Een vrouw met gingivahyperplasie

A woman visited her dentist with complaints of swollen gums. If there was a serious infection of multiple teeth, the surgeon had to do a total extraction of the upper jaw. The clinical picture was suspicious for a lymphoma, a fibromatosis or a gingivitis. The biopsy showed a chronical infection. In this case the gingival overgrowth and the subsequent infection of the teeth were caused by nifedipine. Gingival enlargement can be a consequence of the administration of calcium channel blockers and can occur if these are administered during a few months or years. The incidence is 0,01-0,1% and the prevalence is 20%. Drug substitution should be considered a valid treatment option and can be successful within a few weeks.