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

Abstract

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.