Why You Should Think Twice Before Getting an Oral Piercing

In this day and age, body piercings have become a common fashion accessory for individuals with bold tastes in style. While nose and ear piercing are relatively common and safe, some people opt for piercings on other body parts, including tongue or lip piercings. From the perspective of oral and dental health, you may want to consider thinking twice before getting an oral piercing.

Tongue and lip piercings are problematic because they are close to sensitive parts of your body such as the teeth and mouth. Piercings are hard metal objects that can bump into your teeth as you sing, eat, or perform activities with your mouth. Repeated collisions with teeth may result in them being weakened. You may even bite down hard into your piercing by accident. This can cause chipped or cracked teeth that will require immediate dental treatment.

Also, it is important to note that the mouth is a very sensitive area that is filled with bacteria. Piercing your tongue or lip puts you at a higher risk for infections. Infections may cause swelling or spread to other areas of your head, potentially threatening your life. If your tongue swells, it may also block your airways, resulting in difficulty breathing. Oral piercings may also result in other complications such as bleeding, pain, nerve damage, allergic reactions, and excessive saliva production.

There are other worst-case scenarios you’ll want to avoid. If your jewelry breaks or comes loose in your mouth, you can swallow it by accident and choke on it. If the needle used to pierce your tongue or lip is not sterilized, you may also contract Hepatitis C, an infectious disease that can cause liver failure or liver cancer if not treated properly.

If you still wish to have an oral piercing, it will require much maintenance and monitoring to maintain your oral health. You will need to ensure food does not stick to your piercing by using a mouth rinse after every meal. You will also need to monitor yourself for any signs of infection such as sensitivity, swelling, discoloration around the piercing, fever, and chills.

Be sure your jewelry is not loose enough to fall into your throat. With the risk, hassle, and extra maintenance that oral piercings require, it may just be a wiser idea to get a piercing on a less sensitive area, like the ears.

Contacts
CONTACT DETAILS
ELITE DENTAL GROUP, 1249 W. Glenoaks Blvd Glendale, CA 91201
Post Address: 1249 W. Glenoaks Blvd Glendale, CA 91201
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  • Sunday: closed