**3.1 Inflammatory enlargement**

It may be chronic or acute. This usually results from accumulation of local deposits. Factors resulting in plaque accumulation predisposes to inflammatory enlargement. Chronic inflammatory enlargement originates as slight ballooning of interdental papilla and marginal gingival. A life preserver shaped bulge appears around the involved teeth. This can increase in size until it covers the crown. It is usually painless until trauma or acute infection is superimposed [2].

Inflammatory enlargement may be localized or generalized. Localized enlargement may appear as tumor like mass or nodule, sessile or pedunculated. It may involve interdental papilla, marginal gingival or attached gingiva. They may undergo spontaneous reduction in size, followed by exacerbation and continued enlargement. Painful ulceration sometimes occurs in the fold between the mass and the adjacent gingiva [2]. Chronic inflammatory enlargement may also occur because of presence of mouth breathing habits. Anterior region predominantly papilla is involved. The mouth breathing habit results in dryness of the mucosa. There is a clear demarcation between normal and involved gingival [2] (**Figure 1**).
