Key Points
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Tongue and lip piercings are seen with increasing frequency in dental practice.
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A variety of complications involving these ornaments (some even life-threatening) have been described.
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Clinicians should discuss body piercing in the context of providing routine anticipatory guidance to patients.
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Clinicians should educate patients about safer piercing strategies to help minimise associated health risks.
Abstract
Piercing of the tongue and perioral regions is an increasingly popular expression of body art, with more patients coming in for a routine check-up with tongue and/or lip piercings. Several complications of oral piercing have been reported, some of which are life-threatening. In the present clinical survey the prevalence of both tongue and lip piercing complications in oral health was assessed in a group of 50 patients. The most common dental problem registered was chipping of the teeth, especially in association with tongue piercing. Gingival recession was seen as a result of lip piercing with studs. Postprocedural complications included oedema, haemorrhage and infection. Therefore, dentists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons should be given more authority to advise patients with oral and facial piercings or those who plan to acquire this type of body art.
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De Moor, R., De Witte, A., Delmé, K. et al. Dental and oral complications of lip and tongue piercings. Br Dent J 199, 506–509 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4812852
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4812852
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