Metric results of vestibuloplasty in unilateral cleft patients

Vestibuloplasty was performed on patients with completely closed cleft lip/alveolus or cleft lip/palate, using a mesh of polyglactin for covering the epithelial defect on the alveolar process. The vestibular height in the region of the teeth adjacent to the cleft was measured in 19 cases (average age 7.1 years) immediately before and after surgery as well as 4-10 months later. Although a loss of height of 18% had occurred during the healing period, the original height at the mesial tooth was increased from 6.0 mm to 11.2 mm and at the distal tooth from 3.7 mm to 11.4 mm. This high and freely mobile vestibule of the mouth is considered to be a precondition for undisturbed growth of the orofacial system in cleft patients.