Orthodontic therapy in the patient treated with cyclosporine

Cyclosporine is an immunosuppressive drug that is gaining widespread use in the treatment of a variety of disorders. Gingival hyperplasia, a common side effect of cyclosporine therapy, has significant implications for orthodontic treatment, especially as the drug becomes more widely used to treat diseases prevalent in adolescents. A 5-year study of a group of patients with type 1 diabetes who were receiving cyclosporine treatment revealed a series of findings that are of importance to the orthodontist, including the potential for orthodontic appliances to increase the severity of the induced gingival enlargement and the potential of the gingival hyperplasia to complicate orthodontic therapy. Guidelines to minimize the degree of cyclosporine-induced gingival enlargement in the orthodontic patient are suggested.