Fighting five categories of enlargement...from big gums to big smile - A case series.

Introduction: Enlarged Gingiva is one of the prime concerns for both dentists and patients causing esthetic and functional problems. The treatment is based on the understanding of cause and underlying pathologic changes, be it inflammatory, pharmacologically induced, associated with systemic diseases, neoplastic, iatrogenic or idiopathic. Objective: To provide minimally invasive periodontal therapy to patients presenting with gingival overgrowth of five different etiological backgrounds. Materials and Methods: Patients with gingival overgrowths reported to the Department of Periodontology and Oral Implantology, ITS-CDSR, Muradnagar, Ghaziabad. Based on the individual history, the patients were categorized under five sections. First was inflammatory due to local deposits, Second was drug induced (phenytoin and amlodipine), Third was iatrogenic in patient undergoing orthodontic treatment, Fourth idiopathic and Fifth Miscellaneous in which patient himself wanted gingival correction because of esthetic concerns. Different treatment strategies were advocated depending upon the history, clinical examination and medical consent. Results: All patients were successfully treated with full mouth scaling, root planing and surgical therapy. Full mouth gingivectomy and gingivoplasty was conducted one week apart, one quadrant each week with scalpel, electro cautery and LASER depending upon the patient's requirement. Conclusion: This case series emphasizes on the different types of gingival enlargement based on the etiology and highlights different treatment modalities advocated to manage such cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]