CPT® Code 40840

Vestibuloplasty is a surgical procedure aimed at modifying the vestibule of the mouth, which is the area between the lips and cheeks and the teeth. This procedure is particularly important for patients who have conditions such as cleft lip and/or palate or other facial deformities, as it helps to restore the height of the alveolar ridge. The alveolar ridge is the bony ridge in the upper and lower jaws that contains the sockets for the teeth. In cases where the vestibular soft tissue and the underlying bone require remodeling, vestibuloplasty can achieve both cosmetic and functional improvements. Additionally, this procedure is beneficial for edentulous patients—those without teeth—who may have a shallow vestibular sulcus. By deepening the vestibule, vestibuloplasty increases the surface area available for dentures or dental implants, thereby enhancing their fit and stability. The anterior vestibuloplasty specifically focuses on the area between the lips and the front teeth, while posterior vestibuloplasty addresses the tissue between the cheeks and the teeth. The procedure involves making incisions in the mucosa to separate connective tissue and muscle attachments, followed by repositioning the tissue or applying grafts to achieve the desired anatomical changes.