Understanding gingival pigmentation; insights from the Malaysian population: A cross-sectional study
Tina Varghese, Prebha Manickam, Abin Varghese, Muhammad Khairan AI-Hilal Bin Muhammad Reezal, Nuraminah Binti Mohd Fadhil, Sharina Aqila Binti Shaharzat · 2026
Read Understanding gingival pigmentation; insights from the Malaysian population: A cross-sectional study by Tina Varghese, Prebha Manickam, Abin Varghese, Muhammad Khairan AI-Hilal Bin Muhammad Reezal, Nuraminah Binti Mohd Fadhil, Sharina Aqila Binti Shaharzat (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/pmc-13519422.txt.
Description
Tina Varghese and colleagues charted gum color variation among one hundred Malaysians from several ethnic groups. Published in 2026, the cross-sectional study paired dental exams with questionnaires on background, habits, and ethnicity. Gum pigmentation, the darkening of gum tissue by the pigment melanin, ranges from light brown to deep blue-black and is natural in many people.
Malay and Indian participants showed higher pigmentation levels than other groups, with smokers showing still more. The pattern fits a mix of inherited traits and exposures such as tobacco, rather than any single cause. Dentists can use these baseline patterns to judge what looks usual for a given patient and when a change deserves a closer look. The work also sets up larger Malaysian studies of gum color and oral health.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Tina Varghese, Prebha Manickam, Abin Varghese, Muhammad Khairan AI-Hilal Bin Muhammad Reezal, Nuraminah Binti Mohd Fadhil, Sharina Aqila Binti Shaharzat |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 14 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |