Can I Lighten My Gums?
Are you unhappy with how your gums look? Are you reluctant to smile because you do not like the color or texture of your gums? Do you have dark spots or dark gums that make you self-conscious?
Dark gums, also called oral pigmentation or black gums, can occur for a wide variety of reasons. If you are born with dark gums, this is most often completely harmless and poses only a cosmetic concern if you do not like the appearance of these otherwise healthy gums.
If you suddenly develop dark gums, or you notice a new spot or dark patch on your gums or mouth tissue, you need to be evaluated by a professional. New-onset oral pigmentation might be an early symptom of an underlying illness.
What Causes Black Gums?
The cause of oral pigmentation has two basic sources: exogenous, external factors, and endogenous, factors within your body. External factors that can cause dark gums:
* Smoking or chewing tobacco- Nicotine intake causes your body to produce more melanin, which will cause your gums to become brown or black over time. This can first appear in patches or include the entire mouth. When you eliminate your tobacco habit, the gum stains can gradually resolve.
* Metal leaching from dental hardware- Amalgam fillings or metal-lined crowns have been known to shed metal particles over time that can stain your gums or inner cheek tissue that meets the metal. These amalgam tattoos are usually a black, grey, or blue patch. Although they are unsightly, they do not pose any health risk.
* Medications- Certain drugs, like the antibiotic called minocycline, antimalarial quinine drugs, tricyclic antidepressants, and more, can cause melanin build-up that results in the darkening of the gums and lips.
Internal factors that can cause dark gums:
* Melanin- The substance that gives your skin, hair, and eyes their color. Varying levels of melanin within different ethnic groups will account for darker gums in Black, Asian, and Mediterranean populations.
* Medical conditions- Several medical conditions and health problems can cause abnormal darkening of the gums and mouth tissues. These include:
A severe form of gum disease known as necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, or trench mouth, which is the result of poor nutrition or poor oral hygiene.
Endocrine diseases, such as Addison’s disease and Peutz-Jegher’s syndrome, are characterized by patchy skin darkening and freckles.
Diseases of your immune system like AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma, hemangiomas, abnormal clusters of blood vessels, and hemochromatosis that will cause iron-containing dark brown spots in your skin.
If you observe a sudden appearance of dark spots or a change in the color of your gums, schedule an appointment with your dentist to determine the cause.
Can Dark Gums be Lightened?
The encouraging news is that most causes of gum darkening are indeed treatable. The treatment will depend on identifying the underlying cause or source. This requires an examination by your dentist who can identify the reason and discuss appropriate treatment options.
If there is no underlying medical condition and you still wish to have your gums lightened for cosmetic reasons, your dentist can review with you the various cosmetic treatments available and recommend the one best suited for you.
Gum bleaching, also known as gum depigmentation, is an extremely popular and common treatment for cosmetic dentistry. Thousands of patients receive it successfully every year to combat dark gums or inconsistent appearances to restore their healthy smiles and self-esteem.