Piercings can be beautiful, as seen by my patient. There may be some drawbacks to having this type of jewelry. Many of my patients come in with broken and chipped teeth. If you already have oral piercings please try not to bite it or click it against your teeth. It may be a habit that you are unaware of, accidents do happen, so please see your dentist if one does, it may be minor with an easy repair. It always surprises me when people come in all tatted up and say they are afraid of needles.

If you get a piercing in your tongue, the most common area in the mouth, here are some problems that may occur. Swelling of your tongue which may block your airway, prolonged bleeding and an allergic reaction to the metal are common for new piercings, also you get more saliva which can affect your speech.

If you already have a tongue piercing, you may get an infection because the mouth has millions of bacteria and food can collect around the area this may also cause bad breath.

If you have a lip piercing, it may rub against your teeth and gums causing your gums to recede if this starts please consider removing it. The lip is a difficult area and tends to scar. Choking is always a hazard because the piercing may become loose and you could choke on the hoops, barbells or studs.

To prevent any problems, keep your piercing clean, take it out during sports and see your dentist or physician immediately if there is any sign of infection.