Is dental plaque the only etiological factor in Amlodipine induced gingival overgrowth? A systematic review of evidence

BACKGROUND: Amlodipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker (CCB) is commonly prescribed for cardiovascular conditions. Its administration may produce an uncommon adverse oral manifestation, the gingival overgrowth (GO). Lately, there has been an increase in the rate of GO in patients on amlodipine therapy. The current systematic review was undertaken to evaluate the evidence on plausible risk factors involved in amlodipine induced gingival overgrowth (AIGO). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Literature search was conducted in the databases like Pubmed (Medline), Scopus and Google Scholar to include the original research articles related to etio-pathogenesis of AIGO. RESULTS: About 270 documents were identified through primary search, of which 13 original research articles were included. Most common risk factor for AIGO was administration of amlodipine in subjects with poor plaque control. However, high dosage of drug, duration of therapy and inherent genetic susceptibility were recognized as other plausible risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that AIGO is no longer a rare phenomenon. It is therefore imperative for the physician to identify and inform patients, about the risk factors associated with the overgrowth at the initiation of therapy. This would prevent the development of GO’s and improve the patient’s quality of life. Key words:Amlodipine, calcium channel blockers, gingival overgrowth, hypertension.