Ethnic pigmentation can occur anywhere on the body, but it’s most common on the lips, gums, and skin around the eyes. While this condition isn’t considered a health concern, many people find it unsightly enough to consider seeking treatment. In fact, gum bleaching has been practiced in the United States since early times as one method to remove these pigmentations. Here’s how it worked, why it didn’t work very well, and why there’s hope that new procedures will be more successful.
The Problem With Gum Bleaching:
It’s pretty simple; every person has different skin pigmentation. Ethnic pigmentation can be seen in people with darker skin tones, such as African American or Latinx people. The same is true for the inside of your mouth, which is why some dentists would treat the gum tissue with lasers to try and remove the melanocytes that produce the brown-black pigment. However, this process can actually cause other problems such as permanent discoloration on the gums or even tissue damage.
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The History of Gum Bleaching:
Gum bleaching is how dentists would try to remove gum pigmentation in the past — the keyword there being tried. Using painful lasers, dentists would literally burn away an entire layer of the gum tissue in the hopes of getting rid of the melanocytes (which produce melanin) that are causing gum discoloration.
The treatment was very traumatic for many patients, with some reporting that they could still feel pain in their gums a week after treatment. In addition to this, it only produced mixed results. With up to 35% of individuals experiencing increased tooth sensitivity post-treatment, it was hardly a solution for all ethnic-pigmented dental problems.
The Painful Reality of Gum Bleaching:
Gum bleaching is the process of removing melanocytes from the gums to lighten their color. Dentists would use lasers to burn away an entire layer of gum tissue in order to remove the pigments. This was a very painful process that caused damage, prolonged healing time and in most cases, did not work. Plus, it could also cause scarring on the gums if it went wrong or left you with a patchy appearance. Ethnic pigmentation (darker skin) has been found to be more resistant to laser treatments than lighter skin tones, so even if it did work, you were likely left with dark spots where they were trying to remove pigment anyways.
Is There a Better Way?
When you think of ethnic pigmentation, your first thought might be to head straight to the dentist for gum bleaching. But there are other options that may be more cost-effective, such as using topical products like bleaching toothpaste or trying laser therapy. It’s important not to forget the importance of good oral hygiene too. Even without ethnic pigmentation, neglecting your teeth can lead to serious consequences like tooth decay, jawbone deterioration, and even death.
