Gingival Tissue Color Related With Facial Skin and Acrylic Resin Denture Base Color in a Nigerian Population

It is impossible to underestimate the importance of dentures to the wearer , they remain one of the most challenging aspects of modern day dentistry. The patient interprets the success of a denture from two distinct points: function and aesthetics. The objective of this study is to determine the predominant gingival tissue colour in this environment; to assess the association of gingival tissue colour with gender and facial skin colour. Four hundred and thirty subjects that attended the Dental Centre, University College Hospital, Ibadan, who consented to participate in the study were recruited for the study. The Dummett Oral Pigmentation Index (DOPI) was used to evaluate gingival tissue colours of the four upper central and lateral incisors and the colour of the available acrylic denture base material. Categorical modelling with chi square analysis using SPSS statistical package was done (P=. 05). Association between gingival tissue colour and facial skin colour was found to be highly significant (P<. 05). Attached gingival predominant colour was the darker DOPI 3 colour. Colour of processed acrylic denture base material was closely related to the DOPI colour zero while no significant association was found between gingival colour and gender. This study supports the impression that a strong relationship exists between facial skin colour and gingival tissue pigmentation. Research into the degree of epithelial vascularisation, keratinisation and melanin pigmentation of the various zones in the mouth in this environment is required which may explain the reason for the dark colour observed in the attached gingival. Key Word: Gingival tissue colour, denture, skin, acrylic resin, Nigerians