Piercing of The Human Mouth…A Bad Idea-11/13/08

By: Larry J. Cook

Oral piercing has seen a dramatic increase in recent years. The lips, cheeks, and the tongue are popular sites for oral piercing. Perforation of the blood vessels of the tongue can cause bleeding and hematoma formations.
Frequently swelling in the mouth develops after tongue piercing. A major possible consequence of oral piercing is the compromise of the airway from trauma, tongue swelling, or obstruction by the jewelry in the mouth. Securing or providing an adequate airway or even endotracheal intubation can be challenging when a patient has a tongue barbell. If, in an emergency situation the jewelry in the mouth is not able to be removed easily or expeditiously, emergency physicians and dentist must try and ensure that the jewelry is not loosened and aspirated or swallowed. It would always be a desired step to remove oral and nasal jewelry to non-emergency surgical procedures.
Chipping, cracking, or splitting teeth are the most common dental problem related to barbells in the tongue. When beaded jewelry is in the mouth it is possible for the jewelry to become trapped between teeth. The mouth has millions of bacteria present at all times and the risk of infection is obviously high.
The use of oral rinses like Listerine will reduce the bacteria amounts found in the mouth and reduce the chance of oral infection is highly recommended. There have been reported cases of rapidly spreading oral cellulitis (Ludwig’s Angina) as a complication of tongue piercing. This cellulitis can come on a person extremely quickly, sometimes a matter of hours, and can lead to life threatening complications such as loss of an adequate airway due to the enormous swelling in the throat area.
The information offered above described the reasons for caution to be used in having oral piercing done in your mouth. Please contact your dental professional and explore the pro’s and con’s to oral piercing before submitting to any of these processes.