Gum depigmentation Treatment: comprehensive note

Gum depigmentation

Gum depigmentation is a process, which is used to reduce the dark pigmentation or discoloration of the gums. The dark color of the gum is mostly caused by excess of melanin production. Gum depigmentation is a cosmetic surgery used to enhance the look of gums.

Importance of gums looks

The way your gums look had great impact on the person’s smile and confidence level. if the gums is pigmented it can affect the self esteem of the person, so it is very important to treat pigmentations that appears in the gums.

Purpose of treatment

One of the primary purpose of treatment of pigmented gums is to enhance the aesthetics of the gums. This treatment helps you to achieve best color off your gums, that increases the Attraction of smile. This also help to boost the confidence level and self esteem of the person.

Causes of gum pigmentation

Following are the causes of gum pigmentation that are mostly observed in the patients, are discussed below.

Genetics of the patient

The genetic makeup of the patient is one of the most important factors that can affect the gum pigmentation. The patient having genes that produce excessive melanin leads to dark pigmented gums. These are the genetic factors that can cause the difference in the color of gums from person to person or even within the same family.

Smoking

Smoking is another factor that can cause dark pigmented gums of a person. it is very important to know the reason, that why the person who smokes have dark pigmented gums. The main reason is the chemicals found in the tobacco that can cause increased production of melanin, which causes dark pigmented gums. It is mostly observed in the person who is smoker from very long term.

Medicine causing pigmentation

Some types of medicine can cause pigmentation in the gums, Medicines like which are used in malaria treatment, antimalarial drugs and minocycline which is an antibiotic. Side effect of these medicines can cause drug induced pigmentation and it vary from the amount of drugs taken in a specific time interval. The patients that are taking such drugs suffer from discoloration of the gums, and it is very important for them to consult their medical specialists.

Diseases that causes gum pigmentation

There are some diseases that cause the pigmentation of gums. Some of the systemic diseases that causes changes in the coloration of gums are Peutz jeghars syndrome and Addison’s disease. These diseases causes pigmentation in the various parts of body. It is very important for a person who is suffering from such diseases to consult his medical specialist, for proper treatment of such pigmentation.

Preparations before treatment

Following preparations are done before undergoing gum depigmentation treatment procedure.

Complete evaluation of patient

Complete evaluation of patient is one of the most important step before undergoing gum depigmentation treatment. In this step, oral cavity of the patient is completely evaluated and the pigmented gums are completely observed by the dental specialist. The main purpose of the complete evaluation, is to evaluate the overall oral health of the person, gums condition and the suitability of the procedure.

Oral hygiene instructions

Oral hygiene instructions are provided by the doctor before undergoing the gum deep pigmentation procedure. Dentist always force the patient to follow instructions that are provided by them. some of the instructions are listed below.

• Dentist Provides instructions about proper brushing and flossing method.
• It is recommended to use oral hygiene products that are beneficial for oral hygienic health.
• Dentist always advise their patients to maintain their healthy diet.
• Instructions related to medications are provided, it is very important to take medication according to the guidelines and prescription of the dentist.

Gum depigmentation procedure

The whole steps that are involved in the gum depigmentation procedure are discussed below,

Anesthesia

First and most important step before undergoing gum depigmentation procedure is administration of anesthesia. The type of anesthesia which is Used by the doctor depends upon various factors. Local anesthesia only numb the specific region of the oral cavity, but in some cases patient takes stress of this procedure. To reduce the stress of the patient general anesthesia is used, which causes complete unconsciousness. The type of anesthesia which is to be used is preferred according to the situation of the procedure and the patient.

Types of treatment procedure

There are different types of procedure that can be used for the depigmentation of the gums, some of them are discussed below.

Non surgical methods

• Nonsurgical methods includes chemical method and laser treatment method.
• The first method used is chemical method, in this method the gums are thoroughly cleaned. Then chemical named hydrogen peroxide is applied on to the gums. This chemical help in the removal of excessive pigmentation.
• In this method multiple appointment are necessary to achieve the best results.
• The second non surgical method used is laser treatment method. In this method laser is used to remove excess of melanin from the gums of the patient. In this method healing time is faster as compared to the other surgical methods.

Surgical methods

• Gingival grafting is the first surgical method is used to treat depigmentation of gums. In this method local anesthesia is administrated and the pigmented area of the gum tissue are removed.
• Then the sutures are applied to the remaining gum tissues.
• The second surgical method is cryosurgery. In this method liquid nitrogen is applied to the pigmented gums to freeze it. Then they are surgically removed, it has faster healing time as compared to other methods.
• Another surgical method for treatment of gums is electro surgery, in this type the anesthesia is administrated and then electrical instrument are used to remove pigmented gums. After the process is completed, sutures can be used for faster healing process.

Post operative care

After the completion of gums pigmentation treatment, it is very important to follow the instructions of professional expert during post operative care. some of the instructions that are mostly given by the dentist are listed below.

• It is very important to take proper healthy diet and avoid hot, spicy and sharp foods.
• Medicines are prescribed by the doctor that can reduce the discomfort, it is important to take them on time.
• Avoid smoking and other bad habits during the healing procedure.
• It is very important to keep the oral hygiene care by following the instructions of dentist and by regular brushing and flossing.
• Regular appointments are very important during the postoperative. Because, it helps you to protect from any unusual happening.