Vaporization of melanin in oral tissues and skin with a carbon dioxide laser: A canine study

Treatment of Gingival Hyperpigmentation by Erbium‐Doped:Yttrium, Aluminum, and Garnet Laser for Esthetic Purposes

“…Laser ablation of gingival depigmentation has been recognized as one of the most effective, pleasant, and reliable techniques 17 . Different lasers have been used for gingival depigmentation, including carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) (10,600 nm), 26‐30 diode (820 nm), 31 neodymium‐doped:yttrium, aluminum, and garnet (Nd:YAG) (1,064 nm), 15 erbium (Er)‐doped:YAG (2,940 nm), 1 and erbium‐ and chromium‐doped:yttrium, scandium, gallium, garnet (Er,Cr:YSGG) (2,780 nm) lasers.…”

Esthetic Treatment of Gingival Melanin Hyperpigmentation With Er:YAG Laser: Short‐Term Clinical Observations and Patient Follow‐Up

“…Various methods, including gingivectomy, 9 gingivectomy with free gingival autografting, 10 electrosurgery, 11 cryosurgery, 12 chemotherapy with 90% phenol and 95% alcohol, 13 and abrasion with diamond bur, 14 have been used with different degrees of success. Recently, lasers have been used to ablate cells containing and producing the melanin pigment 15,16 …”

Spontaneous Pigmentation of Non‐Pigmented Palatal Tissue After Periodontal Surgery

“…Although dental literature is replete with oral depigmentation/repigmentation studies, 13‐24 there are no reports on non‐pathologic spontaneous pigmentation of previously non‐pigmented oral tissues. Although the classic 1963 study by Dummett and Bolden 20 described post‐surgical healing with pigmentation as “spontaneous,” the areas in question were previously pigmented prior to surgery.…”

“…Post‐surgical healing in patients with gingival pigmentation is not entirely predictable, as multiple studies 13‐24 demonstrated widely inconsistent results in regards to gingival pigmentation upon healing. This case report describes spontaneous pigmentation of previously non‐pigmented palatal tissues after a periodontal plastic surgery procedure.…”

“…Although melanin hyperpigmentation is not a medical problem, “black gums” are a common complaint, and people with moderate or severe gingival pigmentation frequently request cosmetic therapy 11,12 . Successful treatment of gingival hyperpigmentation for esthetic purposes has been previously reported using surgical, chemical, cryosurgical, electrosurgical, and laser techniques with different degree of success 13‐22 . Repigmentation after treatment has been reported with most techniques, although the timeframe in which this happens varies considerably (1 to 20 months) 20‐24 …”