Drug Induced Gingival Overgrowth and Its Management

Gingival overgrowth (GO) that associated with phenytoin tharapy was first reported in the dental literature in 1939 by Kimball. Recently, cyclosporine and numerous calcium channel blocker agents have been associated with GO. The etiology of drug-induced GO is not entirely understood but is clearly multifactorial. Some of the risk factors known to contribute to GO include the presence of gingival inflammation, presence of dental plaque, the depth of the periodontal pocket on probing, and the dose and duration of cyclosporine therapy. An oral medicine specialist and a periodontist should monitor patients with GO for as long as they receive therapy with cyclosporine, phenytoin, or calcium channel blockers to evaluate and treat oral complications from medical therapy.