Identification of gingival pigmentation patterns and its correlation with skin color, gender and gingival phenotype in an Indian population

Abstract

Objectives: Esthetics and smile-enhancing treatments have become an integral part of the dentistry; people always consult with periodontist for obtaining acceptable gingival esthetics. In smile designing esthetics, the color of gingiva has a major role. Although there is no any gold standard technique for managing melanin hyperpigmentation, esthetic concerns have lead increasing awareness about different depigmentation procedures. The aim of this study is to identify gingival melanin pigmentation patterns and to investigate its relationship based on clinical analysis with skin color, gender and gingival phenotype for various treatment modalities. Methods: In total, 200 subjects without any systemic disease (100 males and 100 females with mean age 26.5 years) screened by a single person and categorized them by skin color as fair, wheatish, brown, and dark to identify the different distribution patterns of gingival melanin pigmentation anatomically. Along with this severity of melanin pigmentation and gingival phenotypes were assessed. By using a Chi-square test correlations of variables were checked. Results: A positive statistical correlation was noticed between severity of gingival pigmentation and skin color. Dark-skinned subjects had heavy gingival pigmentation. The majority of population had pigmentation in attached gingiva and interdental papillae. Conclusion: Within the limits of the present study, the majority of population showed a positive correlation with their skin color and the severity of melanin pigmentation.