Cosmetic Dentist

Gingival hypertrophy

Gingival enlargement, the currently accepted terminology for an increase in the size of the gingiva, is a common feature of gingival disease.[1] This is strictly a clinical description of the condition and avoids the erroneous pathologic connotations of terms used in the past such as hypertrophic gingivitis or gingival hyperplasia. Gingival enlargement can be caused by a number of various stimuli, and "treatment is based on an understanding of the cause and underlying pathologic changes

Inflammatory enlargement

As previously mentioned, gingival enlargement may be caused by a multitude of causes. The most common is chronic inflammatory gingival enlargement, when the gingiva presents clinically as soft and discolored. This is caused by tissue edema and infective cellular infiltration caused by prolonged exposure tobacterial plaque, and is treated with conventional periodontal treatment, such as scaling and root planing.[6] Situations in which the chronic inflammatory gingival enlargement include significant fibrotic components that do not respond to and undergo shrinkage when exposed to scaling and root planing are treated with surgical removal of the excess tissue, most often with a procedure known as gingivectomy.[7]

Gingivitis and gingival enlargement are often seen in mouth breathers,[8] as a result of irritation brought on by surface dehydration, but the manner in which it is caused has not been demonstrated.[9]

 

Drug-induced enlargement

Gingival enlargement may also be associated with the administration of three different classes of drugs, all producing a similar response:

 

Enlargement associated with systemic factors

Many systemic diseases can develop oral manifestations that may include gingival enlargement, some that are related to conditions and others that are related to disease