Do tongue piercings hurt your oral well being? Proof factors to sure

A brand new evaluation warns that tongue piercings can injury enamel, gums, and even pose uncommon however critical systemic dangers, urging sufferers and clinicians to weigh the risks rigorously.

Schematic diagram illustrating the commonest websites for tongue piercings. (A) Single center tongue; (B) double piercing in midline; (C) ring piercing; (D,E) double piercing horizontally and (F) a number of piercing often involving two or extra piercings organized in a row or symmetrically on both aspect of the midline.

In a current evaluation article revealed within the journal Clinics and Follow, researchers examined the oral well being implications of tongue piercings.

Physique piercing entails inserting jewellery into openings created in physique components, together with the ears, lips, eyebrows, nostril, nipples, intimate areas, and tongue. This observe has more and more change into common in Western societies over the previous a long time, and is carried out in each unregulated and controlled environments. As such, sterilization strategies and hygiene ranges can fluctuate primarily based on the practitioner and site. 

Because the pattern continues, there’s a want for extra stringent laws, improved practices, and larger public consciousness to make sure the well-being and security of individuals participating in physique piercings. 

Research spotlight a number of intraoral piercing websites, together with the lips, tongue, labial frenulum, cheek, lingual frenulum, and uvula.

Tongue piercings are among the many hottest varieties, particularly amongst younger adults and youngsters. A tongue piercing is often carried out with out anesthesia; therapeutic usually takes round three to 5 weeks.

Whereas tongue piercings are more and more adopted in fashionable tradition, it’s crucial to think about the associated dangers, similar to allergic reactions, dental problems, and infections. Tongue piercings are linked to adversarial well being results. 

Frequent problems embody swelling, ache, bleeding, lesions, gingival recession, and an infection. As well as, oral microflora alterations, salivary composition modifications, dental injury, and compromised periodontal well being have been documented. Past native problems, tongue piercings could also be potential vectors for viral transmission (together with HIV, HBV, HCV, HSV, and EBV).

The evaluation and findings

Within the current evaluation, researchers explored the affect of tongue piercings on oral well being, specializing in the adversarial results of their use. They searched the Net of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases for related articles on tongue/oral piercings revealed from January 1990 to March 2025. Peer-reviewed research explicitly addressing oral well being penalties of tongue piercings had been eligible, together with case studies, observational research, and critiques.

The search process yielded 257 articles; 19 publications had been chosen for evaluation. These included 5 literature critiques and 14 medical studies and case research. These research recognized varied websites for tongue piercings, together with vertical, double, ring, double lateral, horizontal, and a number of piercings.

The vertical piercing encompasses a barbell positioned on the middle of the tongue. The ring piercing can be positioned on the middle of the tongue. The double piercing options two piercings alongside the midline of the tongue. The horizontal piercing runs by way of the tip with ball ends on either side. The double lateral piercing contains two studs parallel to one another on both aspect. A number of piercings contain ≥ two piercings organized systematically or in a row on both aspect of the midline.

Literature critiques evaluated medical outcomes and dangers related to tongue piercings. As an illustration, one evaluation reported elevated enamel fractures, gingival recession, and enamel fissures related to tongue piercings.

Equally, one other evaluation indicated that oral piercings pose hazardous dangers to the onerous and comfortable oral and perioral tissues and that piercings could even pose life-threatening dangers. 

One other evaluation instructed that uncommon however critical systemic infections, similar to infective endocarditis, could happen, though their prevalence stays low. In the meantime, case research and medical studies supplied insights into the particular oral well being problems, similar to gingival recession, tooth fractures, mucosal lesions, comfortable tissue trauma, and infections.

One case research reported extreme ache and a lesion in a feminine with a barbell-shaped piercing, which healed every week after piercing removing. 

One other research described a 15 mm-wide midline nodule on the dorsal tongue in a feminine with a piercing in the identical website that was eliminated two years prior. In a case report, a male with a tongue decoration developed an an infection within the space that healed over, leading to a division of the tongue on the midline or anterior side.

One research reported problems, together with bleeding, embedded ornaments, and an infection, in three instances.

Conclusions

In sum, tongue piercings pose important well being dangers, with problems like swelling, ache, tooth fractures, gum recession, speech difficulties, and infections. Though uncommon, extreme circumstances like infective endocarditis and nerve injury may happen.

The proof base is proscribed, since most accessible research are case studies and small medical sequence, and this evaluation was narrative in nature with out formal high quality evaluation. 

These limitations imply the energy of proof is comparatively low, and conclusions needs to be interpreted with warning. Folks should rethink tongue piercings in favor of safer options. 

In instances the place they nonetheless proceed with this oral piercing, they need to be absolutely knowledgeable of the potential dangers related to it. Clinicians should stay vigilant and educate sufferers concerning the problems related to tongue piercings. They have to be ready to stop, monitor, and handle associated issues in medical observe.