ESTHETIC MANAGEMENT OF GINGIVAL HYPERPIGMENTATION WITH ELECTROSURGERY TECHNIQUE: A CASE REPORT

Abstract

The colour of gingiva is usually considered as “coral pink” which is determined by thickness and degree of keratinization, vascular supply, pigmentation like melanin, and various exogenous substances like tobacco, colouring agents in foods, etc. Gingival hyperpigmentation may be a pathological condition but it is usually a physiological condition that is a major esthetic problem for a patient with a high smile line. Gingival depigmentation is a periodontal plastic surgical procedure that reduces or eliminates the degree of pigmentation. Different treatment modalities for gingival depigmentation have been documented, such as scalpel, electrosurgery, diamond burs, chemical methods, cryosurgery, lasers, and micro-needling with ascorbic acid. This article reports the depigmentation procedure of hyperpigmented gingiva with electrocautery in 25 years old male patient.