TONGUE PIERCING NOT THAT RISKY, BUT THINGS CAN GO WRONG

It's hard to believe that certain things ever became popular.

Pet rocks, for example.

Shag carpeting.

Sticking a needle through your tongue.

But oral piercing, if not now mainstream, has at least become more common in recent years. According to one survey, 16% of the females and 4% of the males at a New York university had pierced tongues.

The practice doesn't appear to be any more risky than getting an ear pierced. However, if you're going for a hole in your tongue, you might want to be aware of what can go wrong.

Tongue piercing, although considered safe, does have some risk of problems. According to published studies, the most common problems include receding gums and tooth fracture. Others include bleeding, swelling, scarring, nerve damage or periodontal disease.

In the survey of New York college students, 6% of those with an oral piercing had some type of problem afterward. This was lower than the problem rates the study found for ear piercing (12%), nipple piercing (21%) or navel piercing (24%).

In a 2019 study, the majority of people getting tongue piercing said that they were not informed of the potential gum and tooth complications before having it done.

If you decide to have an oral or tongue piercing, get frequent dental check-ups and learn the best oral hygiene practices for your piercing.

There have been several cases of people cracking or chipping teeth with their piercings. One study found that nearly half of people who wore long barbells (about 1.6 centimeters or longer) in their piercings and kept them in for at least four years had some chipping of their back teeth.

Recent studies have shown that the gums inside the front of the mouth are more likely to recede if the tongue is pierced. This is caused by repeatedly pushing the piercing against the front teeth. When gums recede, the bone underneath is reabsorbed by the body. This can loosen the teeth and ultimately cause them to fall out.

Dentists also suggest that a piercing could fracture some types of restorations, such as crowns made of porcelain or porcelain and metal. Some recommend acrylic balls or barbells, rather than metal ones.

More serious problems that can occur include a swallowed piercing, infection or abscess. In rare cases, infection has led to endocarditis, a serious heart infection.

The American Dental Association strongly discourages the tongue piercing and cites the many adverse impacts of this procedure on the health of the mouth.

Last updated March 31, 2021

References:

• Covello F, Salerno C, Giovannini V, Corridore D, Ottolenghi L, Vozza I. Piercing and Oral Health: A Study on the Knowledge of Risks and Complications. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Jan 18;17(2):613. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17020613. PMID: 31963636; PMCID: PMC7013412.
• Ziebolz D, Söder F, Hartl JF, Kottmann T, Rinke S, Schmalz G. Comprehensive assessment of dental behaviour and oral status in patients with tongue piercing-results of a cross-sectional study. Clin Oral Investig. 2020 Feb;24(2):971-977. doi: 10.1007/s00784-019-03002-y. Epub 2019 Jul 4. PMID: 31273525.
• https://www.ada.org/en/member-center/oral-health-topics/oral-piercing-jewelry (accessed 03-31-21)