Vitamin C-Based Gingival Depigmentation Versus Surgical Depigmentation: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background

This study aimed at comparing gingival depigmentation by locally injected vitamin C with surgical depigmentation, in terms of effectiveness and patient acceptability.

Methods

Forty-two patients presenting with ethnicity-related hyperpigmentation were randomly divided into two groups, Group I (n = 21) was treated with locally injected vitamin C and Group II (n = 21) was treated by surgical depigmentation. The outcome was assessed using Gingival Pigmentation Index (GPI) and Skin Hyperpigmentation Index (SHI).

Results

Both the techniques were successful in treating gingival hyperpigmentation, but the patients who underwent vitamin C-based depigmentation showed significantly higher satisfaction with the treatment result, based on patient reported Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scoring.

Conclusion

Based on the findings of this study, it was concluded that locally injected vitamin C and surgical depigmentation are comparable in their effectiveness for treating gingival hyperpigmentation. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: CTRI/2023/02/050127.