Tattoos in dentistry: self expression or unprofessional?

dental-tattsWhen I tell people I have a tattoo the first thing I see are widened eyes followed by shocked gasps. “What!” they exclaim “you have a tattoo? Where?”Their opinion of me automatically changes within those first few minutes after the revelation. I suddenly transform from the boring dental student to the rebellious night-crawler.

Tattoos have a long history since the first evidence of their existence dating back to 2000 B.C. in Ancient Egypt. In the past tattoos may have served as amulets, status symbols, declarations of love, signs of religious beliefs, adornments and even forms of punishment, today they are a common form of personal expression. But do they belong in dentistry?