Preprosthetic laser assisted mandibular vestibuloplasty

Abstract

A prosthetic treatment of the edentulous mandible can be very challenging. In cases with inadequate buccal depth, a necessary deepening of the oral vestibule can be achieved by surgically detaching the soft tissue attachments. A preprosthetic vestibuloplasty is usually done surgically by scalpel. With the permanent advancement of laser technology, a laser vestibuloplasty has become a preferred surgical procedure. The aim of this report was to present individuality of a mandible vestibuloplasty performed with Er.YAG laser.A 69-year-old patient was referred to the University Department of oral surgery after several previous unsuccessful attempts to stabilize his lower denture. The intraoral assessment revealed complete mandibular edentulism and a shallow vestibule with sufficient bone height in the anterior region. Since the patient's financial resources precluded dental implants, mandible anterior vestibuloplasty was planned to deepen the vestibule thus increasing the anatomic basis for prosthetic rehabilitation. The vestibuloplasty was performed with Er-Yag Laser (Fotona Fidelis III). The laser ablation started at the mucogingival junction. The soft tissue bands were ablated layer by layer till the desired vestibular depth was achieved. There was no need for suturing. No protective barrier was placed. The postoperative recovery was symptomless, without pain, oedema, or signs of infection. Four weeks after surgery, the healing process was completed and sufficient anterior vestibular depth was gained and maintained. Er.YAG laser assisted vestibuloplasty was a minimally invasive surgical procedure. The fast healing with minimal scarring resulted and a sufficient vestibular depth was gained.