Think of healthy gum tissue and most envision the Hollywood standard of perfection…perfect, pearly white teeth and matching brilliant, pink gums. Unfortunately, many individuals—even with healthy gum tissue—can’t achieve this look due to extra pigmentation in their gums, which causes the area to look dark, brown or splotchy.

De-pigmentation of gums is a treatment where these dark spots are removed to give a healthy appearance. A subjective and clinical assessment is done before suggesting this procedure. The procedure can involve surgical, chemical, or laser ablation techniques. The basic purpose of all the techniques is to remove the discoloured layer of top most layer of gingival. Melanocytes take time to make new melanin pigment, before they fill up the top most layer again.

The laser technique de-pigments the gums in one office visit. The treatment is virtually painless, and patients may only need the aid of topical anesthetic. The procedure is considered permanent, and should last for up to 20 years, depending on the patient’s lifestyle.