Common concerns such as a large jaw, a square face, a big face, a wide lower face or a broad face often leave many people lacking confidence, because a square jaw tends to take the softness out of a face. Jaw reduction surgery, or jaw reduction, is surgery on the bone of the jaw and chin that can correct an unshapely facial structure, bring it into balance, add dimension to the face, and correct facial asymmetry for a more beautiful, better-defined shape. A common question is where to have jaw reduction. At SLC Hospital, we have a team of specialist, highly experienced doctors, so jaw reduction surgery at SLC Hospital is the most suitable option, because it treats the problem precisely and permanently. It can also be done together with cheekbone reduction to reshape the face into more beautiful proportions.

How Many Types of Jaw Reduction Surgery Are There at SLC Hospital?

Jaw reduction surgery at SLC Hospital comes in 2 types: jaw angle reduction and V-line jaw reduction. Which is used depends on the doctor’s individual assessment.

1. Jaw angle reduction is surgery that removes, shaves or burrs down the jaw angles on both sides to make the sides of the face smaller. For people with a short chin or a very short lower face that tends toward a square face, with a flat, wide chin, cutting the sides of the jaw alone will not make the face as slim as they want.

2. V-line jaw reduction is surgery from the jaw angle along almost to the corner of the chin, so the face tapers smoothly from jaw to chin. The face looks slim in a V shape, softly contoured, beautifully shaped and natural. It can correct a chin that is too short, too long, receding or protruding.

2 Incision Methods for Jaw Angle Reduction and V-Line Jaw Reduction

1. Incision inside the mouth: the steps are as follows

Medical instruments are used to make an incision inside the mouth, behind the last molar, about 3 – 5 cm long, as determined by the specialist surgeon

The tissue inside the mouth over the jawbone is separated

Medical instruments are used to cut the jaw angle bone according to the surgical plan

  • If a patient wants V-line jaw reduction, the specialist surgeon cuts the bone from the jaw angle along the flared jawline to give a slimmer jaw structure.
  • Medical instruments are used to shave and refine the jaw to a suitable curve, and the incision inside the mouth is closed with dissolvable stitches
  1. Incision outside the mouth: the steps are as follows
  • Medical instruments are used to make an incision near the outer jaw angle, about 1 – 1.5 inches long, as determined by the specialist surgeon
  • The muscle tissue is separated from the jawline bone, avoiding the nerve that supplies the corner of the mouth
  • The jaw angle is cut with a medical instrument resembling a small saw
  • If a patient wants V-line jaw reduction, the specialist surgeon cuts the bone from the jaw angle along the flared jawline to give a slimmer jaw structure.
  • The bone in the operated area is burred to a suitably curved and smooth shape
  • The incision outside the mouth is closed, with a stitched wound about 1 – 1.5 inches long

Differences Between “Incision Inside the Mouth” and “Incision Outside the Mouth”

  • An incision inside the mouth helps reduce the risk of affecting the surrounding nerves that supply the corners of the mouth
  • An incision outside the mouth may leave a visible scar beneath the jaw angle, but it gradually fades on its own within 3 months
  • An outside incision causes less swelling than an incision inside the mouth, though this also depends on each person’s self-care

Where Should You Have Jaw Reduction? Why Choose SLC Hospital

  • Specialist surgeons experienced in facial surgery, with individual assessment and design
  • Thailand’s Boutique Hospital-standard cosmetic surgery hospital
  • Modern operating room technology
  • 1:1 general anaesthesia by an anaesthesiologist
  • Blood-clot prevention device for cases under general anaesthesia
  • 1:1 care by registered nurses, 24 hours a day
  • Personal Patient Advisor: your personal cosmetic surgery advisor
  • Excellent service, with care and follow-up after jaw reduction
  • Trusted by SLC patients and recognized among international patients

Who Is Jaw Reduction Surgery Suitable For?

