The gingival tissue is considered as the most pigmented tissue in the oral cavity. An excessive accumulation of melanin in the basal and supra-basal layers of the epithelium resulted in gingival hyperpigmentation. Several patients consider pigmentation of the gingival tissue as unaesthetic, which may have a negative psychological impact, particularly in patients with high smile lines. Gingival depigmentation could be performed through various methods, but laser therapy is considered the most effective one. The laser could lead to effective surgery due to its ability to cut, remove, and reshape gingiva that leaves the surgical area almost entirely bloodless and visible. Gingival pigments are multifactorial, and thus knowing the cause will facilitate addressing the aesthetic demand of different patients. The present paper focused on reviewing literature about gingival pigment indexes, scores usually used during clinical examination, and common techniques used for depigmentation of gingival tissues. Various non-surgical and surgical techniques for depigmentation of gingival tissue are described in the literature. Patients tend to request bloodless and minimally invasive techniques for the removal of pigmented tissues. The re-occurrence of these pigments with time was affected by the nature and origin of these pigments, as well as some medicines and medical conditions that may aggregate the rate of re-pigmenting.
Key words: Gingival display, gingival pigments, depigmentation, repigmentation.
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