Gingival hyperpigmentation is a hereditary feature in populations. Gingival pigmentation not only affects aesthetics but also has a negative psychological effect. For many people, gingival hyperpigmentation is a severe cosmetic problem. Although black gums are not a medical issue, many individuals find them unsightly. The pigmentation of gingiva contributes to the harmony of the smile in a significant way. A periodontal plastic surgery procedure called gingival depigmentation eliminates or reduces hyperpigmentation. Different treatment approaches for gingival depigmentation have been documented, such as scalpel, electrosurgery, diamond burs, chemical methods, cryosurgery, and lasers. According to studies, cryosurgery and lasers are the best procedures since they provide better aesthetic outcomes and low recurrence rates. The coordination of treatment plans and the choice technique are influenced by the patient\'s skin tone, the degree of gingival pigmentation, the lip line, the upper lip curvature, aesthetic concern, and treatment expectations. This case report, which involves a 23-year-old female patient, provides a comparison between the efficacy of scalpel and laser procedures for treating gingival hyperpigmentation. The patient\'s left side received diode laser treatment, while the right received scalpel treatment. Scalpel depigmentation caused the treated area to recover without incident. The benefits of laser depigmentation include a bloodless surgical field and recovery without complications. No postoperative pain, bleeding, infection, or scars were seen on the first and consequent visits. The recovery went smoothly. The patient was satisfied with the treatment modality, and the outcomes were outstanding, according to the patient. There was no re-pigmentation throughout the follow-up period. This split-mouth study will provide information regarding soft tissue healing using two different approaches in the same patient.

The deposition of colored endogenous or exogenous substances in the tissues of the tongue may result in pigmented lesions of the lingual mucosa. The accurate identification of the underlying condition can be difficult to achieve and relies mainly on patient history and clinical and histological evaluation. We present the case of a 30-year-old male referred to our hospital with a chief complaint of extensive pigmentation of the lingual dorsum. A diagnosis of physiologic pigmentation based on clinical and histological findings was made. Since some life-threatening diseases may present solely as pigmented lesions of the tongue, an early diagnosis is of utmost importance.

BACKGROUND: Melanin pigmentation in the oral mucosa occurs as a result of several reasons one of which is smoking. Cigarette smoke induces numerous side effects in the people who do not smoke, but are in the same environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of parental smoking on pigmentation of their children\'s oral mucosa.
METHODS: This study was carried out as a historical cohort. Participants were 400 healthy children, 10 to 11 years old who did not use any drugs. The passive smoker group included 200 children who at least one member in their family was a smoker. The control group included 200 children who did not have a smoker in their family. Furthermore, two groups were matched in the point of view of skin color. The children in the two groups were examined and oral pigmentation was recorded. Finally, the results were analyzed by the chi- square test.
RESULTS: Pigmentation was seen in 150 children (75%) in the experimental group and 122 children (61%) in the control group (P<0.005). The relative risk of oral pigmentation for children who were exposed to passive smoking was 1.23.
CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of this study, passive smoking can induce gingival pigmentation in children.