Oral Piercings and Dental Health

Your mouth contains millions of bacteria, and infection and swelling often occur with mouth piercings.  Oral piercing could also lead to more serious infections, like hepatitis or endocarditis.

Here are a few potential complications of oral piercings:

• Infection, pain and swelling. Your mouth is a moist environment, home to huge amounts of breeding bacteria, and an ideal place for infection. An infection can quickly become life threatening if not treated promptly. It’s also possible for a piercing to cause your tongue to swell, potentially blocking your airway.
• Damage to gums, teeth and fillings. A common habit of biting or playing with the piercing can injure your gums and lead to cracked, scratched or sensitive teeth. Piercings can also damage fillings.
• Hypersensitivity to metals. Allergic reactions at the pierced site are also possible.
• Nerve damage. After a piercing, you may experience a numb tongue that is caused by nerve damage that is usually temporary, but can sometimes be permanent. The injured nerve may affect your sense of taste, or how you move your mouth. Damage to your tongue’s blood vessels can cause serious blood loss.
• Excessive drooling. Your tongue piercing can increase saliva production.
• Potential to swallow parts. It’s possible to swallow part of a piercing that comes loose or breaks over time.
• Speech and chewing changes. It can be more difficult to speak or chew normally after a piercing, thought this may get better over time with practice. 
• Dental appointment difficulties. The jewelry can get in the way of dental care by blocking X-rays.

If you do decide to get an oral piercing, it’s important to maintain a daily oral hygiene routine that involves brushing twice a day, flossing once a day, and monitoring your piercing for any changes in appearance and feel. Ask your Evansville, IN dentist for more information about the potential issues with oral piercings, and consider if it’s worth the risk of infection, tooth trauma, and more.