Will A Sliding Genioplasty Make My Chin Cleft Go Away?

Q: Dr. Eppley, can a cleft chin (butt chin) go away after genioplasty? I really want to get rid of cleft chin I read somewhere that cleft chins are because of mentalis muscles and they can be managed during genioplasty. Also, can a very deep mental crease be made less prominent with vertical lengthening genioplasty?

A: A chin cleft may be softened by a bony genioplasty but it will not go completely away. There is nothing that can be done intraorally that can help reduce a chin cleft. The best approach is fat injections at the time of the genioplasty.

The depth of the labiomental sulcus will become less with a vertical lengthening bony genioplasty.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana