Mandibular Angle (Jaw) Reduction Surgery

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Male jaws are larger, thicker and longer in height. In addition, they are more angular and often flare at the lower border, resulting in a wider jaw.

Women often seek mandibular angle reduction surgery to soften their jaws.

Pre-surgical Evaluation & Planning

With the advent of virtual surgery planning, mandibular angle reduction surgery can be planned and executed more precisely. After the initial office visit where your surgical goals and expectations are discussed, a CT of your lower jaw/facial bone is obtained. Virtual surgical planning (VSP) will be performed on a computer simulation program based on the facial bone CT. The expected final surgical outcome will be fine-tuned and visualized, and custom-made surgical cutting guides can be made.

Surgery will be performed by making an incision inside the mouth to expose the angle of the jaw bone Flaring of the mandible is treated by shaving down the outer cortex of the jaw bone, and softening of the angle is performed by removing a piece of the jaw bone with the aid of a cutting guide to avoid over-resection. There is no external incision, and the intraoral scars usually heal well.

Recovery Time

Mandibular angle reduction usually takes two hours to complete. We recommend an overnight stay at one of our hospitals for certain individuals. Swelling of the jaw typically subsides within two to four weeks. As with all cosmetic procedures, the time it takes for swelling to subside varies. Patients can return to normal non-contact activity after 4 weeks of limited activity. We will be available for post-operative appointments to ensure the best results.

Get more details on the management of swelling and scars in blog post: Post-Operative Care After Plastic Surgery.