Oral Piercings and Oral Health
While oral piercings can be aesthetically appealing, understanding the risks can help you make informed decisions and protect your long-term oral health. Learn how to identify and manage oral health issues associated with oral piercings before they lead to more significant problems.
What is oral piercings and oral health?
Oral piercings involve placing jewelry through the tongue, lips, cheeks, or other tissues within and around the mouth. While oral piercings are often viewed as a cosmetic choice, they create permanent openings in highly sensitive tissues that are exposed to millions of bacteria every day.
Because the mouth contains a complex mix of bacteria and constantly moving tissues, oral piercings can create unique risks that may affect both your oral and overall health.
What are the risks of oral piercing?
As more people retain their natural teeth later in life and consume acidic foods and beverages more frequently, teeth erosion has become an increasingly common oral health concern. Many factors can contribute to dental erosion.
Infection
When the skin is penetrated for surgical or cosmetic procedures there is always a risk of infection developing, and the potential for infection is higher especially for treatment involving the oral tissues because the mouth is full of bacteria.
Bleeding
Any procedure that involves piercing the oral tissues may result in prolonged bleeding due the constant wet environment, which drastically slows the clotting process.
Swelling
The risk of swelling and delayed healing is especially high for tongue piercing because the tongue is constantly in motion. Since the tongue can swell significantly, there is a risk of airway blockage.
Nerve damage
The tongue is filled with nerves that control movement (for speech and chewing) and taste. A piercing can damage these nerves permanently.
Blood-borne disease transmission
It is no surprise that the process of getting a piercing always carries the risk of being exposed to bacteria, such as those that cause tetanus infections, or viruses, such as those responsible for Hepatitis B, C and D.
Endocarditis
The wound created during a piercing provides the opportunity for oral bacteria to enter the bloodstream, where they can easily travel to the heart. For people who have specific heart conditions, the bacteria can potentially cause inflammation and infection of the heart valves or tissues.
Concerned about the impact of oral piercings on your teeth or gums?
Our team can assess your oral health, identify early signs of damage, and recommend treatment options to help protect your smile.
How oral piercings affect oral health
Gum and bone loss
The risk of gum and bone loss around teeth is a significant concern for those with lip piercings. The fasteners used to hold a piercing in place continually rub and irritate the gums and bone, which always result in a localized thinning of these tissues. With extensive bone loss there is also the potential for tooth loss.
Tooth fracture
The risk of fracturing a tooth is always a concern for those with tongue piercings. Accidentally biting down onto the stud can result in chipping or severe fractures of tooth structure, and in some cases the tooth cannot be restored with a filling and would then require extraction and replacement.
Interference with normal oral function
Oral jewelry can stimulate excessive saliva production, can interfere with the ability to pronounce words clearly, and may cause problems with chewing and swallowing food.
Interference with oral health evaluation
Jewelry in the mouth can block the transmission of x-ray radiographs. Clear and unobstructed radiographs are essential to a complete oral health evaluation. Jewelry may prevent the x-ray from revealing conditions like cysts, abscesses or tumours.
Aspiration and ingestion
There is always the possibility that the fasteners can loosen and become undone. These components are a choking hazard if it obstructs the airway, and they can lead to injury if they are aspirated into the lungs or ingested into the digestive tract.
Book a oral piercing health consultation today
Regular dental visits play an important role in monitoring and protecting your oral health.
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Common questions about oral piercings and oral health
We’re here to help. Browse the most common questions below, or reach out to our team directly.
Oral piercings can increase the risk of chipped teeth, fractured teeth, gum recession, and other oral health complications.
Because the mouth contains large amounts of bacteria, oral piercings carry a higher risk of infection than many other types of piercings.
Yes. Jewelry can block portions of dental radiographs and may need to be removed before imaging.
Schedule a dental examination as soon as possible. Early treatment may prevent more extensive damage.
In some cases, removing oral jewelry may be recommended to allow for a more thorough examination and accurate dental imaging.
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