The problems with piercing

By Dr Fiona MacKillop

The popularity of body piercing has increased over the years. We have a number of patients with piercings in an age range from 17 to 60yrs.

However, lip and tongue piercing carry their own set of problems and these are unlikely to be included in the usual warnings of pain, swelling and infection following a piercing.

I have seen an increasing number of patients with chipped lower teeth caused by the ball of a tongue piercing constantly clicking on them. In addition lip piercing can cause gum recession. The metal piercing presses against the gum around the teeth and can cause advanced localised recession of the gums. Not only is this unsightly, it can lead to gum problems, and ultimately loss of the tooth.

I recently saw a new patient to our practice who had had a tongue piercing for a number of years. There was dramatic bone loss around a lower front tooth as clearly shown by our 3D scanning technology. This problem must have been  steadily worsening, undetected  for  years. 

The area was deep cleaned and the patient advised to remove the piercing to prevent further deterioration which would almost certainly lead to loss of the tooth. A compromise was reached with the patient reluctantly agreeing to change the ball from metal to plastic. We await the results with interest. Unfortunately the long-term prognosis is poor!

Tags: piercing, recession