ABSTRACT
A smile expresses a feeling of joy, success, sensuality, affection and courtesy and reveals self-confidence and kindness. The harmony of the smile is determined not only by the shape, position and color of the teeth but also by the gingival tissues. Gingival health and appearance are essential components of an attractive smile. Gingival pigmentation results from melanin granules, which are produced by melanoblasts. The degree of pigmentation depends on melanoblastic activity. Although melanin pigmentation of the gingiva is completely benign and does not present a medical problem, complaints of ‘black gums’ are common particularly in patients who have a very high smile line (gummy smile). Different treatment modalities have been reported for depigmentation of gingiva such as bur abrasion, scraping, partial thickness flap, cryotherapy, electrosurgery and laser. In the present case, depigmentation was done with scraping technique, which is simple, effective and yields good results, along with good patient satisfaction.