Plastic surgery used to correct a small or receding chin is called “mentoplasty”. The jawbone can be built up, using implants, to achieve the desired effect. Traditionally these have been made of silicone, but now newer and better materials are being introduced from dental surgery ie polymers and HTR. Silicone implants are inserted from inside the mouth and sliped down to lie over the chin, so there is no scar. The new type of implants are inserted from below the chin and physically attached to the bone, eventually fusing with the jawbone. The scar is hidden under the jaw.

In both cases the operation takes less than two hours and is always done under general anaesthetic. Stiches are removed after a week. Swelling should have gone down by then, and any bruising should fade over the next three to four weeks. Since the implant is not fixed in place it may move, requiring a second operation.

There is also an operation known as “genioplasty” in which the surgeon cuts into the bone and repositions the sections using a plate. Temporary numbness of the lower lip is common and, on occasionally permenant. In rare cases, infection occurs necessitating antibiotics or even a second operation. Any post-operative pain can be controlled by painkillers. A hospital stay of one night is usually required.