# Jaw deviation and facial asymmetry

Asymmetry of the face is considered unesthetic and unattractive. Although a certain degree of asymmetry exists in each and every one of us, when the deviation is easily noticed, a significant aesthetic disturbance is caused. There are many reasons for facial asymmetry, the main ones being:

Excessive growth of one side of the lower jaw (condylar hyperplasia):
- The jaw joints are the growth centers of the lower jaw and the lower third of the face. In a normal state, both the right and left jaw joints grow at a uniform rate. When one side grows more than the other, a deviation of the entire lower jaw to the opposite side is caused. The cause of the disorder is unknown. It usually begins in early adolescence and usually lasts until the late twenties. The treatment of the phenomenon is surgical and includes a condylectomy to stop the overgrowth and orthognathic surgery to achieve satisfactory symmetry of the face.
Undergrowth of one side of the jaw (condylar hypoplasia):
- The growth and development of the skeleton of the jaws and face end approximately at the age of 15-16 in girls and at the age of 18-20 in boys. The jaw joints are the growth centers of the jaws, and damage to them during the growth period can cause under-development of the affected side, leading to deviation of the jaw to the affected side and facial asymmetry. The treatment of the phenomenon includes orthognathic surgery at the end of puberty, and orthodontic treatment usually before and after surgery. In severe cases of hypoplasia, the jaw joint may require surgical reconstruction.
Excessive growth of masticatory muscles (hypertrophy):
- In some cases, the reason for the facial asymmetry is difference in the thickness of the chewing muscles between the right and left sides of the face. In these cases the bony skeleton of the facial bones can be symmetrical. The phenomenon is usually congenital and can worsen and become more prominent at any age. The treatment is relatively simple and involves injecting botulinum toxin (Botox) into the enlarged muscles. Botox reduces muscle activity and thus reduces its mass and thickness.