PREGNANCY ENLARGEMENT

Pregnancy is accompanied by an increase in the levels of both progesterone and estrogen which, by the third trimester, reaches levels 10-30 times than seen during the typical menstrual cycle. Changes in the gingiva include in increase in gingivitis that usually starts during second and third month of pregnancy and increases in severity through the eighth month, where it decreases along with the abrupt decrease in hormone secretion.

The gingivitis associated with pregnancy has been attributed to increase concentrations of circulating estrogen and/or progesterone.

Case report

A 27 years old lady patient visited to the Dental Department at SIMS, with chief complaint of hot & cold sensitivity and swelling of gums from last 1 month. While taking history, she told that she was in her 4 month of pregnancy and since last month she found enlargement of her gums. The patient had not previously used any medication known to provoke enlargement.

At intraoral examination, the dental arches shows red swollen gums, characterized by generalized enlargement affecting both buccal and lingual regions in the maxilla and mandible, involving the papilla, marginal and attached gingiva thats bleeds spontaneous after probing.

There was no attachment loss, with no mobility.

On the basis of history and clinical features, it was diagnosed, as PREGNANCY ENLARGEMENT.

Scaling and root planing along with curettage was done and antibiotics that are safe during pregnancy periods were given. Patient was recalled after 1 week followed by 15 days re-evaluation. It was seen that the swelling has subsided after initial therapy but in some areas there was still papillary enlargement, so excision of that tissue was planned.