GINGIVAL HERBAL DEPIGMENTATION: A NATURAL SOLUTION??

A smile not only enhances the beauty of an individual, it also boosts ones selfconfidence. Many factors such as lip position, tooth position, its morphology along with gingival tissue, attribute to the harmony of a beautiful smile. Gingival tissuehealth,color and contour are important components affecting an attractive smile. Amongst the gingival tissue, unsightly pigmented gingiva is of important concern for unpleasant smile. There are some prime pigments which contribute to the color of the gingiva. They are melanin, carotene, reduced hemoglobin and oxy-Hemoglobin. However, excessive melanin synthesis by active melanocytes (Unicellular dendritic cells) residing in the basal and suprabasal cell layers of the epithelium1cause its excessive deposition and unesthetic appearance of the gingiva. Various techniques have been developed to treat gingival hyperpigmentation2,3,4.However due to certain limitations of these techniques and due to growing demand for better aesthetics, many advances have been made to improve this untoward appearance. In this review we are planning to discuss and explore the herbal treatment modalities which can be appliedfor hyperpigmented gingiva with less potential of having side effects.