Oral piercing can spell trouble—count the cost before you say ‘yes’

  • Shelly Webb
  • January 16, 2011
  • 433
                        
We live in an age when many individuals want to be just that, individuals. Many want to look unique, dress unique and be different from everyone else. They want to stand out, be themselves and not conform to society’s norm. Because of this there have been increases in past years in tattoos, piercing, extreme hair coloring and so forth. While there is nothing wrong with looking unique there are some risks that you should be aware of before you decide to have some form of metal pierced into your tongue, cheek or mouth. Even though you may think you’re mouth is pretty clean, the truth is it contains millions of bacteria. Because of all the bacteria within the mouth infection can be a common complication of oral piercing. Local dentist, Dr. Brad Welsh DDS says there are many side effects involved in oral piercing so individuals considering this form of expression need to know what it entails. “In addition to the possibility of infection, pain and swelling are common side effects of piercing,” Welsh explained. “The tongue, which is a popular piercing site in the mouth, can actually swell large enough to close off your airway after being pierced. This is rare but it can happen. Piercing can also cause uncontrollable bleeding or nerve damage to the tongue, which could impact your sense of taste.” If you’re lucky enough to avoid infection, nerve damage, bleeding, pain and swelling you may still be at other health risks from your new piercing. “The jewelry itself also presents some hazards,” Welsh added. “You can choke on any studs, barbells or hoops that come loose in your mouth. Also any contact your teeth have with the jewelry can chip or crack them. Bad breath is another side effect you may be stuck with because when the bacteria, breeds around the piercing it can cause significant bad breath.” Anytime you have jewelry or foreign objects in your mouth it can prevent you from speaking clearly and can also cause problems with chewing and swallowing food. Metal can cause allergic reactions in the mouth as well. Welsh said that prolonged bleeding is the big concern with these types of piercing. “Because of the tongue’s vascular nature, prolonged bleeding can result if vessels are punctured during the piercing procedure,” he said. “In addition, the technique for inserting tongue jewelry may abrade or fracture the outside of teeth, and digital manipulation of the jewelry can significantly increase the potential for infection.” The National Institutes of Health has identified piercing as a possible risk for bloodborne hepatitis including hepatitis B, C, D and G transmission. Secondary infection from oral piercing can be serious too. “A recent article in the British Dental Journal reported a case of Ludwig’s angina, a rapidly spreading Cellulitis manifested four days after a 25-year-old patient had her tongue pierced,” Welsh said. “This type of infection is very severe and spreads down the throat and can infect the sac around the heart and cut off breathing. This is a very rare situation, but one that can potentially develop.” The most common problems with tongue bars according to Welsh are gum recession and bone loss of the lower front teeth. “I see gum recession and bone loss often,” he said. “I also see it from the backings of lip piercing. Less often, yet still common, I will see fractured teeth as a result of biting inadvertently on tongue bars. I see occasional minor infections of facial piercing, especially, lips eyebrows and cheeks. I realize that few people think they will be the one with the rare big infection. And odds are, they’re right. Less dramatic, but a very likely reality are the more common things I’ve mentioned. The problem with even these apparent minor side effects is; gum recession, bone loss and fractured teeth are irreversible processes that require surgical intervention to correct.”


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