Here's Why Some People Have Black Gums - Business Insider

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Dr. Jonathan B. Levine, DMD tells us why some people have darker gums than others. Following is a transcript of the video:

DR. LEVINE: So, in this country, the standard of beauty is pink gums. So when you see anything black in the smile, in the mouth, it looks like there’s an appearance of something's wrong or disease. Black gums comes from the melanin or from production from the melanocytes. So think of the skin. You have a very light tone all the way to darker, olivey skin to black and it has to do with the production of this melanin. Now in the gums, it's very race specific so you could be Asian, Middle-Eastern, Mediterranean, African, and you’re prone to this hyper pigmentation. This increased production of melanin. Also, in addition to kind of the heredity and the ethnicity, the hyperpigmentation can also be from gum disease, from smoking, also exacerbates it, and also from some medications.

But, you know, it’s interesting cause it has to do with the standards of beauty because in Senegal in Africa black gums is a sign of beauty. But in this country it's not it's really … it’s perceived as unattractive.

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Dr. Jonathan B. Levine, DMD tells us why some people have darker gums than others. Following is a transcript of the video:

DR. LEVINE: So, in this country, the standard of beauty is pink gums. So when you see anything black in the smile, in the mouth, it looks like there’s an appearance of something's wrong or disease. Black gums comes from the melanin or from production from the melanocytes. So think of the skin. You have a very light tone all the way to darker, olivey skin to black and it has to do with the production of this melanin. Now in the gums, it's very race specific so you could be Asian, Middle-Eastern, Mediterranean, African, and you’re prone to this hyper pigmentation. This increased production of melanin. Also, in addition to kind of the heredity and the ethnicity, the hyperpigmentation can also be from gum disease, from smoking, also exacerbates it, and also from some medications.

But, you know, it’s interesting cause it has to do with the standards of beauty because in Senegal in Africa black gums is a sign of beauty. But in this country it's not it's really … it’s perceived as unattractive.

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