Oral Piercing

You pierced what?  The emergence of oral piercing has become a popular form of self expression among adolescents and young adults.  Common oral piercing sites include the tongue, cheeks, lips, uvula (soft tissue hanging at the back of the mouth) and frenum.

People interested in this trend, however, should be aware that it is not without health risks.  Complications resulting from an oral piercing can occur during the initial piercing and anytime there after.

Risks

Procedure Related Risks
Infection is a possibility with any opening in skin or oral tissues.  The mouth is teeming with bacteria.  Oral piercing carries a high potential for infection at the site of the piercing.  Prolonged bleeding after tongue piercing can happen as well as swelling.  Some reports have shown that swelling was serious enough to block the airway.  Oral piercing has been identified as a possible factor in blood borne disease transmission of HIV, Herpes, Hepatitis B, C, D and G.  In addition, oral piercing carries a risk of endocarditis, a serious inflammation of the heart.  The wound created during oral piercing provides an opportunity for bacteria to enter the bloodstream, where they can travel to the heart.

Jewelry Related Complications
Jewelry placed close to the gum tissue can cause the soft tissue to recede.  Likewise, teeth can be damaged if jewelry strikes them.  Oral jewelry can cause drooling and impede speech, chewing and swallowing.  Jewelry in the mouth can also obstruct radiographic images.  There is always the possibility of ingestion or aspiration.

Despite the risks, those who go through with the procedure should:

• Ask friends to recommend the name of the studio they visited.

• Visit the studio.  Look for special containers for disposing of used needles, an autoclave, gloves, some sterilized packages of instruments (black lines on them to show they have reached the right temperature)

• See if staff are vaccinated against Hepatitis B.

• Ask for the studio’s health certificate.