Mentoplasty or chinplasty, and also known as genioplasty, is the surgical procedure by which chin line or chin can be corrected or improved to enhance the overall appeal of a face. The word mentoplasty has its origin from the Latin word “mentum,” which means “chin” and Greek word “plassein” refers to the word “formation.” With the help of a well-defined chin line as per the rest of the face, more masculine or feminine features are enhanced.

Mentoplasty or chin implant surgery can be a solution for quite a number or abnormal conditions. For a more youthful look, many consider facelift as well. Malformation of the chin resulting from developmental abnormalities in the jaw bone can be a reason. At times, any one side of the jaw has been growing, while the other side did not result in the asymmetry of the face. Congenital agenesis is a condition wherein some of the jaw bones are missing.

Chin implants give shape to a chin that has grown out of proportion compared to the rest of the facial features. The size and shape of the chin are different among men and women. As a result, many people choose to have a mentoplasty done along with their gender transition surgeries.

At times mentoplasty is included as part of craniofacial reconstruction following cancer treatment or any other kind of trauma. In an orthognathic surgery, the facial bones are realigned to enable the patient to talk and chew normally. Mentoplasty can also be combined with this.

Mentoplasty and chin implants are mainly used in adults since the jaw bone has already acquired its full size and form and there are no chances of any permanent tooth coming up in the gum. The procedure is mostly performed on people with small chin to increase its size.