Piercings seem to be gaining popularity lately. It seems like every time you turn around, kids and young adults have found new ways to pierce their bodies – and more and more we’re seeing tongues, lips, cheeks and other parts of the mouth getting pierced. If you are considering getting a tongue or other part of your mouth pierced, or if you are the parent of a child who wants to get an oral piercing, please consider the following information.
The Dangers of Oral Piercings
There are a number of common dangers associated with oral piercings. First and foremost, any time you pierce any part of your body there is the danger of infection. There are large amounts of bacteria in the mouth, which only increases the likelihood of the piercing site becoming infected.
Other common dangers include damage to the teeth and a difficulty in doing normal oral activities. One study in a prominent dental journal about people who wore barbell tongue piercings for four or more years reported that almost half of those surveyed had at least one chipped tooth. Because oral piercings create a higher than normal amount of saliva they can cause difficulty in normal oral activities such as chewing, swallowing food and speaking clearly.
There are other less common dangers of oral piercings, too. In rare cases bacteria could enter the bloodstream and cause endocarditis (inflammation of the heart or its valves). In some cases there can be a loss of sensation at the piercing site caused by nerve damage, and the piercing coming into regular contact with the gum tissue can contribute to gum disease. In extreme cases, contaminated piercing equipment can lead to more serious infections like hepatitis, HIV and AIDS.
If You Choose to Get an Oral Piercing
If you choose to accept the risks of oral piercings to your teeth and oral health, there are some precautions you can take to minimize the risk of dangers.
You should meet with the piercing studio before your piercing and make sure that you understand the whole process, asking any questions that you have before the date of the piercing. Do some online research about the studio and make sure that they have a very good reputation – steer clear of studios that have bad online reviews. Make sure that the piercing studio has a valid public services health inspection certificate. When you go to get the piercing, make sure the person doing the piercing uses a fresh pair of rubber gloves and swabs and make sure they show you the piercing being taken out of sealed sterilized packages.
Taking Care of Your Oral Health
Maintaining a high level of oral health and hygiene is very important if you choose to get a tongue, lip or cheek piercing. Brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day to keep the amount of bacteria in your mouth to a minimum and make sure you see your dentist at least twice a year.
If you are looking for a dentist in the Milton or Scarborough areas to help take care of your teeth, give Orion Dental a call! We offer a full range of services, including teeth whitening, cosmetic dentistry and awake dentistry. Check out our extended and weekend hours and we are currently welcoming new patients at both of our Milton and Scarborough offices.
