A ravishing smile certainly enhances the person’s self-confidence. The esthetics of smile although majorly influenced by the colour, form, and place of the tooth, can also be influenced by the colour of the gingival tissues. The colour of gingiva is influenced by the vascular provide, thickness and diploma of keratinization of the epithelium, and presence of varied pigments. Amongst these, the main issue contributing to the colour of gingiva is melanin. Gingival hyperpigmentation doesn’t pose any medical drawback, however many sufferers might think about this an esthetic drawback, significantly sufferers who’ve extreme gingival show or gummy smile. The commonest trigger is physiologic pigmentation i.e. melanin manufacturing, though some adversarial habits corresponding to smoking can additional stimulate melanin pigmentation, and so depth of pigmentation can also be associated to the length of smoking and variety of cigarettes consumed.

Therapy Modalities Gingival depigmentation is a remedy to take away melanin hyperpigmentation of the gingiva and varied strategies have been used for this process with completely different levels of success together with gingivectomy, gingivectomy with free gingival autografting, acellular dermal matrix allograft, electrosurgery, cryosurgery and abrasion with diamond bur. The drawbacks of those strategies are intraoperative and post-operative bleeding, want for anaesthesia, want of periodontal pack/dressing, threat of post-operative an infection, edema and so on.

Laser with completely different wavelengths have been used simply with well-tolerated and good esthetic outcomes. In depigmentation course of the epithelial tissue exhibiting extreme melanin pigments is ablated utilizing diode lasers. PIOON Laser provides varied wavelengths that may both be utilized in contact or non-contact method to carry out this process. Within the current case solely topical anesthesia was utilized, wavelength of 980nm was utilized in contact mode in scrapping movement at ablative settings for elimination of the pigmented epithelium and part of connective tissue, abandoning the remainder of connective tissue intact. After the process, laser bandage was executed, postoperative directions got and affected person was stored on observe up.

Hanaa M. El Shenawy et al in 2015 used 980nm wavelength and concluded that using diode laser is a secure and efficient remedy modality that gives optimum aesthetics with minimal discomfort in sufferers with gingival hyperpigmentation. Eser Elemek in 2018 additionally urged that using 810nm diode laser for gingival depigmentation resulted in full therapeutic with most esthetic final result and minimal affected person discomfort.

 Rationale behind Use of Lasers Laser is absorbed by pigments (melanin and haemoglobin) within the delicate tissue, thus making it a wonderful modality for depigmentation process with minimal quantity of bleeding. It additionally provides straightforward dealing with of tissues, much less chairside time, potential decontamination and sterilization.  It additionally kinds protein coagulum on the wound floor which act as a organic wound dressing, sealing the ends of sensory nerve endings therefore obsoleting the necessity of periodontal packs/dressings, thereby making the aesthetic laser remedy extra acceptable for the sufferers.

Conclusion The usage of a diode laser is a secure, efficient, fast, and minimally invasive. They supply optimum aesthetics with decreased discomfort to the sufferers throughout and after process.

References – Hanaa M. El Shenawy et al. Therapy of Gingival Hyperpigmentation by Diode Laser for Esthetical Functions. Open Entry Maced J Med Sci. 2015 Sep 15; 3(3): 447–454 and Eser Elemek. Gingival melanin depigmentation by 810 nm diode laser. Eur J Dent 2018; 12:149-52.