Periodontal surgical procedures like excision of overgrowth and harvesting graft from palate in free gingival graft procedures can cause excessive intraoperative bleeding. Uncontrolled bleeding obscures the visibility of the site for optimal debridement thus increasing the risk for recurrence. It also affects healing of the site, extends the duration of surgery and increases stress for the patient. Aim: To evaluate efficacy of a chitosan based hemostatic agent in achieving hemostasis in various periodontal surgeries. Material and Method: 13 patients indicated for periodontal surgery were selected. Intraoperative bleeding was controlled with chitosan sponge. Duration of hemostasis was recorded. Each patient was evaluated for all the parameters at 24 hrs. and on 7th day post-surgery. Results: The surgical sites treated with chitosan sponge showed mean hemostasis time of 3min 04 +/-15 seconds. Soft tissue healing showed a mean score of 3.61 +/-3 with no patient discomfort. Conclusions: Chitosan sponge reduces intra-operative bleeding time, thus emerging as a novel hemostat.

Gingival enlargement may be a result of multifactorial etiology which includes local factors such as calculus, food lodgement, overhanging restorations, and overextended dentures as well as systemic conditions such as hormonal disturbances and blood dyscrasias. Acquired immune deficiency is a manifestation of immune disorder caused by a retrovirus Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The association of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or HIV with oral and periodontal lesions is highly significant. Seropositive patients usually present with periodontal diseases and atypical periodontal lesions. These clinical findings may prove to be a link for probing patients’ systemic health. This case report describes one such case of a patient, unaware of HIV infection with localized gingival overgrowth, wherein detailed probing and investigation led to the diagnosis of underlying systemic condition as acquired immunodeficiency. Subsequently, antiretroviral therapy was started, and nonsurgical periodontal therapy was performed to resolve the gingival overgrowth.