The wide face is characterised by powerfully built masculatory muscles (masseter and temporalis muscles) with often very painful atypical neuralgias, caused by years of clenching one's teeth. This corresponds to a year long “body building” for the masculatory muscles" through isometric contraction. The massive enlargement of the masseter muscle not only results in an unattractive broadening of the face (“brutal appearance”), but also causes functional disturbances (trouble while opening the mouth, accumulation of saliva in the parotid glands, migraine through clenching of teeth, etc.). In addition to this, there could be a reduced vertical growth of the upper jaw with hardly any visible teeth.

Treatment

The best method of treatment consists in surgical removal of the inner sections of the muscle from inside the oral cavity, which is harmless with respect to the facial nerves and does not leave behind any visible scars. At the same time, an accompanying therapy with a special splint (Anti-Press-MiniSplint) has to be administered, to break the “vicious circle of clenching” once and for all. In case the cheek bone or the cheek bay region has grown too broad, it can be made narrower by Prof. Sailer's own method. Depending on the type of growth, the short face will have to be displaced in the vertical direction by placing the upper jaw deeper (using the so-called LeFort-I osteotomy) as well as the low chin. The front upper teeth should be rendered more visible while talking and laughing.

Reducing the width of the face

Reducing the width of the face by reducing the width of the jaw angle or the cheek bones and the fat bodies in the cheek or a masseter reduction surgery. All these interventions are done from inside the mouth and do not leave behind any visible scars.