The vestibular lamina is responsible for the formation of the vestibule (the space bordered by the junction of the gingiva and the tissue of the inner cheek) and arises from a group of cells called the primary epithelial band.
[3] During the initiation stage of early tooth development (6 weeks in utero), the oral epithelium goes through mitosis and condenses to form a primary epithelial band.
At about the 7th week in utero,[5] the dental lamina is produced, and it serves as the primordium for the ectodermal portion of the deciduous teeth.
Furthermore, vestibular lamina will subsequently hollow and forms the oral vestibule between the alveolar portion of the jaws and the lips and cheeks.
However, since the vestibular lamina is responsible for the formation of oral vestibule, a correlation might be suggested between the poor development of vestibular lamina and a number of clinical implications - namely that shallow vestibules may negatively impact on denture retention, cause difficulty in brushing teeth, and also contribute to gingival recession.
[9][11][10] Periodontal plastic surgery focuses on correction or elimination of problems related to gingival recession, shallow vestibule or lack of attached gingiva.
[10] Conversely, coronally repositioned flaps for the treatment of gingival recession will lead to decreased vestibular depth which may impact oral hygiene or denture retention.