Appalling Adverse Effects of Amlodipine in a Chronic Kidney Disease Patient: A Case of Drug-Induced Gingival Overgrowth

Calcium channel blockers have been widely used in clinical practice because of their antihypertensive capacity. Prevention of renal damage is a very important aim of antihypertensive therapy. This is particularly so taking into account the high prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the general population. Medications taken for medical conditions often manifest local to systemic side-effects including the oral cavity. Gingival overgrowth is one such unwanted adverse effect. It is a well-documented side effect associated with three major classes of drugs: anticonvulsants, calcium channel blockers (CCB), and immune-suppressants. Despite a greater understanding of pathogenesis of drug induced gingival overgrowth (DIGO), its treatment still remains a challenge for the dental practitioner and treatment is still largely limited to maintenance of improved level of oral hygiene and surgical removal of overgrown tissue. There is a need for the dental surgeons to discuss this issue with their medical colleagues and to practice statutory care while prescribing the drugs associated with gingival overgrowth.

Keywords: Gingival overgrowth, Immunosuppressive agents, Renal insufficiency