Reconstruction of the mandibular denture bearing area and freeing of the tongue after tumor surgery.

Vestibuloplasty together with a loosening of the tongue and covering the mucosal defects either with a split thickness skin graft or an autologous mucosal graft was performed on 35 patients previously treated for squamous cell carcinoma. The interval between tumor resection and the reconstructive procedures averaged 20 months. In 34 patients the denture bearing area improved, and in 31 patients, better mobility of the tongue occurred with, therefore, better phonation.