Hello everyone!

I am new here and found this site while searching on the net for what possibly could be a blue/gray spot on my lower gum just below my tooth.

I am 31 years old and I had not been to the dentist in years (lack of dental insurance- fear of the dentist, etc). On April 27, I had to get some cavities filled on the left side of my jaw following a cleaning that had taken place a couple weeks prior. During the cleaning, I also opted for the Vizilite test and nothing was noticed. Like I said on April 27, I had some composite fillings done on three of my upper left teeth.

A week or so later, I was still experiencing discomfort from the procedure and I was looking at my mouth and noticed that on my lower jaw below those teeth (right under where the composite fillings had been done in the upper teeth) I saw a small grayish-blue spot. I thought maybe it was a bruise or something and just kind of ignored it. I will also mention that this spot is not near any old silver fillings.

The spot is still around and hard to photograph. It is a round spot and looks like a "mole" of sorts. I have an appointment for another filling on my lower jaw on Monday so I will obviously will ask for the dentist to take a look. However, I just am really concerned at what this could be. Has anyone seen or heard anything like this? On first look, I guess I would think it is an amalgram tattoo, but I really think I never had it before and it is definitely not really near metal fillings.

The big C word scares me especially after seeing what an acquaintance of mine went through with oral melanoma.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post.

I'm awfully glad that you have another appointment coming up with the dentist.
Is this spot new to you, or could it have been there during the time you weren't paying any attention to your mouth?
I have a dark spot way back on my gum, and my dentist said that it was called a "tatoo." I don't know what caused it. It is near a tooth with a metal-based crown. So.....hold onto that thought through the weekend...that it could be something very simple. I suppose that it could also be a chewing injury, such as poking your gum with a sharp bit of food--a chip or popcorn. It could be a small broken blood vessel under the skin, which would look dark or blue.
Iknow that you aren't going to ignore it until you get an answer, but don't panic. It might be very simple.

I guess it is new to me-- I never noticed it before, but honestly I can't say if it was there or not because before I went to the dentist and had those three fillings done I had not been to the dentist in awhile (nor did I ever have the occassion to really look at my gums). The spot is NOT noticeable if I smile I have to pull the lip somewhat down to see it, but it is pretty easy to see if I do that. I would say it is just a little bit bigger than how a period shows up on this screen.

The spot is definitely not dark. It is about the same color as how a vein shows up on the underside of my wrist (blue/grayish).

Because I was nervous, I did try to call around and see if there were any oral surgeons in the area who could take a walk-in. I got in contact with a really nice office but the receptionist said that any other day in the week she could have taken me in, but Fridays is their surgery day so it is only surgeries back to back.

I guess I would not be overly surprised if it was a broken blood vessel (can they last for a long time?). When I got so much work done on my upper teeth they used some kind of dental shield/dam thing so the drill would not hit the side of my mouth (I am guessing that is what it was for). That small piece of cardboard had my gums and cheek sore for at least a week after the procedure.

Hi,

I'm a dentist and I will try to help you out here, but bear in mind that without seeing this spot there is no way to tell you what it is. During my long career in dentistry, many patients have come to me having noticed something that has been in their mouths a very long time. More often than not, there is nothing wrong at all.

It's apparent that you have done your homework as you have a great grasp on what this could be. My first thought when I started reading your post was that this most likely an amalgam tattoo. You mention that the spot is not near any old silver fillings. But the real question is, is the spot near any composite fillings that could have replaced an amalgam sometime in the past? If not, then I would rule out an amalgam tattoo.

You can't rule out a broken blood vessel for sure and it could be from some trauma during brushing or eating as Colleen has said.

Melanomas in the mouth are very rare. I have never seen one in the 40 years that I have been practicing. Of course, as you know, they do happen.

The odds are in your favor that this is nothing and your dentist will be able to confirm this on Monday.

I hope this information will make your weekend a little easier for you. Knowing human nature, you will surely be worried until you know what it is, but try not to dwell on it constantly as more than likely it is nothing.

Please let us know what your dentist says.

Jerry

Dr. Jerry-- thank you for your posting.

The fillings that were done in composite were done just above the tooth that has the spot underneath it.

The work was done (I looked at the ADA site) teeth 12, 13, and 14. The spot looks like (the teeth chart is a little hard to read) at 20 or 21.

It is very well possible that I had some silver fillings in the same area (at least I do on the other side of my mouth from childhood).

