Gingival hyperpigmentation poses an esthetic concern to many patients. Techniques available to perform these procedures are mucosal stripping by scalpel, bur abrasion, partial thickness flap, gingivectomy, free gingival grafts, by use of chemotherapeutic agents, electrosurgery, cryosurgery and lasers. This paper compares two different surgical approaches for the treatment of hyperpigmentation with their advantages and disadvantages.

Gingival depigmentation procedure of the maxillary gingiva was carried out by scalpel technique and mandibular gingiva by electrosurgical method.

Both the techniques yielded satisfactory results in eliminating the hyperpigmented areas. Follow-up was done after 1, 2 and 4 weeks and 1 year. At the end of 1 week, patient expressed slight tenderness and discomfort with the mandibular gingiva treated with electrosurgical method. Repigmentation appeared after 1 year on both arches but with less pigmentation on maxillary gingiva compared with mandibular gingiva.

Scalpel technique offers advantage of being easy, effective, less discomfort with esthetically acceptable results in comparison with electrosurgical method.