Impact of Oral Piercing On Your Oral Health

Oral piercings have become quite popular among teens and young adults over the recent years. But you may need to keep in mind the fact that oral piercings and oral health are closely related to each other. It means that you could be more exposed to the new oral health risks if you get oral piercings.

Here, it would be worth mentioning some oral health risks associated with the oral piercing jewelry.

Infection

The first and foremost problem that tends to happen when you get oral piercing is that you are going to be vulnerable against a lot of infections. Our mouths are full of bacteria. Many of these bacteria good ones but there are many types which can be detrimental to oral and overall health. Such bacteria usually look for the opportunity to initiate any infection in the oral cavity. When you get oral piercings, you essentially give those bacteria an opportunity to interact with the open wound which is developed due to piercing of metal.

Although you need to avoid getting any part of your mouth’s inner structure pierced, you will need to make sure that you take good care of your oral health if you have gone through the piercing process anyway. Proper brushing and flossing are very important. You will have to keep bacteria from interacting with the wounds. Typically, it is going to take a month for the wounds to heal properly.

Damage to the nerves

Tongue holds the complex system of nerves working together. It’s the function of nerves that allows us to taste our foods, speak properly and move the tongue the way we want. After you get your tongue pierced, there are many things that can happen to your tongue. Some of those mainly include:

• Temporary or permanent loss of the ability to taste the foods
• Lisp and other speech problems
• Restricted movement of tongue
• Numbness of the tongue. It can be permanent

Gum disease

When you get the oral piercings, the areas that are more likely to take a hit are going to be the ones with soft and sensitive tissues. Typically, it’s the gums that come under attack in this scenario. Consistent contact of jewelry with gums can result in irritation which can further transform into inflammation. This can be the first stage of gum disease which can worsen over time.

Cracks and fractures in the teeth

The metal used in the making of oral jewelry can hard enough to cause damage to your teeth. You don’t want to get the oral jewelry at the cost of cracked or fractured teeth. Even if you are careful enough to avoid sudden impact of metal on the teeth, the mild and consistent contact can be quite dangerous in the long run.

What you need to do

If you still want to get your tongue or lips pierced, you will need to understand the risks involved in the process. Visiting the dentist regularly may help you avoid the side effects mentioned above. Although piercings are generally painful, you will have to make sure that you are not getting the ones that could be a bit riskier than the normal ones.