I will keep any ideas of fear out of my head this weekend. I will also check back.

Thank you to everyone being so helpful.

So my dentist had to do another filling that she didn't have time to do back in April.

I showed her the spot on my gum (she already knew since the office manager had put a note on my folder). She said she didn't recall the spot there before either and that she had done a pretty thorough oral exam in early April and when I had the Vizilite test done. She said it could very well be an amalgram tattoo from all of the dental work around my old fillings or that it was there from the beginning but she may have ignored it since it looks so much like an amalgram tattoo and nothing had turned up during the Vizilite screening.

She said that of course the only definitive answer would come from a biopsy and she referred me to two oral surgeons (she said that she wanted to give me a choice since they both fill up quickly). She did say that she didn't think I needed to worry that from the appearance she felt it would be more of a blue nevus or tattoo. She said that it didn't look like a melanoma and the lesion is very flat just a discoloration and not indicative of other types of cancerous lesions she would normally see.

I have an appointment for the oral surgeon next Monday June 8th. I guess another week will not hurt since she felt that it was not critical.

You are right to get it checked. A biopsy is the only way to tell for sure if its cancerous. Next Monday is pretty quick to get into see the oral surgeon. It will likely be a 3 visit thing. First visist is the consult and they will take a look. Then check out the insurance coverage. Next visist is the biopsy. Third visit will be about a week after the biopsy and that will be your results. Relax and try not to worry til you get the results. I know its easier said than done, just try to enjoy each day.

Thanks Christine for putting it into perspective. I had no idea how what a "fast" appointment is. *LOL* I didn't know if it would be like this week or something.

So from anyone else's past experience does the oral surgeon count as a dental insurance or does it count as a regular doctor? MY dental insurance is "decent" although it has a maximum allotment per year (I think 3k). My medical insurance does not have any yearly or lifetime maximum.

With the insurance, I would have the office file both of them. I know my oral surgeon visit was considered medical, because I was not having any teeth taken out. My insurance is strange though.

The office visit is dental and the biopsy is medical.

$3,000 for dental coverage is fantastic. I don't think I've ever seen that. You're lucky if it is.

Good luck on Monday.

Jerry

Thanks everyone!

My company's medical and dental plans are rather generous. I am very very very very very fortunate. I am also lucky to live in an area where I have had no issues with network coverages, etc. I wish my mom was as fortunate as she has no medical insurance except for the care she receives from the Veteran's Administration (and I am thankful she has that as the VA took such good care of her through her Renal Cell Carcinoma 4 years ago).

I am actually pretty calm now-- considering what everyone had posted and what my dentist felt-- I feel like things are somewhat in my "control" right now and that there will soon be no unknowns. Control being that I have taken the steps to meet up with the oral surgeon etc.

I had to have my teeth removed and My Ins. was buckimg until the Dr let them know in any uncertain terms that it was medically necessary. They paid for it all , but it took them a year to finally settle this claim. They had more excuses than the Chicago Stock Yards used to have bull crap. LOL But finally it is paid in full.

Well-- I went to see the Oral Surgeon yesterday.

He took a quick look and told me that he felt that it was more than likely an amalgram tattoo. He said that those are fairly common and it could very well be that I never noticed it before or during all of the various dental procedures I have had in the past couple months it is possible that a piece of old metal filling may have become displaced and floated into a new home in my gum.

He said the second thing it could be was a blue nevus. He said that this is fairly rare, but not out of the realm of possibility. He said the third most rare thing could be a vascular issues (such as bundling of veins or sthg like that) and the most rare that this could be would be a melanoma.

He said honestly the coloration and appearance did not look like malignant melanoma at all. He said he really felt it was just an amalgram tattoo from the coloration even though it is in an area where I do not really have a silver filling.

He did want me to keep an eye on it each week and he felt that if any change in hue or appearance (growing larger, spreading out in a random manner) that I need to come back immediately. He did not think it was necessary to biopsy. I do have a six month check up (assuming I do not notice any changes) for him to take another look at it as well.

Ironically, today I noticed a bump on the other side of my mouth near the gum line. Almost like a cut/pimple. I think it may have to do with eating something (I know I burned the upper area above this spot). It seems like I have irritated it but now it is a dark red color. I am going to keep an eye on it although I think it has to be something I ate that either jabbed the gum line or something else.