Influence of Adjunctive Acids Use on Esthetic Outcomes of Gingival Melanin Depigmentation: A Periodontal-Operative Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial

Status

Not yet recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT07708792

Acronym

GMDAcidRCT

Enrollment

Registered

2026-07-16

Start date

2026-08-01

Completion date

2026-11-01

Last updated

2026-07-16

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Gingival Pigmentation

Keywords

melanin, gingiva, depigmentation, pigmentation

Brief summary

This pilot randomized clinical trial aims to evaluate the effect of adjunctive acid application on the esthetic outcomes of gingival melanin depigmentation. Participants with physiologic gingival hyperpigmentation will be randomly assigned to receive conventional gingival depigmentation with or without adjunctive acid application. The primary outcome is the improvement in gingival esthetics, while secondary outcomes include postoperative healing, pain, patient satisfaction, and recurrence of pigmentation. The findings of this study may help identify whether adjunctive acid application improves the clinical outcomes of gingival depigmentation procedures.

Interventions

DRUGCitric acid

Adjunctive topical application of citric acid during gingival melanin depigmentation according to the study protocol to evaluate its effect on esthetic outcomes and healing.

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

TRIPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 50 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Adults aged 18-50 years. * Presence of physiologic gingival melanin pigmentation requiring treatment. * Good general health. * Good periodontal health or a healthy periodontium after initial periodontal therapy. * Willingness to participate and provide written informed consent. * Ability to attend all follow-up visits.

Exclusion criteria

* Current smokers or tobacco users. * Pregnancy or breastfeeding. * History of systemic diseases that may affect wound healing (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes or immunocompromised conditions). * Use of medications known to affect gingival pigmentation or wound healing. * Previous gingival depigmentation treatment in the study area. * Active periodontal disease or oral infection. Known allergy or hypersensitivity to the study acid or related materials.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Esthetic Outcome of Gingival Melanin Depigmentation	3 months after treatment	Assessment of the esthetic improvement following gingival melanin depigmentation with or without adjunctive acid application using the study's predefined esthetic evaluation method.

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jul 17, 2026