A 27-yr male patient reported at
AHEAD, Mohali with a request for aesthetic treatment of black gums. .A pleasing
appearance often means the difference between success and failure. Hence the
mouth, being one of the focal points of the face, the smile plays a major role
in how we perceive ourselves, as well as in the impressions we make on the
people around us. ‘Aesthetics’ is the science of beauty, Aesthetic or cosmetic
dentistry strives to merge function and beauty with the values and individual
needs of every patient. Melanin hyperpigmentation is an overproduction of
melanin, beyond the normal expected degree in the oral mucosa, induced by
various causes. The gingiva is the most frequently pigmented areas in the oral
cavity.
This case was
selected as the patient was physically healthy with no history of systemic
disease, patient presented with a greater degree of gingival pigmentation
compared to her skin colour and was very conscious about esthetics. Based on
that, a decision was taken to do an anterior depigmentation by “Surgical Stripping”.
Gingival depigmentation is a periodontal plastic surgical procedure whereby the
gingival hyperpigmentation is removed or reduced’. Depigmentation is a
procedure to meet demands of patient for improved esthetics and is recommended
after periodontal health is restored. An adequate thickness of periodontal
tissue is a pre-requisite. One of the first and still popular techniques to be
employed is the surgical removal of undesirable pigmentation using scalpel. It
is a simple and effective technique. The procedure essentially involves split
thickness excision of superficial pigmented epithelium. The new epithelium that
forms is devoid of melanin pigmentation. The patient was recalled after 2
weeks and he was satisfied with the treatment done.
Counselling of students is going on at AHEAD
Academy, Mohali. Counselling is provided for all foreign courses and MDS
entrance exams. The goal of the counselling sessions is to provide more
information to students so that they are better able to make crucial decisions
for the future, enabling them to have a clearer picture for themselves
regarding what lies ahead. They can weigh their options and ask any questions
they might have. It is truly a platform for self-reflection.