Tongue Piercings and Dental Health

What You Should Know About Tongue Piercings and Your Health

Body art is something becoming more mainstream as the years go on, and more and more individuals from younger generations are expressing themselves in this way. While everyone has the right to express themselves in any way they please, some forms of body modification are riskier and more dangerous than others. For example, tongue piercings can be a threat to proper oral health, which is why dentists generally do not promote tongue rings, barbells, or studs in the tongue.

What are the Different Types of Tongue Piercings?

While there are a number of different styles of tongue piercings, the stud is the most common and most popular. Whether it is a single stud in the middle of the tongue or more than one clustered together to form a pattern, this style of tongue piercing has the most versatility, and the studs themselves come in the largest variety of materials and colors. Tongue rings are also very popular and are most often positioned through the lingual frenulum, which is the thin membrane attaching the tongue to the mouth.

Tongue Piercings Can Cause Chipped or Cracked Teeth

The most common oral health problem caused by tongue piercings is chipped or cracked teeth, which can be caused when the tooth knocks against the jewelry while the individual is eating or talking. The continued contact between the tooth’s surface and the jewelry can cause the enamel of the teeth to begin to crack and chip away, which leaves the tooth vulnerable and sensitive. Biting down onto or knocking the tooth hard onto the jewelry can also cause the enamel to crack up to the nerves.

Tongue Piercings Can Cause Tooth Movement

A good majority of those who get their tongue pierced never have their piercings removed, and this is partly due to the fact that once the jewelry is removed the hole left by the piercing closes quickly if the space is not kept open. The problem with this is that the constant pressure put on the back of the teeth from the piercing can often cause the teeth to shift and move in the mouth. This can cause problems like gaps in the teeth or an improper bite that did not previously exist. This condition is called diastema, which, in fairness, can develop with or without the existence of a tongue piercing--but the piercing does add further risk.

If you have further questions about the risks of tongue piercings to your oral and dental health, feel free to visit with your dentist. To save as much as 20 percent off your dental bills, try signing up for one of our New Hampshire Discount Dental Plan s. For more information, please click here.

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