Dental amalgam controversy satisfactorily countered any safety concerns." Amalgam use is regulated by Health Canada as are all medical treatments and Health Canada has also stated that dental amalgam is not causing illness in the general population. Not all organizations in Canada share this view. In a recent publication, the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors states that "... mercury is the most toxic non-radioactive material on earth, and since it is constantly being released from amalgam, its use should be abandoned. They recommend a gradual detox and chelation therapy over several months to minimize the toxic effects of amalgam fillings. Australia recognizes the
Amalgam tattoo from pencil leads), and is sometimes termed a "graphite tattoo", although this is less common than tattooing with amalgam. The diagnosis is clinical. Amalgam tattoo can be distinguished from other causes of localized oral pigmentation because it does not change significantly in size or color, although it may appear to slowly enlarge for several months after the initial implantation of the metal particles. Some amalgam tattoos appear radio-opaque on radiographs (i.e. they show up on x-rays), although in many cases amalgam tattoos have no radiographic features since the responsible particle(s) of amalgam are very small even though clinically the area