Narrow Face – Long Face Syndrome
When we talk about a long face, we usually mean a facial expression. A long face indicates sadness, exhaustion or stress – but this does not apply to long face syndrome. Long Face Syndrome describes a complex craniofacial anomaly that not only affects a person’s appearance but can also cause significant functional impairment. The good news is that the syndrome can be treated, which not only resolves functional limitations but also sustainably improves the aesthetic harmony of your face.
Long Face Syndrome Treatment
Long Face Syndrome affects the everyday activities of life – speaking, breathing and eating. Depending on the severity, Long Face Syndrome treatment can involve dental treatment, braces and surgical procedures.
The specialist literature distinguishes between two basic forms of the syndrome: the narrow face with a normal profile and the narrow long face. Orthognathic surgery is the ‘queen’ of facial surgery because it achieves the best, most lasting and most aesthetic results by far compared to all other methods.
Duration of the treatment
3–4 hours
Fit for everyday life
After 1–2 weeks
Follow-up treatment
Suture removal after 14 days and lymphatic drainage.
Clinic stay
Outpatient or inpatient
The most frequently asked questions
What is Long Face Syndrome?
Long Face Syndrome refers to a skull structural anomaly that can affect both the appearance and functional aspects such as breathing, speaking, and eating. Typical features include a seemingly elongated midface, a “gummy smile,” and difficulty with lip closure.
How is Long Face Syndrome treated?
The treatment includes orthodontic measures for dental arch correction and surgical procedures such as shortening and repositioning the upper jaw. The procedure is minimally invasive through the oral cavity, ensuring no visible scars.
How long does recovery take after a Long Face Syndrome treatment?
The inpatient treatment lasts 3 to 5 days. Swelling can persist for up to two weeks, and soft foods are recommended for about six weeks. Physical activities should be avoided for eight weeks.
What functional improvements does the treatment bring?
In addition to aesthetic improvement, the treatment can optimize nasal breathing, ease lip closure, and improve dental health by reducing the drying of the mucous membranes.
Does the Long Face treatment leave visible scars?
No, the procedure is performed exclusively through the oral cavity, so no external scars are left.
What should be considered before and after the treatment?
Before and after the procedure, smoking and blood-thinning medications should be avoided. After the surgery, maintaining intensive oral hygiene is crucial, and the nose should not be blown in the first two weeks to avoid compromising the results.
Symptoms and Characteristics of Long Face Syndrome
The typical characteristics of Long Face Syndrome are a midface that appears too long and the visibility of teeth and gums. In most cases, this combination occurs when the lower jaw is recessed. Ideally, when smiling, the upper lip just reaches the edge of the gums, with women usually showing more tooth and surrounding gum than men. If too much gum is shown when smiling, this can be perceived as visually negative – this is referred to as a ‘gummy smile’.
In many people with Long Face Syndrome, lip closure is impaired or prevented, causing the mucous membranes to dry out and increasing the risk of caries. In addition, nasal breathing is often impeded, which can have a noticeable effect on the quality of everyday life.
Functional and Aesthetic Correction of Long Face
Depending on the type of long face, different surgical treatments are indicated. The narrow face with normal profile proportions can be broadened by augmentation and extension plasty. In contrast, the narrow long face must be shortened vertically – for example, by raising the upper jaw and/or a chin height reduction plastic surgery. These are routine methods of orthodontic (orthognathic) surgery. At the same time, the abovementioned augmentation and extension plastics can also be used individually.
Before-and-after pictures




Comprehensive Consultation with Skilled Specialists
Long Face Syndrome can affect you in your everyday life, but it need not be a permanent part of it. The team at the SailerClinic will be happy to advise you and work with you to find the optimal solution for you.
In a comprehensive counselling interview, we discuss your aims and wishes and work out a treatment plan which meets your needs. In doing so, we take a look at before-and-after photos so that you can get an impression of the results to be expected. During the counselling interview, we also note down your previous illnesses or existing conditions, along with your medication, in order to avoid any risks.
Correction of Long Face Syndrome
In the correction of Long Face Syndrome, a segment of the upper jawbone is removed and the jaw is moved upwards. This creates a harmonious smile line and the gums are no longer visible.
Procedure for Long Face Syndrome Treatment
Although the long face is not a medical condition, it is usually perceived as particularly disturbing. The long face operation is performed under anaesthesia. The primary goal is to restore harmonious facial aesthetics while optimising functional aspects such as lip closure and breathing. The procedure is minimally invasive, which means that drinking, eating and brushing your teeth is possible again within a short period of time.
Procedure
After an orthodontist has shaped the dental arches and the long-face operation has been planned in detail, the upper jaw can be relocated. The procedure is performed exclusively through the oral cavity, which means that no scars are visible afterwards.
In this procedure, the upper jaw is shortened and moved slightly upwards. Once the upper jaw has been repositioned, it is fixed in place with small plates and screws. The lower jaw has the ability to ‘swing’, which means that no additional procedure is necessary here since an existing retraction is automatically corrected. However, in special cases, additional adjustment of the lower jaw may be necessary.
Inpatient treatment lasts for three to five days. In the following six weeks, weekly check-ups are carried out, during which the final fine adjustments of the jaw are made.
Advantages of Long Face Syndrome Treatment
Long Face Syndrome treatment at the SailerClinic offers you the following advantages:
- Minimally invasive procedure with no visible scarring
- Short operation and hospital stay
- One-off procedure with no need for repetition
Aftercare
During the first three days after the Long Face Syndrome treatment, the jaw area is cooled intensively. In addition, pay attention to conscientious oral hygiene by means of an oral shower, mouth rinse and, if necessary, a children’s toothbrush. Before and during the Long Face Syndrome treatment, you should refrain from smoking cigarettes – this also applies to the recovery period afterwards!
You should not blow your nose for the first two weeks after the procedure, as this can negatively affect the result. Blood-thinning medication before and after the operation should also be avoided. If you are taking blood-thinning medication, you must inform the doctor before the treatment. Eat only soft food for the first six weeks after the procedure and avoid strenuous exercise for eight weeks.
Are you interested in a Long Face treatment? Arrange a non-binding consultation now and ask us any questions you may have. We look forward to finally making your life more pleasant again.
Your expert team

Hermann F. Sailer Prof. Dr. med., Dr. med. dent., Dr. h. c. mult., Dr. sc. h. c. mult.
Specialist in oral, maxillofacial, and facial surgery, founder of the clinic, senior director

Martin Lanzer PD Dr. Dr. med. Dr. med. dent., eMBA
Specialist in oral, maxillofacial, and facial surgery, clinic director and CEO
Do you have questions? Contact us.
Get in touch with us – Our expert team will contact you.
"After the surgery, I finally see the person I’ve always been on the inside. My confidence has increased tremendously, and I no longer hide from the world. Thank you to the team."
Angela B., Aesthetic Surgery Patient

