Risks of Oral Piercings: Protect Your Teeth and Gums
Body piercings have gained widespread popularity in recent decades, especially among teens and young adults. While styles like earlobe piercings present minimal risks, oral and facial piercings require careful consideration due to their proximity to sensitive structures.
Improper technique, low-quality jewelry, forceful actions, or lack of aftercare all raise risks of irreversible damage. As dental professionals, Discovery Dental & Implants caution clients to thoroughly weigh piercing dangers versus desires.
Perhaps the most concerning is a tongue piercing due to potential tooth cracking or chipping from forceful contact. Loose or worn-down jewelry can also stab or be swallowed accidentally.
Tongue rings interrupt one’s ability to speak and eat properly as well. Recurrent oral injuries run the risk of infection, scarring, taste disturbances, or nerve damage.
Lip piercings pose gland or tooth damage risks if jewelry extends too far inward. Excessive force can crack teeth or permanently alter gum lines and shapes over time. Some report lip numbness, scarring, or tingling sensations long after removal. Metal allergies may arise from reactions to lip jewelry embedded near oral tissues.
Facial piercings near cheekbones similarly threaten serious dental implications if driven too deeply toward teeth, gums, or facial bones. Embedded jewelry subjects surrounding tissues to lifelong irritation that increases infection entry points into the body as well. Removal complications and disfigurement become real concerns long-term.
To reduce hazards, only trained professionals using sterile single-use equipment should execute piercings. Implant-grade materials like implant-grade titanium, niobium, or solid 14-18k gold deliver the safest long-term outcomes.
Swapping to shorter, internally threaded labret studs for oral piercings prevents teeth/gum friction versus dangling rings.
Be vigilant about cleaning twice daily with an antiseptic until fully healed, which typically takes six months. Monitor for signs of rejecting or migrating jewelry that may require prompt medical attention.
Understand there exists no guarantees of complication-free piercings despite all precautions either.
Before rushing into irreversible body modifications, we encourage serious consideration and second opinions regarding potential dangers to both immediate and long-term oral health from high-risk facial piercings. Your informed consent makes the difference between low-risk enjoyment versus serious regrets.
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