Amalgam (dentistry) on Mercury) general opinion on its safety is unlikely to change. These are some of the reasons why amalgam has remained a superior restorative material over resin-base composites. The New England Children's Amalgam Trial (NECAT), a randomized controlled trial, yielded results "consistent with previous reports suggesting that the longevity of amalgam is higher than that of resin-based compomer in primary teeth and composites in permanent teeth. Compomers were seven times as likely to require replacement and composites were seven times as likely to require repair. There are circumstances in which composite serves better than amalgam. For example, when a more
Amalgam tattoo of discolored mucosa is much larger. If necessary, the diagnosis can be confirmed histologically by excisional biopsy, which excludes nevi and melanomas. If a biopsy is taken, the histopathologic appearance is: Theoretically, routine use of a dental dam during dental procedures which involve amalgam should reduce the risk of amalgam tattoo. No treatment is required since the lesion is entirely benign. Some suggest that amalgam tattoos are best surgically excised so as to ensure the lesion does not represent a melanoma. Other say that excision should only be carried out if there is any doubt over the diagnosis, and that