Physiologic Pigmentation of the Oral and Cutaneous Tissues in the Negro

Abstract

Clinical observations indicate that as the skin color darkens among Negroes, there is usually an increasing tendency for the oral tissues to be pigmented. The order of frequency of occurrence of pigmentation observed was: gingival tissues 67%, hard palate 61%, mucous membrane 22%, and the tongue 15%. However, as there is no constancy of association of the presence of pigmentation of the skin and oral tissues, color changes cannot be used scientifically to identify a racial grouping. The presence of oral pigmentation may be employed as a basis for the diag- , nosis of various dental, systemic and occupational diseases.