There are a number of ways that in everyday life people choose to express themselves. From creative pursuits such as art, dance and music to their own appearance with their choice of clothing, hair style, makeup, tattoos, piercings and so on.

As an adult, it is your decision what you wear and what you choose to do to your body when it comes to things such as piercings, but for those who have or are considering an oral piercing, there are some serious risks involved that you should be aware of.

What is an oral piercing?

This is the name given to piercings that are on the tongue, lips, gums or cheeks and typically use a metal bar, stud or ring. There are a number of different ways and places that the piercings can be done in and around these areas of the mouth and the location can impact how much of a detrimental effect they have on your oral and overall health.

What are the risks of oral piercings?

When going in to have a piercing done, nobody ever believes that anything will go wrong for them. Unfortunately it happens more often than people think, and just because you’ve had several piercings before does not mean that you can control what will happen or how your body will react to the next one.

Some of the very real dangers of oral piercings include;

• Allergic reactions
• Oral complications like tongue swelling that can lead to difficulty eating, swallowing or even breathing
• Infections which can cause tenderness, bleeding, pain, swelling
• Problems with speech
• Bloodborne diseases such as hepatitis
• Endocarditis which is an inflammation of the heart valves or tissue

How could having an oral piercing impact my oral health?

It’s often the potential risks or short-term issues that people think of when they are deciding whether or not to go ahead with something like an oral piercing. However, even if all goes well and once the pain and swelling subsides you are left with a piercing that you are happy with, it doesn’t mean that it can’t or won’t seriously damage your oral health now or in the future.

Here are some of the ways that oral piercings can threaten your teeth and gums;

Tooth Damage

It is very common for those with piercings on the tongue and lip to accidentally knock it at some point against their teeth. These bars, studs or hoops are usually extremely hard metal and can easily chip, crack and damage the tooths enamel which will require treatment to repair and make sure the tooth is OK.

Increased Risk of Infection

Even if there is no infection initially after the piercing is done, oral piercings can harbour bacteria and create the perfect conditions for them to grow and thrive. This means that your mouth will be more susceptible to gum infections and other serious issues.

Receding Gums

Metal jewellery in the mouth can cause the gums to recede which is not only aesthetically unappealing but leaves the roots of your teeth vulnerable to things like decay and periodontal disease which often lead to tooth loss.

Dental Erosion

This happens when the tooth is slowly worn away over time by the piercing constantly rubbing up against it and is very common behind the front bottom teeth for those with tongue piercings.

Tooth Decay

An oral piercing not only increases the number of bacteria in the mouth but the piercing itself puts pressure on the teeth and causes cracks, damage and worn enamel which exposes teeth and increases the likelihood of bacteria and decay.