We all know about teeth whitening, but you may not have heard of gum whitening. This unique process allows you to change or improve the natural color of the gum tissues surrounding your teeth.
The final results give you healthy looking gums and a naturally pink color throughout your smile.
What causes dark gums?
Gum color varies from person to person. Dark gums and other changes in gum color can be caused by a medical condition, medication, smoking, or other lifestyle factors.
Gums are the hard tissues that surround and hold teeth in place. Their color can range from red or pink to brown or black.
Good oral health is essential for overall health. Changes in the color of the gums can indicate an underlying health problem, so a person should definitely see a specialist to determine the cause.
Melanin
The body naturally produces melanin, a substance that gives skin, hair, and eyes their color. The more melanin a person has in their body, the darker their hair, skin or eyes.
Dark brown or black gums may be due to a person having more melanin in the body. If a person’s gums are always very dark, there is no cause for concern.
However, if the gum color changes within a short period of time or black spots appear on the gums, it is likely not due to melanin and could indicate a medical problem.
Cigaret
Smoking can cause discolored gums. This is known as smoker’s melanosis. Special cells in the body called melanocytes produce melanin. The nicotine in tobacco can cause melanocytes to produce more melanin than normal.
Gums may be more brown or black. The change in color may appear in patches or may affect the entire mouth. The inside of the cheeks and lower lip may also change color. Studies have found a link between quitting smoking and reduced gum discoloration. This suggests that darker stains on the gums caused by smoking may be reversible.
Medicine
Minocycline is used to treat certain infections such as acne and chlamydia. A rare side effect of minocycline is pigmentation or discoloration, which can sometimes occur in the mouth.
A person should talk to their doctor about any discoloration caused by medications, as alternative medications may be available.
Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis
Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis is a gum infection, also known as trench mouth. It causes fever, sore gums and foul-smelling breath. If a layer of dead tissue builds up on the gums, the infection can cause black or gray gums.
Early signs of gingivitis include bleeding gums, bad breath, lots of saliva in the mouth, and feeling sick. Ulcers can form on the gums at the edge of the teeth.
Its treatment is simple. The dentist cleans the mouth and may prescribe antibiotics. Rinsing the mouth with a medicated mouthwash and keeping the teeth and gums clean will help prevent recurrent infections.
Addison’s Disease
Addison’s disease affects the adrenal glands, which produce various hormones. The disorder prevents these glands from producing enough hormones.
Early symptoms include:
.Tiredness
.feeling more thirsty than usual
.Unwanted weight loss
.Anorexia
.weakened muscles
As Addison’s disease progresses, a person may experience darkened gums and lips. The medical term for this is hyperpigmentation.
In addition to affecting the lips and gums, Addison’s disease can cause patches of darker skin on other parts of the body. The most common places where dark colors can occur are on the knees, knuckles, palm lines, and around scars.
Peutz-jeghers Syndrome
Peutz-jeghers syndrome is a genetic condition that can increase the risk of developing polyps or cancer.
One of the early signs is the appearance of dark blue or dark brown freckles. These can occur in the mouth as well as on the skin of the fingers and toes.
Treatment
Treatment for black gums will depend on the underlying cause. Conditions such as gum infections or Addison’s disease will often need to be treated with medication. It may be possible to reverse changes in gum color caused by smoking. The doctor should be able to give advice and support in quitting smoking.
If you are not satisfied with the color of your gum tissue and you feel like it is spoiling the appearance of your smile, gum whitening is a great option for you.
Some people have natural hyperpigmentation in their gum tissue, causing them to appear dark, mottled or even unhealthy.
Hyperpigmentation can be genetic. It is usually seen among people of certain ethnic backgrounds, although this is not always the case. Fortunately, there are no physical problems with this type of gum. In most cases, they are completely healthy, and their irritating appearance can easily be successfully corrected with a 15-minute laser treatment.
After these treatments, which are performed under or without anesthesia, depending on the condition of the tissues, patients do not experience any pain, swelling and bleeding in the gums. At the same time, the disinfection of the laser provides a great advantage in terms of infection control. After the procedure is applied, a dark red color occurs on the gums, then these red areas are covered with a white layer, this white layer is the healing band. After 1 week, the gingiva reaches its healthy and normal pink color.
