Are your gums turning dark or black and you have no idea why that is happening? There could be many reasons behind discolouration of your gums ranging from lifestyle factors to medical conditions. Although healthy gums are usually pinkish in colour, in some people, they may be slightly darker due to the presence of melanin, a naturally occurring substance in the body usually responsible for the dark colour of hair, skin and eyes. You have absolutely no reason to worry if your gums are naturally dark and not exactly pink. However, if the gum colour changes and patches of black appears on your gums, there may be some underlying cause behind it. (Also read: Gum Health Day 2022: Take care of your gums with these simple tips)Certain lifestyle factors like smoking can have an adverse effect on your oral health and one of them could be dark gums. Dr Surbhi Bhatia L, Chief Dentist, CEO of Lifeberries Health says when you smoke it results in a condition called smoker’s melanosis which is a change in the colour of your gum. She says it happens because the nicotine makes melanocytes produce more melanin, which is higher than usual. Hence you can notice a visible change in the colour of your gum. It gets more brown or black and usually, they appear in patches or even the entire mouth can be affected.
Here are other causes of dark gums explained by Dr Surbhi.
Addison’s disease
Not a common disease, Addison’s disease is the disease of the adrenal glands which produce hormones. There is an imbalance in hormone production when you suffer from Addison’s disease. Inadequate hormone production from this gland leads to the discolouration of your gum.