Gingival Enlargement: A Review

Gingival enlargement or overgrowth is a common disease of gingiva. The causative factors may range from inflammation due to local factors to conditioned enlargement and neoplastic enlargements. They commonly present as bulbous interdental gingival,diffuse swelling of gingival.The care of these lesions and the prevention of their recurrence are entirely contingent on a correct diagnosis. Furthermore, in some circumstances where gingival enlargement is the primary symptom of potentially fatal systemic disorders, a precise diagnosis of these enlargements could save the patient's life or, at the very least, start treatment early and enhance their quality of life.Due to the unaesthetic appearance of the overgrown gingiva, treatment becomes inevitable.This results in excision of overgrowth known as gingivectomy. The first gingivectomy procedure was explained by Robicsek in 1884 and later by Zentler (1918). Grant (1979) defined gingivectomy as excision of soft tissue wall of pathologic periodontal pocket. Gingivectomy procedures can be done by means of scalpel, laser, electrosurgery and chemosurgery. The ultimate result remains the same indifferent of the method used. However the amount of remaining keratinized gingival and esthetic appearance is of supreme importance.The goal of this review paper is to highlight key data from various forms of gingival enlargement in order to help clinicians distinguish between them