Preprosthetic mandibular vestibuloplasty with buccal mucosal graft. A 2-year follow-up study

21 patients with denture retention problems due to lack of mandibular vestibular denture space and alveolar ridge atrophy had a vestibuloplasty with free grafting of check mucosa performed under local anaesthesia on an out-patient basis. Follow-up examinations based on metric records showed that 18% of the sulcus extension is lost during the first post-operative month, but regained by the time of the 6-month control, leaving 99% of the surgically created sulcus extension as a permanent gain. The grafted check mucosa served well as a denture-bearing tissue, and almost all patient had a significant improvement of denture retention and stability. Complications were few. The biology of healing is discussed in the light of recent concepts of wound healing.