is usually done after a trauma or cancer surgery.

In orthognathic surgery, the repositioning of the facial bones is carried out to correct the abnormalities present in a patient who has difficulty speaking or chewing normally. A mentoplasty can also be part of such a surgery.

Records of dental and overall medical history are required for the diagnosis of mentoplasty.  The chin is regarded as one of the essential parts of the human face from an esthetic point of view, while the others are the nose and forehead. Alternatively, many patients with concerns about the size of their nose can be helped by increasing a very small chin as well as reshaping the nose to an extent. The face has to be divided into thirds in the facial analysis with the mouth and chin comprising of the lowest third. A surgeon will compare the proportions of each feature in each of the thirds for determining the procedure that is most suitable for the restoration of balance. 

Whether the facial disproportion problems can be corrected with a simple reduction or an implant is required with an orthognathic surgery has to be decided by the surgeon for which the x-rays and dental history must be studied. Patients who have irregular contact troubles for the teeth in the upper and lower jaws; a condition called malocclusion are referred to as a maxillofacial specialist for undergoing reconstructive surgery.

The surgeon will evaluate the patient for any kind of signs of psychological instability which includes unrealistic expectations of the outcomes of the surgery.

Mentoplasties are usually divided into two larger groups; the first consists of procedures that raise or increase small and receding chin, and the other group is intended to reduce broad and protruding chins and make it look natural. Compared to the chin reduction process, which basically reflects that microgenia or small chin is the most commonly found chin-related abnormalities, the augmentation process is more common.

Chin augmentation can be done by the insertion of an implant beneath the skin of the chin or by doing a sliding genioplasty. Implant insertion takes about 30 to 60 minutes while in a sliding genioplasty the procedure time is longer ranging between 45 to 90 minutes.  If the mentoplasty is done along with orthognathic surgery, then the operation time can grow longer by another 3 hours.

For patients with mild to moderate amounts of microgenia, chin implants are considered choices. They were made from cartilage taken from donors or the patient's body at any other time, but as of now, alloplastic implants made from inert foreign materials are used in 2003 as they significantly reduce the risk of infection. The surgeon may choose to make an incision under the chin or submental area for the insertion of the implant, or it may be intraoral or within the mouth. In either case, the surgeon shall cut through layers of tissues without damaging the nerves around. Inside the chin, the surgeon shall make a pocket in the connective tissue and washes it with an antiseptic solution. The sterile implant is then inserted in the pocket and then positioned correctly. Thereafter, the incision is closed, and the wound gets covered with Steri strips.

A sliding genioplasty is performed if the patient’s chin is too tiny for augmentation with the help of an implant or if the abnormality is found to be more complicated. This procedure will allow the surgeon to cut through the jawbone using an oscillating saw and it removes the part of the bone. Now the bone segment is moved forward, and metal plates and screws will be inserted to keep the segment in place. The incision will be closed and the patient's head will be wrapped with the help of pressure dressing.

In the case of chin reduction, direct reduction or sliding genioplasty method can be used for addressing a large or protruding chin.  With the help of a burr, the surgeon will remove excessive bone from the chin by making an intraoral incision or a submental one. A sliding genioplasty is somewhat similar to the genioplasty reduction used for the augmentation of the chin except for the part the bone segment is not moved forward but instead it is moved backward.

After the mentoplasty procedure, the patient is given medication to treat pain and discomfort for a one-week course. Antibiotics are given to reduce the risk of infection. There are patients who can resume normal life within 7 to 10 days. Some of the other aspects of aftercare includes the following:

• A liquid or soft diet which must be followed for 4 or 5 days
• Two to three pillows to be used for keeping the head raised
• Two to three times in a day the mouth must be rinsed with hydrogen peroxide and warm water
• Unnecessary touching of the chin area must be avoided and sleeping on the face has to be avoided.
• Physical exercises to be avoided for the immediate 2 weeks of recovery.

In addition to the above, the patient should be mindful of the chin implant insertion complications, such as chin deformity and infection. Patients need to alert the doctor immediately if they experience numbness in the chin as a result of severe nerve injury.

Beneath the implant there can be chances of erosion or dislocation and protrusion of the implant or pushing out. There can also be risks of the failure of the bone segment to reunite correctly with other jaw parts and damages can be caused to the roots of the teeth.

The above all is rare and usually patients are found to be quite satisfied with the results of mentoplasty.

Cost of chin implant surgery starts from $1500 in India and chin implants can come at different shapes and sizes and prices can range from $70 t0 $700. Which when compared to other countries, is quite low.