Photo d'une bouche avec des piercings

Oral Piercings and Oral Health

Increasingly popular, oral piercings are a trend that seems to be ongoing. Although they may seem harmless, it is important to be careful, as they can have serious consequences on your oral health.

From the risk of infection, to dental problems, to tongue and jaw complications, here are some of the undesirable effects that oral piercings can have on your health.

At the Centre Dentaire & Implantologie Boucherville, we give you as much information as possible so you can make your choice with full background knowledge.


Beware of Infections!

When we talk about oral piercings, we must first consider the risks of infection, because infections are the primary problems to appear after having an oral piercing.

The mouth is a humid place that contains a lot of bacteria. Under such conditions, no matter how much care you or the piercing expert take, it is impossible to completely reduce the chances of infection to zero.

It is therefore important to choose the right piercing expert, because the use of well sterilized tools or disposable tools is essential to reduce the risks.

In fact, “17% of all piercings are associated with complications ranging from negligible to life-threatening conditions.”

While these infections can be simple local infections that are relatively easy to treat, it is possible to see much more serious complications such as:

  • HIV
  • Tetanus
  • Hepatitis B or C

Therefore, in order to address these risks, it is important to think carefully before piercing the inside of the mouth. Preferably, one should consult an oral health specialist before performing such a procedure.

Picture of damaged teeth

Take Care of Your Teeth When You Want a Mouth Piercing

Infections are not the only possible complications of an oral piercing. In fact, they can also have an impact on our teeth.

During a typical day, whether it’s talking or eating, our entire mouth is in constant motion. This obviously causes the movement of any piercing inside our cheeks, lips, or tongue.

These movements can create a friction effect between the metal rod or the jewel of the piercing and your teeth. It is also possible that the gum is affected by this effect. Some of the possible complications of this phenomenon are:

  • A deterioration of the teeth enamel, which creates dental hypersensitivity
  • Progressive misalignment of your teeth

Since these problems can have serious and permanent consequences on your oral health, it is important to be well-informed before having such a jewel placed.

Tongue Piercings and Their Effects

Among oral piercings, tongue piercing is one of the most common, especially among young people aged 18 to 25. Despite its popularity, it is not without risks. So, it’s just as important not to get your tongue pierced on a whim.

The tongue is an organ covered with a fragile mucous membrane. Tongue piercings can therefore bring with them several complications, such as:

  • They can rub on the rest of the mouth and cause problems with teeth or gums
  • It is possible that they cause a loss of sensation in the tongue
  • Finally, they can cause agnosia, which is a loss of taste

Tongue piercings can therefore seriously damage the organ, even causing it to lose one of its main functions.

Piercings and the Jaw

The jaw is an important mechanism in the human body. It is also one of the elements of your mouth that can be affected by the presence of piercings inside it.

Indeed, it is possible that the presence of the jewels and metal rods forming the piercings cause problems of blocking or difficulties in the movement of your jaw.

In addition to these complications, it is possible that the piercings that interfere with the proper functioning of the jaw may cause pain in the mouth or in the rest of the face.

Finally, because it occupies a large portion of the skull, complications with your jaw may even result in unexpected complications, such as ear pain.

If you have an oral piercing project in mind, or if you already have this type of jewelry, do not hesitate to come and consult one of our professionals to learn more about the subject.


At the Centre Dentaire & Implantologie Boucherville, make an appointment today and let us help you make an informed decision.

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