{"id":5767,"date":"2022-05-13T10:57:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-13T14:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carolinacompletedental.com\/?p=5767"},"modified":"2025-05-05T18:02:47","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T18:02:47","slug":"oral-piercings-not-cool-for-teeth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/oral-piercings-not-cool-for-teeth\/","title":{"rendered":"Oral Piercings: Not Cool for Teeth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Remember that guy with the lip ring you had a crush on in high school? I wonder how his teeth are doing now. Don\u2019t get us wrong\u2014at Carolina Complete Dental, we\u2019re all about the freedom of self-expression, and if body modifications like tattoos and piercings are your thing, we support you. However, as your dental health professionals, we strongly advise against oral piercings specifically because they can be really harmful to your teeth\u2014and we want you to keep your teeth healthy, so you can continue to express yourself with your beautiful smile.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Oral piercings refer to any piercing in or around the mouth. In the old days, the only options were the more traditional tongue or lip piercings, but today there are more options than you can shake a stick at. If it\u2019s in your mouth, you better believe someone has pierced it. From the tongue web piercing to the vampire or upper frenulum piercing, to the gum piercing, venom bites, snake eyes, smiley piercing, frown piercing, and even the uvula piercing\u2014yes, apparently you can pierce your uvula. There\u2019s even a \u201cdental piercing\u201d which is not necessarily a drilled hole, but jewelry that is embedded onto the tooth surface. But of course, we don\u2019t recommend any of these, so don\u2019t get any ideas!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carolina Complete Dental<\/a> is here to share some reasons oral piercings are not cool for teeth.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Infection<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve ever had your ears or anything else pierced, you understand the risk of infection and the importance of keeping your new piercing clean. However, oral piercings have a much higher rate of infection because of their location in or around the mouth. The mouth is home to millions of bacteria (some are good, others are extremely dangerous) that have the potential to enter the piercing site and cause infection. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the <\/span>American Dental Association<\/span><\/a>, secondary infections can result in serious illness including blood-borne hepatitis, angina, and herpes. With oral piercings, there is always a risk of infection, but particularly in the few weeks following the initial piercing. Signs of infection include swelling, pain, fever, chills, shaking, or a red-streaked appearance around the piercing. Contact us right away if you notice signs of infection.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tooth & Gum Damage<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the most common dental problems associated with oral piercings is tooth and gum damage. It\u2019s easy enough to damage your teeth and gums already, whether from chewing ice or brushing your teeth too hard. Add a piece of metal jewelry into the equation and you\u2019ve got a recipe for disaster. Oral piercings can irritate the gum tissue, and cause enamel damage in the form of cracks, chips, scratches, and tooth sensitivity. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve had any dental work done\u2014including fillings<\/a> or crowns<\/a>\u2014oral piercings can damage these as well, so if you don\u2019t want to spend more money and time in the dental chair having your dental work repaired, we recommend choosing a non-oral piercing\u2014if you\u2019ve really got the urge to pierce something.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nerve Damage<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Following a tongue piercing, it\u2019s not uncommon to experience numbness due to nerve damage; this is usually temporary, but can sometimes be permanent. Nerve damage can affect your sense of taste, as well as the movement and function of your mouth. Tongue piercings have also been known to damage the tongue\u2019s blood vessels, which can cause serious blood loss.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Hazards<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Allergic reactions are always possible with piercings. Some folks are allergic to certain types of metals, and some are just hypersensitive to certain metals. Tongue piercings can create increased saliva production, which can cause excessive drooling and can also affect your speech patterns causing a lisp. Not as appealing as you thought it was going to be, eh? Finally, oral piercings can be a problem when it comes to dental care because they interfere with x-rays and prevent us from seeing the full picture of your mouth.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Advice<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you already have an oral piercing, we do recommend removing it, but we understand if it\u2019s become a staple of your signature look. If you\u2019re keeping or still considering getting an oral piercing after reading this article, at least read our advice on how to care for it and avoid or minimize dental problems.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n