Oral medicine and oral cancer: pigmented lesions: practice question

A Dentistry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Dentistry · Oral medicine and oral cancer: pigmented lesions

Sample item

A 50-year-old has a flat, grey-blue, painless 4 mm macule on the gingiva next to a tooth with an old silver restoration. It has not changed in 3 years. A radiograph shows tiny radiopaque flecks. What should be done?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Reassure, as this is an amalgam tattoo

An amalgam tattoo is a harmless deposit of amalgam particles in the mucosa. A stable macule with radiopaque flecks on X-ray needs no treatment; biopsy is reserved for doubt.

Option by option

  • A. Reassure, as this is an amalgam tattoo (correct)

    Correct. A stable macule beside an amalgam filling with radiopaque flecks is a tattoo.

  • B. Wide excision for melanoma

    Melanoma is rapidly changing and lacks radiopaque flecks.

  • C. Start chemotherapy

    No malignancy is present, so chemotherapy is wrong.

  • D. Remove the adjacent tooth

    The tooth is not the cause and removing it is unnecessary.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Dentistry questions

Questions about this Dentistry question

What is the answer to this Dentistry question?

The best answer is A, Reassure, as this is an amalgam tattoo. An amalgam tattoo is a harmless deposit of amalgam particles in the mucosa.

Why is "Wide excision for melanoma" not the answer?

Melanoma is rapidly changing and lacks radiopaque flecks.

Why is "Start chemotherapy" not the answer?

No malignancy is present, so chemotherapy is wrong.

Why is "Remove the adjacent tooth" not the answer?

The tooth is not the cause and removing it is unnecessary.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Oral medicine and oral cancer: pigmented lesions in Dentistry. A stable macule with radiopaque flecks on X-ray needs no treatment; biopsy is reserved for doubt.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Oral medicine and oral cancer: pigmented lesions?

Learn the dental formula, eruption ages and tooth structure once, as tables. Then use the flashcards and the other Dentistry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.