Piercing on the tongue: what is oral health care?

The piercing comes from a tradition of at least 5000 years. It has been used by diverse cultures, in various parts of the body and with different meanings. In ancient Egypt, for example, only pharaohs and royal families could use it in their navel. In India, nose piercing is reserved for the higher castes. Between Aztecs and Mayans, their use in the language was very common to distinguish priests from temples. For the Alaskan Eskimos, lip and tongue piercing represented the moment of transition to the adult world.

The mouth piercing was identified by the National Institutes of Health as a possible form of hepatitis B, C, D transmission and G.

In the 1960s and 1970s, piercing became commonplace in hippie communities. And in the 80's and 90's was quickly taken over by punks and other tribes. Today, it is becoming more and more popular among young people in many countries and in all socioeconomic strata.

But, even if the procedure is done in a safe environment, with all hygiene and biosafety care, the risk of infection in the placement of a piercing is an important point to consider.

If the chosen site is the mouth the risk is even greater because the site contains millions of microorganisms and the tissues are extremely irrigated. By the open wound after the perforation, bacteria of the mouth can enter the bloodstream and cause various types of infection, such as endocarditis. During the procedure many blood vessels are punctured and there may be a large bleeding. People who use lingual buttons are also at risk of swallowing or aspiring to jewelry. Pain, swelling, and broken teeth are common in people who have tongue piercings. In addition, metal parts can injure the mucosa and cause gingival retraction.

The presence of any foreign body in the mouth increases the production of saliva, hinders correct pronunciation of words and chewing. The piercing of the mouth was identified by the National Institute of Health as a possible form of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, D and G transmission. It is therefore easy to understand why the use of piercings in the tongue and lips region is discouraged by many professionals

Anyone who chooses to use tongue piercing, and does not want to have bad breath, should be careful to remove it to do the drilling and metal hygiene. This should be done daily, as the biofilm that forms on the teeth also forms on the entire surface of the metal.

Few imagine, but chronic traumatism in the mouth caused by both maladaptive prostheses and by the use of piercings and mouth extensors may contribute to the appearance of neoplasms (tumor). When the use of the piercings is added to the cigarette and the alcohol, the risk to the development of neoplasias is even greater. The poor oral hygiene commonly observed around these devices also acts as an additional factor to the development of these neoplasias.

Culture, fashion, personal expression ... no matter the reason, before deciding to wear a piercing it is good to be well aware of the consequences of this choice.

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