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Amalgam Tattoo

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Pathology

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Pathology ((EP))

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Synonyms

Amalgam pigmentation; Localized argyrosis

Definition

An amalgam tattoo is an implantation of amalgam into the oral mucosa.

Amalgam can be incorporated into the oral mucosa in several ways. Previous areas of mucosal abrasion can be contaminated by amalgam dust within the oral fluids, broken amalgam pieces can fall in extraction sites, linear gingival mucosa can be contaminated by amalgam particles in dental floss, amalgam from endodontic retrofill procedures can be left in the soft tissues, or particles can be spread through the oral mucosa by the pressure of high-speed drills (Figs. 1 and 2). The gray–bluish discoloration does not appear only in the presence of amalgam restorations. It may also be seen in cases of teeth restored with cast dowels and porcelain-fused-to-metal restorations (Risic et al. 2017).

Fig. 1
figure 1

Low-power H&E stain with amalgam pigment in the subepithelial stroma

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References and Further Reading

  • Buchner, A., & Hansen, L. S. (1980). Amalgam pigmentation (amalgam tattoo) of the oral mucosa. Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, and Oral Pathology, 49, 139–147.

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  • Campbell, C. M., & Deas, D. E. (2009). Removal of an amalgam tattoo using a subepithelial connective tissue graft and laser deepithelialization. Journal of Periodontology, 80, 860–864.

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  • Peters, E., & Gardner, D. G. (1986). A method of distinguishing between amalgam and graphite in tissue. Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, and Oral Pathology, 62, 73–76.

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  • Ristic, L., Dakovic, D., Postic, S. Lazic, Z., Bacevic, M., Vucevic, D. (2017). Clinical characteristics of abutment teeth with gingival discoloration. Journal of Prosthodontics 2017, Apr 6, Epub ahead of print.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Jacqueline E. van der Wal

Authors
  1. Jacqueline E. van der Wal
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Correspondence to Jacqueline E. van der Wal .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. NIJMEGEN, The Netherlands

    J.H.J.M. van Krieken

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© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

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van der Wal, J.E. (2017). Amalgam Tattoo. In: van Krieken, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pathology. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_648-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_648-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28845-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-28845-1

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