Correlation of skin color and gingival pigmentation patterns in a group of South Indians in India

Background: Melanin pigmentation of the gingiva occurs in allethnicities. Excessive pigmentation is an esthetic concern thathas increased awareness about depigmentation procedures. Thepurpose of the present study was to correlate the skin color andgender with the intensity and distribution of gingival melaninpigmentation in a group of South Indians for treatment strategies.Method: Two hundred male and female non smoking healthysubjects aged 18-35 years were included. A clinical examinationof gingiva was performed to assess the anatomic distribution ofgingival pigmentation. The intensity of gingival pigmentation andthe phenotype of gingiva were also assessed. Subsequently, theskin color was visually examined and assessed as fair, wheatish,brown, and dark.Result: Six classes of gingival pigmentation were definedbased on the anatomic distribution. Gingival pigmentation wasobse