Chin Implant 9 Years Later

It's not common for chin implants to become so painful out of the blue, so it's reasonable to be concerned. If you have no fever, it's not an emergency, but I would recommend you seek another board-certified plastic surgeon in your area and visit them. If you can't, visiting the hospital ER is a reasonable last option, since most ERs can at least call someone in to look at things or make arrangements for referring you where you would be taken care of.

I would recommend that you find another local plastic surgeon to evaluate your chin. It is unusual that your chin implant may have an issue after nine years. The issue may be related to the overlying skin but it is best to have a thorough evaluation.

Best wishes.

Hello, I understand your concern. Ice will not provide lasting relief if you have a real problem. As a former dentist, a dental abces may be a part of the differential diagnosis. So, having your tooth evaluated would be a good first step. An X-ray of your tooth and clinical exam will provide helpful information. If your tooth is OK, then seeking a consultation from a new plastic surgeon would be the next step.

If there is no history of recent trauma, sudden onset of pain and irritation suggests an infection even if there is no fever. The implant is very near the tooth roots (and can even erode into a root over time) so an infected tooth (apical abcess) is a possible cause for symptoms such as you describe. The tooth is usually very tender to tapping or pressure and extreme cold or heat.
The implant can also become infected with no obvious cause. An infection should be treated immediately especially if it involves the bone and jaws.. A dentist or a plastic surgeon can usually make a diagnosis and would prescribe appropriate antibiotics.
Occasionally treatment does require dental surgery or removal of the implant to cure the infection. A new chin implant can usually be simply inserted after a few months.
C. Dennis Bucko ([email protected])