It may be difficult to go anywhere these days without seeing someone with a pierced tongue, pierced cheek or pierced lip. But as dental professionals, we really don’t like oral piercing. You may ask why? Because oral piercing isn’t good for you, and it’s our job to be concerned about your oral health. Here are a few risks involved with oral piercing. Go through them before considering to get one.
Types of Oral Piercings
Lips and lip area. Lip piercings can be anywhere around, near, or through the lips. It can also include frown piercings, vampire, smile, or something that is placed inside the mouth between the gums and lip.
Tongue and tongue area. Tongue piercings can be single or multiple posts vertically or horizontally. A single hole through the center of your tongue is usually considered secure.
Other oral piercings. Piercing your cheeks, gums, and even uvula (the dangling flesh at the back of your throat) all carry risks to your oral health. The technician’s skill, the location of the piercing, and the aftercare will all vary and create different results and healing periods.
Risks involved with General Oral Piercing
Right after initial piercing, you can expect swelling and tenderness. It usually takes around 10 weeks to heal. Some additional risks include:
- Scars
- Abscess
- Infection
- Metal Allergies
- Damage to teeth
- Migration or Rejection of Jewelry
Why Dentists Dislike Oral Piercing
Most oral piercings will result in bleeding, swelling, redness, and tenderness. It can make cleaning more difficult and painful, which may cause a decrease in oral health care, resulting in infection. Poorly placed piercings can result in chipped or damaged teeth. Sometimes the damage can be severe and lead to tooth extraction and replacement.
Before you consider getting a piercing that could affect your mouth, teeth, or gums, talk to your dentist first to learn about oral piercing risks and how you can reduce them. To make an appointment with Village Park dental, call at 281-376-4444.