If you are thinking about piercing your tongue, you may want to think twice. Although tongue piercings have become very popular over the years, you may want to consider the risks before you decide to buy a new jewelry box for your collection of new tongue studs.
There are many blood vessels in your mouth, and especially in your tongue. When you get your tongue pierced, if the needle strikes a blood vessel, you could experience severe bleeding. Your mouth is full of bacteria. This is true of everyone’s mouth, and if proper sterilization techniques aren’t used, and if you don’t keep the area of the piercing clean, you could end up with a serious infection. Piercings may also play a role in the transmission of hepatitis, and oral piercings increase your chances of getting endocarditis, which is the inflammation of your heart valves.
Your barbell will repeatedly contact your lower teeth, which means your teeth can become chipped. Over time, you may develop a gap in your teeth from contact with the tongue stud.
So, before you decide to pierce your tongue, it may be a good idea to talk with our dentist, Dr. Steven J. Brazis, to make sure that you understand the risks involved in your piercing. At the very least, you should make an appointment after your piercing for the dentist to check and make sure that you don’t have any developing problems. If you live in the Sacramento, California, area, call 916-731-5151 to schedule a visit.
