**Abstract**

Gingival enlargement or overgrowth is a common disease of gingiva. The causative factors may range from inflammation due to local factors to conditioned enlargement and neoplastic enlargements. They commonly present as bulbous interdental gingival, diffuse swelling of gingival. Due to the unaesthetic appearance of the overgrown gingiva, treatment becomes inevitable. This results in excision of overgrowth known as gingivectomy. The first gingivectomy procedure was explained by Robicsek in 1884 and later by Zentler (1918). Grant (1979) defined gingivectomy as excision of soft tissue wall of pathologic periodontal pocket. Gingivectomy procedures can be done by means of scalpel, laser, electrosurgery and chemosurgery. The ultimate result remains the same indifferent of the method used. However the amount of remaining keratinized gingival and esthetic appearance is of supreme importance.

**Keywords:** gingival enlargement, gingival overgrowth, gingival hyperplasia, gingivectomy, gingival diseases, anticonvulsants, abscess

### **1. Introduction**

Gingival enlargement is a common clinical problem, usually associated with specific conditions. This condition finds a unique place in literature, because it has been associated with a variety of local and systemic factors. Enlargement of any part, tissue or organ in the body may be attributable to one or more of the following pathological processes [1]:

*Cellular hypertrophy*: defined as an increase in the size of a part due to an increase in the size of the individual cells comprising that part.

*Cellular hyperplasia*: increase in size due to an increase in the absolute number of cells, though cell size is not altered.

*Fibrosis*: an accumulation of collagenous connective tissue which is classically characterized by relative acellularity.

*Edema*: it is nothing more than the presence of abnormally large amounts of fluid in the intercellular spaces.

The events leading to gingival enlargement are complex.
