Drug-induced gingival overgrowth: evaluation of an online survey

Drug-induced gingival overgrowth (DIGO) is becoming an increasingly important issue due to high prescription rates of inducing pharmaceuticals. Therefore, the main focus of this study was to determine what experiences dentists in Germany have had with DIGO and which active ingredients cause this ADR in their patients. The conducted online survey was sent to all 17 German dental associations asking them to forward the survey to their members. Five associations complied with the request. Out of 25,562 dentists who were potentially eligible, 118 questionnaires were evaluated, resulting in a response rate of 0.46%. Furthermore, the 24 questions were designed to shed light on the frequency with which this adverse drug reaction (ADR) occurs, as well as patient factors, treatment strategies and potential risks. Amlodipine, nifedipine and ciclosporin were cited as the most frequent triggers of DIGO. In addition, no gender-specific differences were found among the affected patients. Sixty-nine percent of respondents were able to successfully treat this condition, using the following treatment options in descending order: "oral hygiene instruction", "change in medication", and "surgical procedures". Accordingly, it is difficult to determine a precise prevalence with which a particular active substance leads to gingival overgrowth. It is therefore advisable to specify a narrow percentage range with which the prevalence can be reliably described. In addition, the underlying parameters of the source under consideration should be examined very carefully, as different sources may come to very different results.