Gingival hyperplasia has been described in patients treated with various anticonvulsants and is generally associated to presence of plaque, gingival inflammation, and genetic predisposition. The authors assessed the use of anticonvulsant drugs per age bracket, associating same with the degree of gingival hyperplasia and oral hygiene in 117 children, 4 to 19years of age, from the AACD ("Associação de Assistência à Criança Defeituosa") school. Of the children evaluated, only 29.05% (34 children) utilized medication, and of these, 8.82% (3 children) presented gingival hyperplasia. Of the three age groups analyzed, we may infer that efficient oral hygiene assists in the control and may have a bearing on the presence of gingival hyperplasia.
Gingival hyperplasia; Anticonvulsants
