New clinical index for drug-induced gingival overgrowth

The numbers of patients using medications that induce gingival overgrowth a re expanding rapidly. The tremendous increase in the number of organ transp lants being performed, each requiring treatment with the immunosuppressive drug of choice, cyclosporine, has created a new dilemma in management of th e gingival tissues. Additionally cyclosporine-induced hypertension is frequ ently treated with calcium channel blockers, such as nifedipine, both drugs acting synergistically to induce gingival overgrowth. At present, the prof ession lacks a well-defined and easy-to-use clinical index for classifying overgrown gingival tissue. This article describes a comprehensive, yet simp le, scoring system for enlarged tissues that may provide direction to the c linician and standardize evaluation. This system may also give guidance for the most appropriate time for surgical treatment of drug-induced gingival overgrowth.