Influence of gingival thickness on clinical outcomes following surgical scalpel depigmentation a prospective comparative clinical study

Influence of gingival thickness on clinical outcomes following surgical scalpel depigmentation a prospective comparative clinical study. Download PDF Abstract Gingival hyperpigmentation is a frequent esthetic issue, but the impact of gingival thickness on outcomes of depigmentation procedures has not been studied extensively. This study aimed to investigate and compare the clinical outcomes of surgical scalpel depigmentation in patients with thick versus thin gingival tissue, as classified by the probe transparency method.

In this prospective comparative clinical study, 40 patients with physiologic gingival melanin hyperpigmentation were recruited and classified into a thick gingiva group ( n = 20) or a thin gingiva group ( n = 20) through the probe transparency method. All patients were treated with surgical scalpel depigmentation. The primary outcome was postoperative pain assessed by VAS.

Secondary outcomes included DOPI, Hedin Melanin Index, wound healing, bleeding time, and repigmentation, evaluated at baseline, one week, and three months postoperatively. Both groups showed significant reductions in DOPI and Hedin Melanin Index scores at one week and three months ( p < 0.001).

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