Please cite this article as follows: Suragimath G, Lohana MH, Varma S. A split mouth randomized clinical comparative study to evaluate the efficacy of gingival depigmentation procedure using conventional scalpel technique or diode laser. J Lasers Med Sci. 2016;7(4):227-232. doi:10.15171/jlms.2016.40. IntroductionA smile is an expression denoting pleasure, sociability, happiness or amusement and can reflect self-confidence of an individual. A smile seems to have a favorable influence upon others and makes one likeable and more approachable. The beauty of a smile is not only influenced by how the teeth and lips look, but also by the way gingival tissue appears. A dark or black colored gum is one of the concerns of patients reporting to dental clinics. Dark pigmentation of the gum usually occurs due to excessive melanin deposition in gingival epithelium. Melanin pigmentation of the gingiva is a physiologic process that occurs in all ethnicities.1 The prevalence of melanin pigmentation varies between 0% to 89% in different populations with regard to ethnic factors and tobacco usage. Gingival hyperpigmentation is termed as physiological or racial pigmentation, as it occurs as a genetic trait in some populations.3 Gingival hyperpigmentation in patients with gummy smile or excessive gingival display could pose an esthetic problem. Gingival depigmentation is a periodontal plastic procedure carried out by various techniques like conventional scalpel technique, gingivec- Abstract Introduction: Dark or black coloured gingiva is an esthetic concern especially in subjects with high lip line or gummy smile. Gingival depigmentation procedure is a type of perioplastic surgery where the gingival epithelium is excised with various techniques to lighten the colour of the gingiva. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical efficacy of gingival depigmentation procedure with conventional scalpel technique and diode laser application. Methods: This split mouth randomized study was conducted on 12 subjects (18-40 years of age), exhibiting melanin hyperpigmentation of gingiva. The anterior labial sextant of maxilla and mandible were divided into two halves involving three anterior teeth i.e. central incisor, lateral incisor and canine on each side. The divided areas were randomly allotted for depigmentation procedure either with scalpel technique or diode laser operating at 980 nm wavelength. Various parameters such as bleeding, pain, difficulty of procedure and wound healing were assessed and compared between the two techniques. The level of melanin pigment was assessed with Dummette Gupta index and photographic analysis with the help of adobe software. The subjects were followed up to one year to see for recurrence of melanin pigmentation. Results: Bleeding during surgery, pain score and difficulty of procedure assessed by the operator were statistically higher for scalpel technique as compared to laser technique. Wound healing did not show any statistical significant difference between both techniques. Gingival depigmentation ...

Background There is an overwhelming body of evidence strongly suggesting that periodontal infection may have a significant negative impact on pregnancy outcome in some women. The aim of this study was to determine the association between periodontal disease and preterm low birth weight of babies.Materials and Methods A total of 300 pregnant women, between 20 and 24 weeks of gestation i.e., second trimester, were considered for the study. The periodontal status was recorded using the following parameters: probing pocket depth, clinical attachment level, oral hygiene index and plaque index. After initial examination in the second trimester, the pregnant women were followed till delivery of the baby. Postpartum data i.e., weight of baby, gestational age of pregnancy and type of delivery, were recorded. Results Out of 300 pregnant women, 248 women had fullterm delivery (12 low birth weight and 236 normal birth weight) while 52 had preterm delivery (6 normal birth weight and 46 low birth weight). There was significant association between body mass index and level of periodontal disease severity of pregnant women with birth weight of babies, gestational age of pregnant women and mode of delivery, respectively. As the level of periodontal disease severity increased, the proportion of delivering preterm and low birth weight babies also increased.

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Gingival desquamation is a clinical sign in which the gingiva appears reddish, friable with desquamation of epithelium. It may be the result of various disease process such as, mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP), oral lichen planus, and pemphigus vulgaris which accounts for a major cause of desquamation. MMP is a rare chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by subepithelial bullae clinically and suprabasilar split histologically most commonly affecting the oral cavity manifesting as a desquamative gingivitis. Here is a case of pemphigoid appearing as a desquamative gingivitis.