Pediatric Dentistry
Tongue Piercing
There has been an upsurge in the amount of teenagers getting tongue piercings. Teenagers often view these piercings as a harmless expression of their growing individuality. Oftentimes, parents allow teens to pierce their tongues because the metal bar is impermanent. In addition, tongue bars are not as visually apparent as a tattoo or eyebrow piercing might be.
Unfortunately, tongue piercings can have a serious (even deadly) impact on health. Pediatric dentists routinely advise adolescents to avoid intraoral or perioral piercings for a number of good reasons.
What are the most common tongue piercing problems?
To pierce a tongue, the body piercer must first hold it steady with a clamp. Next, a hollowed, pointed metal needle is driven through the tongue. Finally, the piercer attaches the tongue bar to the bottom end of the needle, and then drags it upwards through the tongue. Two metal screw-on balls are then used to secure the tongue bar.
Most commonly, severe pain and swelling are experienced for several days after the piercing episode. Moreover, the new holes in the tongue are especially infection-prone, because the oral cavity is home to many bacteria colonies. In the medium term, saliva production may increase as the body responds to a completely unnatural entity in the mouth.
