What is vestibular plasty?
Vestibuloplasty is a surgical procedure that is often adjunctive for treatment of periodontal disease, which is as you know, results in loss of attachment and loss of bone around ones teeth. The ‘vestibule’ or area of the mouth where the teeth are or have been, is the area of concern. ‘Plasty’ is a surgical term that describes removing, or moving tissue at a specific site. So, in this case, the dentist or will be doing some surgery on the bone and tissue around the tooth, specifically, the process is to move the muscle attachments and tissue away from the tooth to allow for more ridge area to be seen in the mouth. This is often done on an edentulous ridge, that is an area without teeth, however, it is also performed around existing teeth. The intent of the surgery is to restore the periodontium, or gums and bone to a healthy condition. This is not a big deal and should not be dreaded.
