Oral Piercing and your Health
Oral piercing is one of the latest fads sweeping the country, and many young people are flocking to piercing locations to have a tongue or lip piercing. While they may not consider the possible negative consequences of this action, our Los Angeles dentist wants you to be aware of potential health risks inherent in tongue and lip piercings.
Piercing sites are often points of collection for harmful bacteria. Because the mouth is always moist and warm, bacteria grown in oral areas easily. Piercings may give bacteria a gateway into the body, causing infections in remote or weakened areas from an oral piercing. It is possible to become seriously ill from bacteria obtained through an oral piercing site, including infections which attack the heart and brain. In rare and serious cases, death could even result.
If an oral piercing causes damage to the teeth, our dentist may also need to talk to you about restorative dentistry. Bacteria collecting on the piercing site could worsen gum disease or tooth decay, so be sure to allow your dentist to examine your mouth at least every six months.
Piercings can also interfere with dental fillings and cause metallic reactions in the mouth. It is also possible for piercing sites to swell, causing difficulty in breathing, swallowing and chewing. Sometimes swelling is so bad that the person must remove the piercing and allow the site to heal.
Before you consider an oral piercing, talk to our cosmetic dentist in Los Angeles about the risks and how to minimize them.
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