Aim: Gingival depigmentation is a periodontal plastic therapeutic procedure by which the hyperpigmented gingiva is treated using various surgical and laser ablative techniques. The present case series aims at yielding esthetically acceptable results obtained using a 445 nm diode laser at specific laser parameters. Clinical Findings: Two females and one male systemically healthy patient reported with the chief complaint of physiologic gingival hyperpigmentation in both upper and lower arches. Clinical examination revealed black– brown gingival pigmentation with a Dummett–Gupta oral pigmentation index (DOPI) score >3 and a melanin index (MI) score >3 in both arches in all three patients, with no signs of underlying pathology. Intervention: Non-ablative gingival depigmentation (NAGD) was performed using a 445 nm diode laser with a fiber-optic tip of 320 μm diameter at 1 watt in continuous wave mode, with a tip angulation of 90° directed at the target. The procedure was performed without contact with the tissue surface within a total time of 2–3 minutes per arch. Outcome: The clinician reported outcomes (DOPI and MI) were recorded at baseline, one week, and three months following intervention. All three patients reported uneventful healing with satisfactory, stabilized results, without any episode of reappearance, up to the last reported 90 days after the intervention. Conclusion: Laser-assisted NAGD, performed using a 445 nm diode laser, is an effective and minimally invasive treatment option for patients with hyperpigmented gingiva, resulting in minimal post-surgical discomfort.
Singh et al. (Tue,) studied this question.