Address for Correspondence: Anoop Kapoor, 3122, Ground Floor, Sector 37-D, Chandigarh Department of Periodontology & Oral Implantology National Dental College & Hospital Gulabgarh, Derabassi, Distt. SAS nagar, Mohali (Punjab)
Online published on 7 December, 2011.
Gingival depigmentation is a periodontal plastic surgical procedure where by the gingival hyperpigmentation is eliminated and/or minimized by employing various techniques like bur abrasion, scalpel, partial thickness flap, cryotherapy, electrosurgery, radiotherapy, laser, etc.
This case series aims to compare the healing following gingival depigmentation by the time tested and one of the first method used i.e. conventional scalpel technique with electrosurgery in a split mouth design, at an interval of 1 week, 2 weeks and 1 month.
By the end of one month, most of the patients had healthy pink gingiva at the sites treated by scalpel as well as by electrosurgery. Very slight pain at the site of electrosurgery was experienced by 2 cases, and mild to moderate pain was present in all the cases at the site where scalpel was used, after the treatment on the day of surgery. No adverse events like swelling, bleeding, etc. were reported by any of the patients.
Successful results for depigmentation were obtained with both the techniques - scalpel and electrosurgery. The gingiva healed uneventfully in all the cases. Postoperative patient satisfaction in terms of esthetics was excellent.
gingival depigmentation, scalpel, electrosurgery
