Insights

Jaw bone augmentation is a well-known procedure in tissue engineering. But when we extend the augmentation concept to the face, we are able to enhance overall facial beauty and rejuvenation. Today we are facing more and more skeletal class II or chin retrusion patients at high risks of snoring and sleep apnea. They often raise the concern of small size of the airway- something we want to augment behind the jaw bone. We should try our effort the augment the size of the airway during decision making. This presentation will focus on various facial aesthetic augmentation techniques and strategies to manage airway size through maxillofacial procedures.

Orthognathic surgery is traditionally performed to correct dentofacial deformities and malocclusions. There is increasing number of patients, however, seeking change of maxillofacial characteristics without existing functional complaints. These patients desire only for cosmetic enhancement rather than functional improvement. Anatomically, hard and soft tissue are tightly connected and mutually related. Dramatic cosmetic improvement can usually be achieved by minor skeletal movement and re-contouring. Unattractive facial features are completely evaluated and many additional cosmetic procedures can be recommended to supplement orthognathic or facial skeletal surgery. Almost all kinds of cosmetic procedures can be added simultaneously under reasonable operation time with careful judgment of soft tissue edema. This presentation will focus on the integration of facial plastic procedures and skeletal surgery for achieving the best aesthetic result.