Corpus: Chin

The chin forms the lower end of the human face.

Anatomically, the chin region is known as the mental region. The bony base of the chin is formed by the mental protuberance of the lower jaw (mandible). A cushion of subcutaneous fatty tissue lies above the bone. The chin receives its sensory supply via the mental nerve and its arterial supply via the mental artery from the inferior alveolar artery.

In orthodontics, the chin is part of the lower face. The most prominent anterior point of the anterior chin surface is called the pogonion.

Although the chin is not in the centre of the face, it contributes decisively to the facial profile and contour and thus to the harmony of the face. A receding chin, as occurs for example in mandibular retrognathia or hypoplasia of the lower jaw, is perceived as unattractive by most people. However, the same also applies to excessive protrusion of the chin, as occurs in the case of progenia or acromegaly.

Chin correction is therefore a relatively common procedure in aesthetic surgery.