CHEEKBONE AND JAWBONE IMPLANT


Facial prostheses are prostheses that are added to augmentation of facial bones. The goal is to enlarge and protruding the small jaw or insufficient cheekbones. All faces of which the jaw or cheek bone is not at the required size may benefit from such prostheses.


JAW PROSTHESIS: If your jaw is small, you can enlarge your jaw with this prosthesis.

CHEEKBONE PROSTHESES: Though not as important as the jawbone, cheekbones also greatly affect your face, and such a prosthesis can make serious changes in your face.


Jaw and cheek bone prostheses are made of many different materials;


Hydroxyapatite: A type of ceramic that looks like coral stone.

Silicone: It looks like a hard plastic.

Polyethylene (medpore): A plastic type that its appearance and structure resembles a coral.

Gore-Tex: This substance is also used very often in vascular surgery.

Cadaveric bone: It is the proper form of use of bones taken from the dead body.


SURGERY:

Jaw prosthesis can be inserted through the mouth, from the deepest part of your lower lip, or from a cut made from under the chin. Placing under the jaw allows the prosthesis to be placed in the cleanest way without touching the mouth, but a few centimeters under the jaw incised and a vague scar remains.

Cheek bone prostheses are always placed in the mouth. The incision is made from the deepest part of the upper lip and the prosthesis is placed under the cheek. All in-mouth incisions can be absorbed, as they are covered with stitches, so there is usually no stitch to be taken.


AFTER SURGERY:


It is not a painful surgery. For the cheekbone, fainting is necessary, but the jaw prosthesis can be done by local anesthesia. After the surgery, there will be a swelling in the surgical areas. This swelling may show the prosthesis about 30% larger than it should be until the end of the 4th week. It can take months for you to see the real result.


In the first days, you may have a dull ache when you move your jaw. But usually within a few days you can return to normal life, after a few weeks you can start the sport.

Your in-mouth stitches will be dissolved automatically. During this period you will need to keep your mouth very clean and to gargle frequently.

COMPLICATIONS:


Serious bleeding is not expected in this surgery, but sometimes there may be minor hematomas around the prosthesis.

The most feared thing in these kinds of surgeries used foreign matter is the risk of infection. The only treatment for the infection that occurs around the foreign matter or within it may be to remove the prosthesis. In the surgery of which the prosthesis placed inside the mouth, this risk is slightly higher.

In jaw implants, there may be a loss of sensation in the lower lip. Sensitive nerves exits from two sides of the bottom of the lip. If the operation is done from the mouth, it is necessary to pass it very close to this nerve and put it in a prosthesis. Even if this nerve breakage is a low possibility, even touching can cause loss of feeling for a while. But do not confuse the loss of feeling with the loss of movement. This nerve damage can only make numbness. This numbness is the same as the numbness of the lower jaw in the dental treatment. This risk is less, in the incisions made under the jaw.

Even if you are happy with the shape, you may complain about the asymmetry. Nevertheless, do not forget that everything can be corrected and, worst of all, when prostheses are removed, you will return to your former position.

SUMMARY OF THE SURGERY:

Type of the anesthesia: Local or general.

Where the surgery should be performed: In a hospital operating room.

Duration of the surgery: It dependents on number and variety of prosthesis implanted.

Duration of stay in the hospital: It is possible leaving hospital on the same day.

Post-surgical pain and bother: 2-3 days dull ache. Oral simple painkillers are usually sufficient. 

Swelling, bruising: Between 3–7 days. 

Medical dressing: N/A. 

Stitches: Oral stitches dissolve spontaneously, and under-jaw stitches can be removed on day 5.

When you can start to work: 3-7 days. 

Sport : Hike after 2 weeks, normal sports after 3 weeks. 

Final form: It occurs at 6th months.