European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

PUBERTY INDUCED GINGIVAL ENLARGEMENT: A CASE REPORT

Heena Agarwal, Tarun Mehrotra, Hulas Gogia, Himanshu Thukral*

ABSTRACT

Systemic factors contributing to gingivitis, such as the endocrine changes associated with puberty, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and diabetes may be exacerbated because of alterations in the gingival inflammatory response to plaque. This altered response appears to result from the effects of systemic conditions on the host’s cellular and immunologic functions. Gingival tissues and the subgingival microflora respond with a variety of changes to the increasing hormone level at the onset of puberty. Gingival enlargement in puberty is characterized by a nodular hyperplastic reaction of gingiva with increased gingival inflammation, without accompanying an increase in plaque levels. Increased prevalence of certain bacterial species such as Prevotella intermedia and Capnocytophaga species have been reported which are believed responsible for the increased bleeding tendency noted in puberty. A case of puberty induced gingival enlargement in a 15 year old female patient is presented here.

Keywords: Puberty, oral manifestations, gingival hyperplasia.