Successful Use of the Er,Cr:YSGG Laser for Gingival Depigmentation.

The color of the gingiva is determined by the degree of vascularization, epithelial thickness, and the number of melanin pigments within the epithelium. Melanin pigmentation is caused by abnormal or increased deposition of melanin by active melanocytes located mainly in the basal and supra-basal cell layers of the oral epithelium. Oral melanin pigmentation occurs most frequently in the gingiva, known as gingival hyperpigmentation (GHP), which is a common esthetical concern with variable etiologic factors.