Gingivectomy and Gingivoplasty as Treatment for Altered Passive Eruption: A Case Report
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30659/odj.13.2.202-209Keywords:
Altered passive eruption, crown lengthening, gingivectomy, gingivoplastyAbstract
Background: Altered passive eruption (APE) is a developmental disorder that occurs when the gingival does not move apically as the tooth erupts. APE is a condition that can be corrected through a surgical procedure known as crown lengthening with gingivectomy.
Case: A 21-year old patient presented at Unimus Dental Hospital with one the upper front tooth appearing shorter. The gingival margin of tooth 12 appeared more convex and asymmetrical compared to tooth 22. Additionally, the gingiva of tooth 12 exhibited a physiological discoloration, appearing pale. Based on the results of subjective and objective examinations, as well as radiographic findings, the patient was diagnosed with chronic gingivitis accompanied by altered passive eruption. A gingivectomy and gingivoplasty were performed on tooth number 12. The patient was also prescribed paracetamol and a chlorhexidine mouthwash. The patient was advised to attend a follow-up appointment one week after the procedure and return one month later.
Conclusion: The surgical procedures performed were gingivectomy and gingivoplasty. One week after the surgery, the gingival still appears red. One month after surgery, the gingival condition had returned to normal and the shape of margin gingiva is aesthetically pleasing.References
Tatakis DN, Silva CO. Contemporary treatment techniques for excessive gingival display caused by altered passive eruption or lip hypermobility. Journal of Dentistry. Elsevier Ltd; 2023. doi:10.1016/j.jdent.2023.104711 PubMed PMID: 37730094.
Hejazin N, Wehbe C, Wierup M, Montilla DE, Al-Mashni L. Diagnosis and treatment modalities of altered passive eruption: Review and a case report of gummy smile. Journal of Case Reports and Images in Dentistry. 2020;6:100034–41. doi:10.5348/100034Z07NH2020CR
Pedrinaci I, Calatrava J, Flores J, Hamilton A, Gallucci GO, Sanz M. Multifunctional anatomical prototypes (MAPs): Treatment of excessive gingival display due to altered passive eruption. Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry. 2023 Oct 1;35(7):1058–67. doi:10.1111/jerd.13041 PubMed PMID: 37078683.
Muslim I, Andriani I. Treatment for an Altered Passive Eruption (APE). Proceeding Improve Quality in Dentistry (Imunity)). 2024.
Van Zyl AW, Snyman I. Aesthetic two stage crown lengthening for altered passive eruption: A 25-year case report and review. International Dentistry-African Edition. 2020;10.
Sakamoto MY, Oliveira M, Macedo NF, Schwartz-Filho HO. Periodontal Surgery for Correction of Gingival Smile: a Case Report Analysis of Periodontal Parameters after 2 Years. Journal of Health Sciences. 2021 Mar 18;23(1):79–83. doi:10.17921/2447-8938.2021v23n1p79-83
Pilloni A, Marini L, Zeza B, Ferlosio A, Aghazada R. Histologic analysis of clinically healthy human gingiva in patients with altered passive eruption. Dent J (Basel). 2021 Mar 1;9(3). doi:10.3390/dj9030029
Janaphan K, Rakmanee T. Guiding Esthetic Crown Lengthening: A CBCT-Based Modified Classification of Altered Passive Eruption. Dent J (Basel). 2026 Jan 20;14(1):67. doi:10.3390/dj14010067
Pramestri Lastianny S, Candra Kirana G. Aesthetic Crown Lengthening in Type IA-Altered Passive Eruption: A Case Report. KnE Medicine. 2022 Apr 25;215–23. doi:10.18502/kme.v2i1.10854
Horta CEM, Ataide LAP de, Rodrigues MAN, Horta ACM, Fonseca RR de S. Gengivectomia e gengivoplastia assistidas por laser de diodo associadas a osteotomia para erupção passiva alterada: Relato de caso. Research, Society and Development. 2026 Feb 24;15(2):e6915250687. doi:10.33448/rsd-v15i2.50687
Hamadah O, Almahayni S, Ghazzawi R, Mounajjed R, Altayeb W, Khalil M. Effectiveness of laser-assisted gingivectomy compared to surgical methods: a systematic review. Exploration of Medicine. Open Exploration Publishing Inc; 2025. doi:10.37349/emed.2025.1001325
Artika M deby. Gingivectomy In Gingival Enlargement Cases Using Conventional Technique. Interdental Jurnal Kedokteran Gigi (IJKG). 2022 Dec 14;18(2):62–6. doi:10.46862/interdental.v18i2.5090
Lamichhane S, Humagain M, Thapa S, Bhusal S, Rijal AH, Rupakhety P, et al. Altered Passive Eruption among Patients Visiting Dental Outpatient Department in a Tertiary Care Center: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study. Journal of the Nepal Medical Association. 2024 May 1;62(273):284–7. doi:10.31729/jnma.8566 PubMed PMID: 39356887.
