We know that when you hear someone tell you that you shouldn’t do something that you want to do, it’s a little frustrating. When you have a dental professional urging you to consider some legitimate reasons to avoid something, such as choosing an oral piercing, it might feel a bit more compelling. We hope so, and we encourage you to think through the potential hazards of such a piercing. Remember, protecting your oral health is our mission!

Harming Smile Parts Is Likely

You could break your teeth. You could chip your teeth. You might irritate your gums, thereby promoting recession or even periodontal disease. You could damage a dental crown or mess up veneers or bonding. There are a lot of ways that an oral piercing may come into contact with your oral tissues and lead to damage. There is more than one negative side effect here. First of all, damage may feel uncomfortable. Next, you will need to spend time, money, and effort restoring your smile to fix problems that were wholly avoidable.

Serious Complications Can Arise

Beyond dealing with broken teeth and restorative treatments, there are some severe side effects than may occur as the result of an oral piercing. First and foremost, your mouth is not a sterile environment. When you create an opening in your tongue, expect bacteria to have a field day. An infection is possible and has, in rare cases, led to life-threatening inflammation. Add the possibility of nerve damage to that list and the potential for sensitivity due to metal allergies and you might want to skip the piercing after all.

Ask Us For An Expert Opinion

When you’re ready to make a serious decision that may impact your oral health, come in to talk it over with us. Schedule care with your Southlake, TX dentist today by calling Gregory Wright, DDS at (817) 481-7999. We gladly serve patients from Southlake, Grapevine, Keller, Trophy Club, Colleyville, and surrounding areas.