Gingival Overgrowth in a Child With Arthrogryposis Treated With a Er,Cr:YSGG Laser: A Case Report

The present manuscript reports a case of a 21/2 year old girl, diagnosed with arthrogryposis, presenting increasing gingival hyperplasia which was treated with Er,Cr:YSGG Laser. The patient was treated under general anesthesia by the Pediatric Dentistry and Periodontics departments. Er,Cr:YSGG laser 156 tip was used at: 1.50 watts, 20 pps, 8% water and 11% air, which is recommended by the manufacturer. Scalpel and periodontal curettes were used to complement the laser. Tissue samples from the anterior maxilla, anterior mandible and palatal sites were formalin-fixed and submitted for evaluation. The samples biopsied revealed prominent hyperplasia of the fibrous connective tissue with areas of the epithelium exhibiting pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia. At 1 week and 3 months follow up, oral examination showed appropriate healing of gingival tissue. The use of Er,Cr:YSGG laser in the present case proved to be effective in the removal of large amounts of hyperplasic gingival tissue and resulted in fast healing and mild discomfort. (Pediatr Dent 2009;31:8-13) Received November 9, 2007 vertical bar Last Revision March 20, 2008 vertical bar Revision Accepted April 10, 2008