Desquamative Diseases and Periodontal Health/Treatment

Purpose of review: The purpose of the present review is to answer the following focused question: “What are the most relevant findings about the diagnosis and subsequent treatment of desquamative gingivitis (DG)?” Recent findings: Topical corticosteroids in the form of gel should be the first-line medical treatment and may be sufficient for some moderate or mild forms of DG. When patients continue to experience erosions and pain despite topical therapy, treatment with systemic therapy is indicated. A tailored plaque control program is effective in reducing gingival manifestations of DG in terms of related symptoms, plaque index, mucosal disease score, gingival crevicular fluid volume, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 and MMP-9. Summary: The painful symptoms and clinical features in gingiva are improved by non-traumatic oral hygiene procedures, but the underlying causes of DG cannot be eliminated by plaque control alone. Thus, the cooperation with dermatologists/oral pathologists is always required. New technologies for home oral hygiene may improve patients’ quality of life.