Small black part on gums

[Skittish]

I was taking a look in my mouth the other day and noticed a very small part of my gums, about a square milimeter in size where it dips into a point between two molars, that looks very dark, almost black. It worries me quite a bit- it doesn't hurt or anything when I floss or brush on it, and the rest of my gums look okay although occasionally I see some blood in the toothpaste foam when I spit it out. What the heck is it?

 

[Parsnip]

Are there any metal fillings nearby? It might be an amalgam tattoo, or just pigmentation, is it completely isolated - ie there are no other similar areas?

The bleeding is probably unrelated, either gingivitis, or you might be brushing too hard.

Pars

 

[Skittish]

Hi Pars, thanks for the answer. Yes, there are metal fillings in the teeth that the spot is between, but they are in the top parts of the teeth (the biting surface) and not on the side, where the black part is. What is amalgam tattoo? Also, I didn't know you could have weird pigmentation in your mouth... are they like freckles? As far as I can see, there are no similar areas.

 

[Parsnip]

An amalgam tattoo is created when, during a filling, a bit of the amalgam filling gets under the gum. Quite common really, and not surprising when there's usually loads of grit in your mouth after a filling. The 'grit' is amalgam that the dentist hasn't packed properly into the tooth. Bloomin stuff gets everywhere

If you're worried get it checked, but more than likely thats all it is.

Racial pigmentation is common, just deposits of melanin, like freckles under the gum.

Pars