Artifacts in oral biopsy specimens.

More than proper surgical technique is required to facilitate the proper diagnosis of an oral biopsy specimen. The proper preparation of the tissue for microscopic analysis depends on steps taken by the surgeon, assistant, and histotechnician to reduce the inclusion of artifacts. There are many ways that the exact interpretation of tissue specimens can be compromised. Unfortunately, many practitioners seem to be unaware of the extent of this problem, as well as how easily artifacts can be prevented.