Desquamative gingivitis: what's behind it? A case report.

Desquamative gingivitis (DG) is a clinical term used to describe red, painful, glazed, friable gingiva. It may be a manifestation of a mucocutaneous condition, such as lichen planus or other vesiculobulous disorders. Dentists must be aware of this rare clinical entity in order to distinguish DG from the far more common plaque-induced gingivitis. This case is unique in that it involves oral lichen planus and chronic DG, which may be secondary to plaque or a manifestation of the oral lichen planus. Intraoral examination and biopsy reports revealed features of chronic DG and oral reticular lichen planus.