After getting implant dentures, my facial shape changed for the worse. I look ten years older because my skin hangs, my cheeks look sunken, and my upper lip looks like a frown. The distance between my nose and upper lips lengthened and my left nostril collapsed. The doctors at the implant center refuse to explain what happened to my face. This occurred immediately after implant surgery. I am in shock and have begun consultations with malpractice attorneys. Is there a medical explanation for what happened to my face? Can the damage be reversed? – Thanks. Edi from KY
Edi,
We are truly sorry you’re dealing with these changes. Sudden, drastic changes in your appearance can be devastating. From what you’ve described, it sounds as though you underwent an All-on-4 implant procedure. Since we can’t examine you directly, we can only respond to your description of what took place, but your experience highlights how much dentistry influences facial appearance. Some dentists intentionally rebuild the bite to create a lifted, more youthful look, sometimes called facelift dentistry.
Your symptoms resemble facial collapse, which results from jawbone shrinkage. However, an implant-supported denture, when completed correctly, should prevent collapse and restore normal facial contours. This makes us suspect that the issue may involve prosthetic design rather than the dental implants themselves.
How Can Poor Prosthetic Support Change Facial Shape?
All-on-4 dental implants
When an implant denture lacks proper width or vertical height, the surrounding tissues lose support. This can create hollow cheeks, sagging around the mouth, or an elongated upper lip.
Common contributors include:
- Narrow denture arches that fail to support the cheeks
- Insufficient vertical dimension, which allows the face to sag
How Can Bone Reduction During Surgery Affect Nasal and Lip Support?
Your concerns about a collapsed nostril and the increased space between your nose and upper lip may relate to the bone reduction often performed during All-on-4 surgery. Surgeons sometimes remove maxillary bone to create room for the prosthesis. If they remove too much, the nose and upper lip can lose their underlying support.
How to Advocate for Yourself
You’ve already tried asking questions, and it sounds like you’re not getting answers. At this point, it’s appropriate to be assertive. Large implant centers sometimes reconsider their position—or offer refunds—when patients raise serious concerns.
While restoring aggressively reduced bone can be challenging, a skilled cosmetic dentist can often rebuild or redesign the dentures to better support your facial structure. Even without major grafting, improved prosthetic work can make a meaningful difference in appearance and comfort.
The Monroe, Louisiana, dentists at Bayou Dental Group sponsor this post. Please read how Dr. Finley and his team strive to offer some of the best dental care in Monroe.
