Vestibuloplasty is a surgical procedure to modify the oral cavity, increasing the height and width of the gum region for dentures or oral implants. It involves tissue rearrangement, bone density improvement, and membrane repair. Risks include bleeding, swelling, infection, and nerve and muscle tissue damage.
Vestibuloplasty refers to surgical modification of the oral cavity which could include improvement of gingival mucous membrane or bone density or extensive tissue rearrangement. Surgical procedures generally involve increasing the height and width of the gum region in preparation for dentures or oral implants. The extent of the operation varies according to the amount of bone loss suffered and the size of the surface to be reconstructed. Surgery to repair the buccal extension area extends anywhere from the outside of the teeth and gums to the inside of the cheeks.
People who wear dentures generally notice that, over time, appliances become increasingly flexible, usually requiring relining of the prosthetic plate or requiring the individual to undergo refitting for new dentures. Whether a tooth is missing, the lower or upper teeth, or an entire mouthful of teeth, the gums and underlying bone typically deteriorate. After each tooth is lost, the body resorbs the bone causing it to shrink. The membranes and tissues covering the bone also decrease. Oral surgeons perform vestibuloplasty in an attempt to replace these leaks.
Oral surgeons usually perform vestibuloplasty in a hospital setting. Length of stay and subsequent recovery time largely depend on the amount of repair needed. In cases involving primarily tissue shrinkage, surgeons generally incorporate grafted tissue, provided by the patient, to build and strengthen the ridge line for support of an implant or prosthetic plate. Surgeons usually obtain the tissue by shaving an extremely thin slice of skin from the thigh, roof of the mouth, or eyelids.
When substantial bone loss occurs, doctors usually replace the bone with a bone graft or synthetic device. The grafts for this procedure may involve harvesting bone from the patient’s hip.
In the event that there is very little bone or tissue left that will adequately support any type of dental apparatus, surgeons may choose to perform extensive modifications.
In addition to simply increasing the height and width of the bone and gum, surgeons could lower the floor or roof of the mouth to get more depth between the top of the gum and the sulcus, the cavity between the cheek and the gum . Oral surgeons also refer to this type of vestibuloplasty as a sulcoplasty. During this surgery, doctors cut and lower the muscles and tissues that hold the cheek to the floor or the roof of the mouth and lips.
As with any surgical procedure, there are a number of risks involved. You may experience excessive bleeding, swelling, and infection. Tissues may not heal properly. Nerve and muscle tissue may be permanently damaged resulting in a drooping or sagging face.
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