Consequences of Oral Piercings for Oral Health

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The use of oral piercings (tongue, lips, bridle and even cheeks) may have important implications for oral health, beyond pain, possible rejection and high risk of infection that involve the placement, given the high presence of bacteria and the moisture inside the mouth, which hinders the healing of tissues.

Furthermore, in its placement is also very important the risk of causing significant injury, because when the holes are made certain blood vessels or nerves are compromised. But most important is that, once laid, oral piercing can cause various problems such as dental malocclusion, trauma to adjacent teeth, infections, receding gums and tooth loss. No dentist may recommend the placement of a piercing in the oral cavity. Quite the contrary. But despite the risks if you decide to do it , it is very important to visit from the first time and regularly the dentist in order to keep track of the piece and its effects on oral health.

Most common sites of oral piercing

The sites of the oral cavity in which are usually placed piercings are:

Tongue: usually done in the center and called barbell (a limited bar at each end by a sphere) are used, although there who rings are placed in the lateral and previous parts of the tongue.

Lips: usually rings and labrettes (a bar with a sphere on the outside and a flat disk makes closing on the inside) Placed anywhere in the labial perimeter, although usually it is done in the middle of the lower lip.

Other: cheeks (although the piercing is external, drilling reaches the buccal mucosa), lingual frenulum and uvula.

Complications of oral piercing for oral health

Speaking of complications should begin at the same time of placement of the piercing. The most habitaules are pain and swelling. This last one, can affect the lymph nodes located under the chin and lower jaw, begins within a few hours of being placed and can extend up to 3 to 5 weeks. In the case of language, highly vascularized and innervated, some bleeding may also occur when drilling or altered sense of taste and some motor function if a nerve is affected.

Local infection of the area where the piercing is placed occurs in approximately 15% of cases and there is a risk of bacteremia, so be necessary to fall doctor if you have fever, accused redness around the piercing , shaking chills. The allergy is another possible complications, depending on the alloy that has made the piercing. Nickel is a metal that must take special care.

Finally, in medium and long term, the impact of a piercing anywhere in the oral cavity may have important implications for oral health:

-Gingival resection: is one of the most important consequences of oral piercings (especially those placed on the lips) in cosmetic and oral health. Gums recede, leaving more exposed tooth surface, which favors the insertion loss of the tooth, which can cause their mobility and subsequent loss. The risk of this complication is even greater if the carrier piercing is a smoker.

-Dental trauma: are the most common injuries and can range from a simple friction of metal in the tooth until chipping or fracture of a tooth.

-Periodontal disease: the continuous contact of the metal oral piercing can cause the accumulation of bacterial plaque and and therefore the formation of tartar, in the lower anterior teeth, which favors the occurrence of gingivitis and periodontitis following.

-Halitosis: may cause it buildup of bacterial plaque.

-Dental malocclusions: the permanent introduction of a foreign body in the oral cavity, alters the balance of power of language and, therefore, the position of the teeth, changing the bite.

-Speech disturbances: the tongue piercing alter the pronunciation of words containing the letters R, S, T and L.

-Taste changes.

-Ingestion of oral piercing.