Excess Gingiva / Gingiva Expansion

Excess Gingiva / Gingiva Expansion

Gingiva is positioned on enamel cement junction of teeth in healthy individuals. If it is 2 mm higher than this region it is accepted as normal but positions higher than 2 mm is called  excess gingiva or gingiva expansion. This situation can be structural or due to a disease.

Structural gingiva expansions disrupt esthetic appearance and also effect function. It may lead food accumulation on coronal parts of gingiva. They can be treated by using laser treatment or operational procedures related with the amount of expansion.

Gingiva expansions associated with systemic diseases or medications effect both health and function. Their treatment is more complicated than structural expansions. Primarily systemic disease or medication that cause gingiva expansion should be detected, systemic treatments of diseases should be started or the medication should be detected and existing medications should be changed with medications with different active ingredients,  if it is medication related expansion and systemic causes should be eliminated.  Subsequently, excess gingiva is reshaped anatomically by using laser or operational procedures, then esthetic and function is provided.