Neophytou C. Excessive Gingival Display Due to Altered Passive Eruption: From Diagnosis to Smile Rehabilitation - A Contemporary Literature Review. International Journal of Clinical Studies and Medical Case Reports. 2025;55(1). doi:10.46998/ijcmcr.2025.55.001351
Bajaj P, Bhombe KR, Oza RR. Periodontal Management of Gummy Smile Due to Altered Passive Eruption: A Case Report. Cureus. 2022 Sep 15. doi:10.7759/cureus.29174
Huang D, Luo L, Lan X. Efficacy of crown lengthening for restoration of maxillary anterior tooth defects. Am J Transl Res [Internet]. 2023. Available from: www.ajtr.org
Al-Mubarak AM, Alkhaldi FA, Alghamdi AA, Almahmoud MA, Alghamdi FA. Awareness and Clinical Competency of Dental Students in Crown Lengthening Procedures. Asian Journal of Periodontics and Orthodontics. 2024;4:42–51. doi:10.51847/r5cLVpz1UT
Smith SC, Goh R, Ma S, Nogueira GR, Atieh M, Tawse-Smith A. Periodontal tissue changes after crown lengthening surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Saudi Dental Journal. Elsevier B.V.; 2023. p. 294–304. doi:10.1016/j.sdentj.2023.03.004
Kahn S, Rodrigues WJ de PR, Dias AT, Resende R, Fernandes JCH, Fernandes GVO. Crown Lengthening Surgery in the Esthetic Area for Optimized Results: A Review with Surgical Recommendations. Surgeries (Switzerland). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI); 2024. p. 1043–55. doi:10.3390/surgeries5040084
Amalia M, Ningsih CA, Meydhiono W. Management Of Bacterial Plaque-Induced Gingival Enlargement: Case Report. Interdental Jurnal Kedokteran Gigi (IJKG). 2024 Apr 21;20(1):156–63. doi:10.46862/interdental.v20i1.6947
Ratnawati ID, Pratiwi R. Conventional gingivectomy for chronic gingival enlargement in orthodontic treatment: a case report. Odonto : Dental Journal. 2023 Oct 24;10:69. doi:10.30659/odj.10.0.69-75
Matta Nydia F, Zayyan Listy Putri I, Purwa Aji Setiya R, Nur Sukmawati A. Gingivectomy And Supernumerary Tooth Extraction on Patient With Fixed Orthodontic Appliance: A Case Report. Indonesian Journal of Dentistry. 2025;5(2):100–8. doi:10.26714/ijd.v5i1.18256
Mihai LL, Parlatescu I, Calin A, Burcea A. Gingival overgrowth approached using recent mechanical and laser technologies: A case report. Exp Ther Med. 2024 Jan 8;27(2). doi:10.3892/etm.2024.12374
Villa-Martínez L, Mendoza-Espinosa BI, Jacinto-Alemán LF, Molotla-Fragoso A, Mejía-Velázquez CP, Alonso-Moctezuma A, et al. Gingivectomy–Gingivoplasty for Oral Physiological Melanosis Depigmentation: A Case Report Involving Human Papillomavirus. Dent J (Basel). 2024 Jul 1;12(7). doi:10.3390/dj12070203
Taskan M, Keskiner I, Aydogdu A. Evaluation of temperature and healing in treatment of gingival enlargement using different gingivectomy techniques: A randomized controlled clinical study. Ann Med Res. 2020;27(4):1043. doi:10.5455/annalsmedres.2019.10.665
Dhande S. Gingivectomy As A Treatment Option For Gingival Enlargement Induced By Orthodontic Treatment: A Case Report. Journal of Dental Reports. 2022 Jan 22. doi:10.37191/mapsci-jdr-3(1)-018
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