  • Patients whose face looks wide, square or trapezoid-shaped from the front
  • Patients concerned about their jaw angles or a prominent jawline seen from the side
  • Patients whose two sides of the face are uneven
  • Patients who are often told their face looks old or stern all the time
  • Patients who want their face to look more youthful and gentle

Preparing for Surgery

  • Before surgery, the doctor will examine you thoroughly. Tell the doctor about your health history, underlying conditions, drug allergies, regular medications and so on
  • Get enough rest and make sure you are in good health, with no fever or inflammation of any kind, especially in the mouth and respiratory system
  • Stop taking oil-based vitamins about 1-2 weeks before surgery
  • Stop smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages about 2 weeks before surgery
  • No food or water for 6-8 hours before surgery, as the operation is performed under general anaesthesia

Surgical Procedure

  • The patient consults the surgeon and has a physical examination to make sure their body is ready for surgery
  • The patient meets the anaesthesiologist before surgery to check their physical condition and history
  • The jawbone is reduced in size and thinned to give a slimmer face
  • Sliding chin osteotomy corrects a wide, short or overly long chin, as well as a receding or protruding chin. It is often combined with jaw surgery to give a perfectly slim lower face
  • After surgery, the patient stays 1 night to recover so that their condition can be monitored

 Jaw Reduction Surgery Duration

  • About 2-3 hours

Recovery Stay at the Hospital

  • 1 night. For patients who want close care from the medical and nursing team, or who have travelled a long way for treatment, we also have VIP Deluxe rooms to look after you closely, clean, safe and up to medical standards

Aftercare

  • Stay 1 night to recover after surgery
  • For each patient who has V-line jaw reduction, the swelling gradually goes down over time, depending on self-care and getting enough rest
  • Eat soft, bland food
  • For an outside incision, come back after 7 days to have the stitches removed, as per your doctor’s appointment

Q&A: Answers to Your Questions About Jaw Reduction Surgery

Q: Will the jawbone still be strong after jaw reduction?

Answer : After jaw reduction, the jawbone remains strong, because the doctor removes only part of it.

Q: Does jaw reduction hurt?

Answer : Jaw surgery is performed under general anaesthesia by a specialist anaesthesiologist, so you feel no pain during the operation. After surgery you may have pain and swelling, and you can take painkillers and anti-inflammatory medication as prescribed by the doctor to relieve it. After surgery your face may also look uneven, but this gradually improves, and the face begins to settle into a slim, attractive shape in about 4 – 6 weeks.

Q: Do I need braces with jaw reduction?

Answer : Jaw reduction trims a wide, large jaw angle to make it smaller, so the face looks narrower, slimmer and gentler. It has nothing to do with orthodontics. If you have a wide, large jaw angle, you can have jaw surgery straight away without needing braces.

Q: Can I have jaw reduction while wearing braces?

Answer : If you are wearing braces, the doctor will perform jaw surgery only once your teeth have started to settle into place, or once you have had braces for more than 1 year. You must have your dentist adjust the wires first, because after surgery you must wait at least 2 months before the wires can be adjusted. But if you have only just started treatment and still have an underbite or protruding teeth, the doctor cannot yet perform jaw reduction.

Q: How many days of recovery are needed after surgery?

Answer : After surgery, the doctor will have you stay in hospital to recover for about 1 night, then continue recovering at home for another 1-2 weeks. The incisions are closed with dissolvable stitches, so there is no need to remove them; they are naturally absorbed by the body within 2 weeks. The swelling after surgery on both sides of the jaw, which may make the face look uneven, gradually improves, and the face begins to settle into a slim, attractive shape in about 4 – 6 weeks.

Q: Can jaw reduction alone give a slim V-Shape face?

Answer : A face that isn’t slim, a wide lower face, a full face or a round face is not caused only by a large jawbone; there are other causes too. Reshaping the face to be slim and attractive therefore requires consulting a specialist doctor first, to analyse which facial structure problems you have and find the right, suitable treatment. For example, some patients have cheek fat, a large jaw and a short chin that keep the face from looking slim. The doctor may consider different solutions, such as cheek liposuction, buccal fat removal, jaw reduction, V-Shape chin surgery and chin augmentation, to give a slim, attractive face and address the problem precisely.

Jaw Reduction Surgery REVIEW