Eternal Smiles Dental Centre

TMJ-PAIN dentist

Eternal Smiles Dental Centre

Helping Your Dental Cosmetic + Health Needs

Tel: 01217050994

Solihull, Birmingham, B91 3SB

Gum Pigmentation

The most common cause of darker pigments in the gums is genetics. Excess melanin can build up in the gums, making them look brown or black instead of pink. This is more common in certain ethnic groups like people with African or Middle Eastern ancestry.  The extra pigment does not indicate any disease or dysfunction.  Patients seek treatment because of aesthetic preference for pink gums that showcase their teeth better.

Other causes for dark gums include smoking, side effects from certain medications and the possible effect of amalgam silver particles on the gum.

Eternal Smile Dental Centre dentist has helped many patients remove the dark gum pigmentation and have pink gums.

gum depigmentation, gum pigmentation

Before                                                     After

This patient had light pigmentation and thus it was removed easily.

best dentist near me Eternal Smiles

What Is the Healing Process Like after using Lasers?

When we use dental laser depigmentation procedure you can expect minor discomfort and no complications after the treatment. Patients with very sensitive gums may experience some discomfort for a short period of time. Patients can expect to be able to speak and eat normally immediately after the treatment is completed.

Everything heals in about 2 to 4 weeks.

How Long Does the Gum De-pigmentation Treatment Last?

One gum depigmentation treatment can last 20 years or up to a lifetime.

gum depigmentation, gum pigmentation

The treatment process

Laser Gum Depigmentation vaporizes and removes a thin top layer of the gum tissue, destroying the cells that produce melanin. As new tissue is created during healing, it tends to be pink rather than brown. The treatment may require a local anaesthetic injection and has a short recovery time with manageable discomfort. Sometimes depending on the colour and depth of the dark patch, it could take several sessions to achieve the desired degree of lightning.

The main guideline is simply that the gums must be healthy. We can assess your gum health at the consultation that you have with our dentist.

gum pigmentation

How Long Does the Treatment Take?

The procedure takes 20-45  minutes depending on the colour and size of the dark patch.

What happens if I still have a few pigments left once the gums have healed.

On your review appointment, we can go over the areas that you can still see some pigmentation.

gum pigmentation

Can I smoke ?

We encourage all smokers to stop smoking completely after the procedure as smoking is one of the causes of pigmentation.

You need to stop smoking for at least 7 days after the procedure.

gum depigmentation, gum pigmentation

Who Is a Candidate?

The main guideline is simply that the gums must be healthy. We can assess your gum pigmentation health at the consultation that you have with our dentist.

This cosmetic treatment is not suitable for:

  • Patients with oral disease
  • Patients with dark gums caused by periodontal disease (this is not a surface pigment problem)
  • Patients taking blood thinners (these can cause excessive bleeding during treatment)
  • Patients with thin gum tissue or prominent tooth roots (they may experience ongoing sensitivity if roots are accidentally exposed by the removal of gum tissue)
gum pigmentation laser

Why Laser GumTreatment to remove Gum Pigementation?

Different procedures have been proposed for removal of gingival gum pigmentation.

Surgical Methods are very common such as Scalpel surgical technique, Bur abrasion method. Laser depigmentation is a scalpel free form of treatment, that does not cause gum bleeding.

Chemical Methods.: Chemical agents such as 90% phenol in combination with 95 %. This mixture was found to burn out the gum pigmentation by destroying tissue down to and slightly below the basal layer of the mucous membranes.

Among the various techniques to remove gum pigmentation, lasers offer a promising therapeutic option since it is simple, painless, and predictable. The laser has been recognized as the most effective and reliable technique having many advantages as compared to other conventional treatment modalities. It provides a bloodless and painless surgery.

Ready To Get Pink Gums?

Get In Touch Today Call

01217050994