Phossy jaw
NECROTIC DAMAGE TO THE JAWBONES CAUSED BY EXPOSURE TO WHITE PHOSPHORUS
Phossy-jaw; Phossyjaw; Fossy jaw; Phosphorus necrosis; Phosphorus necrosis of the jaw
Phossy jaw, formally known as phosphorus necrosis of the jaw, was an occupational disease affecting those who worked with white phosphorus (also known as yellow phosphorus) without proper safeguards. It was most commonly seen in workers in the matchstick industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries.