Getting a pierced lip, pierced cheek, pierced tongue or something far more extreme seems to be a trend nowadays as you cannot go anywhere without seeing someone with one of these piercings! As a form of self-expression, oral piercing is gaining more popularity each year, and while we recognize self-expression is important, as a group of dental professionals we do not support the idea of oral piercings. So why? The reason for this is that it is our job to take care of your oral health, and having an oral piercing is not good for your mouth health.
Oral Piercing Risks
There will be some tenderness and swelling after getting the piercing, but these are typically temporary and will completely disappear after a few weeks. It is important to note that there are additional risks involved, such as infection and rejection of the jewelry, allergies to metal, scars, damage to the teeth, and abscesses.
Why Dentists Don't Like Them
The majority of oral piercings will cause a person to experience in tenderness, swelling, bleeding, redness, and scabbing. As a result of the challenge and pain in cleaning the pierced area, people may not take as much care of their oral health, resulting in an infection. Teeth can be damaged or chipped because of poor placement of the piercings, or if the piercings migrate to another area. It is possible in some extreme cases, that the damage is so vast that the tooth must be extracted and then replaced. There are other risks associated with oral piercings, such as the possibility of trauma when an injury or accident occurs, such as being torn or pulled. Overall, oral piercing creates an added risk to the oral health of the person who wears it.
Dentist Tigard, OR | Dental Blog - Lincoln Center Smiles Dr. Saklofsky has created an educational blog as a resource for our patients. If you like an article or the dental blog in general please share it to social media, then call (971) 317-9499 to make an appointment. Lincoln Center Smiles, 10500 SW Greenburg Rd, Suite 3, Portland, OR 97223-1406 + (503) 598-0898 + sakdental.com + 1/22/2025 + Key Phrases: dentist Tigard OR +
Getting a pierced lip, pierced cheek, pierced tongue or something far more extreme seems to be a trend nowadays as you cannot go anywhere without seeing someone with one of these piercings! As a form of self-expression, oral piercing is gaining more popularity each year, and while we recognize self-expression is important, as a group of dental professionals we do not support the idea of oral piercings. So why? The reason for this is that it is our job to take care of your oral health, and having an oral piercing is not good for your mouth health.