EXPLORING VESTIBULOPLASTY TECHNIQUES- AN INSIGHT FROM 3 CASES

Shruthi Reghunath,*
ASWATHY Jayasree,
Bilha Joy,
ROSHNI RAMESH,
Raseena Beevi Nafeesa,
Abdurasheed Edakkot Mathamkuth

Abstract

Introduction: Vestibuloplasty is a surgical procedure aimed at increasing the depth of the oral vestibule by adjusting soft tissue attachments, facilitating improved oral hygiene. A sufficient vestibular depth is essential to prevent food accumulation and support effective oral hygiene practices. Various techniques can be used to achieve this, including submucosal vestibuloplasty, secondary epithelial vestibuloplasty, and soft tissue graft vestibuloplasty. Case Presentation: This report compares three different vestibuloplasty techniques: the conventional Clark's technique, a modified open submucosal vestibuloplasty, and laser-assisted vestibuloplasty. The primary endpoints for comparison were pain perception on days 1, 3, and 7, and clinical outcomes assessed after 1 week and 21 days. Results: The results indicated that the traditional Clark's technique resulted in the greatest increase in vestibular depth among the three methods. Pain levels reported by patients were comparable across all techniques. The laser-assisted technique offered advantages such as precision, hemostasis, and the absence of sutures. Conclusion: Our findings indicates that the traditional Clark's technique provides the most significant increase in vestibular depth, with all three techniques exhibiting similar pain levels. The laser-assisted approach offers distinct benefits like hemostasis and no requirement for sutures, whereas the modified open submucosal vestibuloplasty is straightforward and time-efficient, yielding outcomes comparable to the Clark's technique. Each technique for vestibuloplasty presents a unique set of advantages and disadvantages and the choice of technique depends on individual patient needs, surgical goals, and available resources.