Tongue Piercing

Tongue piercing is growing in popularity, and so are visits to the dentist's office. Seemingly harmless, tongue piercing can have serious consequences for the wearer's dental heath. Before you adorn your tongue with jewelry, consider the potential risk to your teeth and use of your tongue.

Tongue piercing is performed by penetrating the tongue with a medical needle encased in a plastic sheath. The needle is removed and the sheath left in place. A stainless steel barbell is then placed through the hole and the sheath removed.

Soon after the barbell is inserted in the tongue, many patients report excessive salivation, pain, impaired speech, and difficulty in swallowing. Infections surrounding the piercing are also not uncommon and must be treated immediately. If not treated immediately, infections can lead to further complications that may result in the permanent loss of taste and tongue mobility.

Tongue piercing can also cause irreparable damage to the teeth. Constant contact of the teeth with the metal jewelry can cause very fine fractures in the surface of the teeth. As time passes, the fractures multiply and connect. As the fractures connect, pieces of the tooth weaken and fall off resulting in chips and large sections, even the entire tooth, falling out.

Treatment for patients who have a tongue piercing is usually multi-leveled. First, any infection to the soft tissue of the tongue is treated and cleared up. Next, the mouth is fully examined and x-rayed to determine if any cracks or fissures exist. Treatment is then based on the extent of the damage. If a tooth is so badly damaged as to need replacement, a crown and bridge can be fashioned to replace it.