Frontal augmentation as an adjunct to orthognathic or facial contouring surgery

BACKGROUND The dimensions and shape of the forehead determine the esthetics of the upper third of the face. Korean young people consider a broad and smooth, rounded forehead more attractive. As a result, frontal augmentation becomes more popular in patients with dentofacial deformities. Various surgical procedures and materials have been used in frontal augmentation surgery, with associated advantages and disadvantages. Silicone is a good candidate for frontal augmentation. The author presents two cases of esthetic frontal augmentation with a prefabricated silicone implant in female patients with dentofacial deformities. CASE PRESENTATION In case 1, a 24-year-old female patient underwent frontal augmentation surgery with simultaneous maxillomandibular and zygomatic osteotomies to correct facial asymmetry. A silicone implant was fabricated preoperatively using a positive template stone mold of her forehead. In case 2, a 23-year-old female patient underwent total facial contouring surgery including frontal augmentation for improved facial esthetics. A computed tomography (CT)-guided rapid prototype (RP) model was used to make the silicone implants. The operative procedure was safe and simple, and the silicone implants were reliable for a larger degree of frontal augmentation. Six months later, both patients had recovered from the surgery and were satisfied with their frontal shape and projection. CONCLUSIONS Frontal augmentation with silicone implants can be an effective adjuvant strategy to improve facial esthetics in patients with a flat and narrow forehead who undergo orthognathic reconstruction or total facial contouring surgery.