Similar
to the skin tones, the gum tones also vary for each person. You may see black
or dark purple gums in some person. The darkening occurs due to aggravation in
the gum tissues. Other than infection in the gums, there are few factors that
cause black spots or darkening of gums.
Why
does the gum appear dark in color?
In
general, melanin is the pigment which is responsible for the dark color skin.
It makes your gums also appear darker. Black gums produced by the higher amount
of melanin production is a natural thing. Hence it is not necessary to worry or
suspect it.
Melanocytes
are the cell present in our body. It produces the melanin pigment. Other than
the natural production of melanin, few of your habits increase the melanin
production which leads to the gum discoloration.
Smoking
and taking certain medications for a long time are the main reasons that
trigger the increased amount of melanin pigment. Dental health specialists say
that the rise of melanin production due to smoking is "smoker's
melanosis".
If
your gums are not darkened because of the mentioned reasons, then there may be
a disease behind that. They include:
- Gingivitis (or other gum diseases)
- Addison's disease – It lacks the hormone production by affecting adrenal glands
- Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome – It causes blue or brown freckles on the skin including gums. It occurs due to a genetic disorder and causes polyps or cancer.
Similar
to teeth whitening treatment, it is possible to whiten your gums at a dental
office. They are also known as Gum depigmentation or Gum bleaching.
An
earlier approach to whiten the gum involves scraping away the gum with a rotary
tool in order to remove the black patches. It causes intense pain and the
healing process will take a long time.
Today,
you can get advanced 4 Diode laser treatments to whitish your gum at many
dental clinics. With this treatment, the
melanocytes are treated by the laser in order to reduce the production of
melanin pigment.
It
is painless and you do not encounter any discomfort during treatment. The laser
treatment requires maximum 45 minutes to bleach your discolored gums.
Laser Gum Bleaching is highly preferred by people and dental health specialists also
suggest it due to its convenience.
What
can you expect after gum beaching?
The
following things are not uncommon that arise followed by laser depigmentation.
Don't worry or scare about these.
- Some oozing of blood that comes out by mixing with saliva
- Swelling
- Light blood bleeding
- Soreness or tenderness in the mouth
- Sensitive gums
- Discomforts in eating, speaking
As
the thin and darkened layers on the gums are removed, a new tissue gets develop
during the healing period. The new tissue appears pink in color. The above discomforts are common and last
until the treated gums heal. Generally, the whitened gums require 2 weeks to
heal.
Gum
Whitening Aftercare Tips
Important tips to be followed after
depigmentation of gums or gum whitening suggested by our Specialist Dentist in Dubai are as follows:
- Take the medications prescribed by your dentist. The medications will help you to reduce the inflammation or swelling followed by the laser treatment.
- Avoid spicy and hot foods for the first 3 days after the gum bleaching treatment.
- It is very important to avoid smoking for the first 7 days after the gum whitening treatment.
- Keep your mouth clean with an effective dental hygiene routine program.
- Don't rinse your mouth on the day of the gum whitening treatment even after the treatment gets completed.
- Reduce your physical activity for many hours after completing the treatment. It will help you to speed up the healing process.
Similar
to discolored teeth, discolored gums are also effective in diminishing the
aesthetics of your smile. If you are embarrassed to deliver a beautiful because
of the dark patches on your gum, don't worry.
Just
book an appointment with a Cosmetic Dentist to turn back your gums pink in
color.
