Non-Cochrane · intervention · PM42598683
Effectiveness of Vitamin C in managing gingival hyperpigmentation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Valecha Roshni, Rathod Surekha Ramrao, Bajaj Vinisha A, et al. · Journal of Indian Society of Periodontology · 2026 · PubMed · doi:10.4103/jisp.jisp_214_25
Findings
Population Patients with gingival hyperpigmentation undergoing depigmentation
3 findings
| Vitamin C (intramucosal/intradermal injection, mesotherapy or microneedling with Vitamin C) | Conventional depigmentation (scalpel or diode laser) | Gingival pigmentation, Dummett Oral Pigmentation Index (DOPI) 3 months | SMD 1.31 [-0.47, 3.09] GRADE not reported 3 studies · 72 participants |
| Vitamin C (intramucosal/intradermal injection, mesotherapy or microneedling with Vitamin C) | Conventional depigmentation (scalpel or diode laser) | Gingival pigmentation, Dummett Oral Pigmentation Index (DOPI) Baseline | SMD 0.07 [-0.44, 0.57] GRADE not reported 3 studies · 72 participants |
| Vitamin C (intramucosal/intradermal injection, mesotherapy or microneedling with Vitamin C) | Conventional depigmentation (scalpel or diode laser) | Gingival pigmentation, Dummett Oral Pigmentation Index (DOPI) 1 month | SMD 1.93 [1.37, 2.48] GRADE not reported 3 studies · 72 participants |
Included primary studies 8
Open in Studies| Study | Year | Also included by | Outcomes it informs here | Trial data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaudhary 2023 Physiological Gingival Melanin Hyperpigmentation Treatment with Injectable Vitamin C and Scalpel Technique: A Randomised Controlled… DOI:10.1155/2023/4586923 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| El-Mofty 2021 Vitamin C mesotherapy versus topical application for gingival hyperpigmentation: a clinical and histopathological study DOI:10.1007/s00784-021-03978-6 | 2021 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Esmat 2023 Vitamin C mesotherapy versus diode laser for the esthetic management of physiologic gingival hyperpigmentation: a randomized clinical trial DOI:10.1186/s12903-023-03614-7 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Mostafa 2022 A Successful Esthetic Approach of Gingival Depigmentation Using Microneedling Technique and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) DOI:10.1155/2022/3655543 | 2022 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Mostafa 2023 Gingival Depigmentation Using Microneedling Technique With Topical Vitamin C: A Prospective Case Series. PMID:36974245 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Sandhu 2023 Efficacy of Topical Vitamin C Application on Healing After Gingival Depigmentation by Scalpel: A Case Series. PMID:38074052 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Swarna Meenakshi 2024 Comparative Assessment of Gingival Depigmentation Using Scalpel Versus Microneedling With Ascorbic Acid: A Randomized Controlled Trial. PMID:38752063 | 2024 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Yussif 2019 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
Review question
| Element | Planned (methods) | Found (results) |
|---|---|---|
| Population | Patients with gingival hyperpigmentation undergoing surgical depigmentation procedures | Patients with physiological gingival hyperpigmentation (8 studies; 3 RCTs pooled, 72 participants in pooled RCTs) |
| Intervention | Adjunctive use of Vitamin C along with surgical depigmentation | Vitamin C by intramucosal or intradermal injection, microneedling or topical application (n=8 studies) |
| Comparison | Surgical depigmentation alone or without a Vitamin C adjunct | Scalpel or diode laser depigmentation (3 pooled RCTs); no control in 3 case reports/series |
| Outcomes | Degree of gingival pigmentation assessed by the Dummett Oral Pigmentation Index (DOPI) | DOPI at baseline, 1 month and 3 months (3 RCTs) |
| Study designs | Randomized controlled trials and clinical trials published January 2018 to December 2024 in English; case reports, case series, reviews, in vitro and animal studies excluded | 5 RCTs, 2 case series, 1 case report (3 RCTs in meta-analysis) |
| Timing | Not specified | Baseline, 1 month, 3 months |