Tongue piercing risks

Body piercing

Body piercing, especially piercing of the tongue, has become quite fashionable these days. In the eye of the observer it represents a declaration of fashion choice. Numerous people are attracted towards this type of proclamation of style, particularly the teens. However, the procedure of tongue piercing is not without certain risks to health. There are broad-ranging dangers to health, but there are also risks to the safety of the oral cavity.

Body piercing in general, tongue piercing included, are nowadays considered a safe, routine action. They are done in special shops, by people who have sufficient knowledge and have possibly been trained. The instruments they use are sterile and suited to the needs of the profession. Be that as it may, as in every invasive procedure there are certain risks involved. In many cases no complications will occur, but it is good to know what problem may potentially arise, so as to be able to notice them on time, if need be.

Dangers to teeth and gum tissue

When piercing the tongue, a piece of jewellery called tongue barbell is inserted through the tongue. It usually poses no threat to the teeth, but sometimes the piercing-wearer ends up with a chipped, cracked or fractured tooth, especially a front one. In such cases the dentist will repair the tooth using a filling or a crown. Bear in mind that this kind of reparation to the tooth is performed, it needs to be re-done several times during your life. Also, there are some diseases of the gums that are caused when the tongue barbell rubs repeatedly against the oral cavity.

Potential infections

The oral cavity is normally damp, of course, and filled with a whole range of benign bacteria. Also, the multitude of blood vessels aggravates this potential danger, since the bacteria can freely spread through the bloodstream. Sadly, there have been cases of mouth ulcerations which appeared as a result of the tongue piercing procedure. However, all these dangers can be prevented by proper approach to the tongue piercing procedure.

Loss of blood

As we have previously mentioned, the tongue is packed with blood vessels, so the piercing technician needs to be extra careful compared to when they are piercing, say, the nose. In case, the piercing instrument hits a vessel or vessels, the person undergoing the procedure could lose substantial amounts of blood. Also, there is the similar risk for the nerves – there are a lot of them, and hitting some may result in complications and damage to the nerve.