Since our office specializes in the treatment of gums and gum tissue, it is not uncommon for us to hear all kinds of questions when it comes to your gums. Most people are immediately concerned that they may have been doing something wrong in terms of their dental hygiene. They complain that they do all the right things – brush and floss regularly, get regular checkups and so on – yet still the color of their gums seems darkened or discolored. While we are conditioned to expect everyone to have pink gums and associate that look with good health, it is not always the case. We often get asked why do people have black gums and the answer can vary from individual to individual.
Heredity and Ethnicity
The truth is that gum color can vary greatly from person to person and have nothing to do with oral health. While it is true that some advanced stages of gingivitis can result in dark or discolored gums, for most people that practice good dental hygiene this is not the case. One of the strongest determining factors of gum tissue may lie in your genes and ethnicity. Gum color can be inherited and certain ethnic backgrounds are much more prone to having dark color to their gums. It is a perfectly normal result of genetics and does not mean there is anything wrong.
Other Factors are Possible
There can be a number of other factors to answer the question why do people have black gums. For some people it can be a result of the different medications that they may take. There are a number of prescription medicines that can cause gum discoloration. People that smoke regularly may also find that they have darker gum color as the result of the smoking. Dark gums can also be caused by certain types of dental treatment, such as fillings, crowns or dentures.
Treating the Issue
Know that you know the answer to why do people have dark gums, you may want to know what treatment options are available to you. You can find out more about what can be done about your dark gums simply by calling our office and arranging for a consultation with Dr. Alex Farnoosh. You may contact us at 310-928-1796 to set up an appointment for an exam and consultation so that Dr. Farnoosh can discuss the best treatment for you so that you can get rid of your dark gum tissue permanently.
