Abstract Background: Gingival hyperpigmentation or dark gums is a rising esthetic concern among certain young adults. Certain shortcomings of the conventional scalpel and laser procedures have led to the development of minimally invasive techniques. Vitamin C mesotherapy is one such technique with limited research available on its application for gingival depigmentation. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of Vitamin C mesotherapy versus diode laser treatment for gingival depigmentation. Materials and Methods: Ten participants were included, and the anterior maxillary sextants were randomly assigned to Vitamin C mesotherapy group (Group A) or diode laser depigmentation group (Group B). The participants were recalled at the end of the 1 st week to assess depigmentation using the ImageJ software analysis, melanin pigmentation index, and gingival pigmentation index. Wound healing and pain perception were also assessed using the wound healing index and Visual Analog Scale (VAS), respectively. Repigmentation was assessed at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months. Results: The findings revealed that gingival pigmentation did not differ significantly in Group A over time ( P = 0.158), whereas in Group B, the results demonstrated a statistically significant variation across all time points ( P < 0.0001). No difference in the VAS was observed, and both the groups showed uneventful healing. Forty percent of the participants in Group B showed a recurrence of pigmentation by the 6-month follow-up. Conclusion: Vitamin C mesotherapy, though minimally invasive, required multiple visits and produced no significant results. Diode laser, on the other hand, reduced the gingival pigmentation significantly in one session.
Nivethitha et al. (Thu,) studied this question.