Evaluation of the Effect of Blue M Active Oxygen Gel and COE-Pack Periodontal Dressing on the Postoperative Surgical Depigmentation Healing

Abstract

Background:

Gingival hyperpigmentation is a common esthetic condition that can adversely affect smile appearance and patient self-esteem. Scalpel-assisted surgical depigmentation is widely practiced for the management of this condition; however, effective postoperative wound healing is essential to achieve optimal results. Blue M Active Oxygen Gel, owing to its oxygen-releasing and antimicrobial characteristics, has been suggested as a postoperative dressing that may enhance soft tissue repair. The present study was designed to compare the effectiveness of Blue M Active Oxygen Gel and Coe-Pak periodontal dressing on postoperative pain, gingival healing, and re-epithelialization following surgical depigmentation.

Materials and Methods:

This in vivo comparative clinical study was carried out between April and July 2025 in the Department of Periodontology at Seema Dental College and Hospital. A total of 12 systemically healthy individuals aged 20–55 years presenting with physiologic maxillary gingival pigmentation classified as grades III and IV according to the Dummett–Gupta Oral Pigmentation Index were enrolled. A split-mouth study design was adopted, wherein scalpel depigmentation was performed on both sides of the maxillary gingiva, and the surgical sites were randomly assigned to receive either Coe-Pak periodontal dressing (Group 1) or Blue M Active Oxygen Gel (Group 2). Clinical evaluation was performed at baseline and 2 weeks postoperatively, assessing pain using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), gingival wound healing using a healing index, and re-epithelialization using the index proposed by Sridharan and Shankar (2012). Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 21, and a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results:

Both treatment groups exhibited significant postoperative improvement at the 2-week evaluation. However, the sites treated with Blue M Active Oxygen Gel demonstrated significantly reduced pain levels, superior gingival healing scores, and more rapid re-epithelialization when compared to those treated with Coe-Pak periodontal dressing.

Conclusion:

Within the limitations of the present study, Blue M Active Oxygen Gel proved to be more effective than Coe-Pak periodontal dressing in promoting postoperative comfort, enhancing gingival wound healing, and accelerating re-epithelialization following surgical gingival depigmentation. These findings suggest that Blue M gel may be a favorable alternative for postoperative management in depigmentation procedures..