Dr Ranjan has been working as the principal dentist at ‘Dr. Murthy’s Family Medical & Dental Klink’ at Anse Aux Pins for more than two years. He has diverse experience in general dentistry for more than eight years.
Dr Ranjan tells us that piercing has been in tradition since ancient times; in different cultures and religions, mostly women pierce their noses and ears. In some African tribes, we can observe severe facial piercings as a sign of their tribe, and you can identify different tribes from their looks.
He adds that as our society becomes modern, we can see some changes among our youth who follow different fashion trends from their favourite celebrities.
“Nowadays we see piercings on the cheeks, lips, ears, tongue, nose, naval, breast, and also on the genitals,” says Dr Ranjan. “Mostly teenage girls and even boys go for piercings and they find it cool to have these metal rings or studs on their different body parts, without realising the pros or cons of this.”
Below, Dr Ranjan lists some of the effects that piercings can have on our oral health:
Infection: Our oral cavity is one of the moist places in our body and it’s a breeding ground for millions of bacteria. Many a time, unsterile instruments used for piercing can cause different kinds of infections. If there’s a bacterial infection, the patient often experiences redness, swelling, itching, and a slight to moderate pain even after the first week of piercing. Many a time there will be a white pus discharge from the piercing site. Due to the infection, the patient can feel warmth at the piercing site and may also get a mild fever. Apart from a bacterial infection, sometimes unsterile instruments can pass on HIV and Hepatitis infection from one client to the next.
Blood vessel and nerve damages: In the past, in many instances, the amateur piercing artist who has little or no experience and knowledge about facial / oral tissue, often damages blood vessels or nerve tissues around the lips and tongue. Many times a patient suffers from excessive bleeding and they have to rush to get emergency care. In some cases, the patient often complains of loss or abnormal sensation around the piercing site on their tongue, face and lips. This is called Paraesthesia, which can be temporary or permanent in some cases.
Chipped and cracked tooth: Patients who have piercings done on the lips or tongue often have a habit of moving them around in the mouth. The continuous movement of metal rings around the tooth structure often leads to cracked or chipped outer enamel surfaces. This can cause sensitivity, occlusal and aesthetic changes.
Gingival recession: 80% of patients who have lip or tongue piercings often have gingival or gum recession on the lower or upper anterior tooth. A gingival recession happens over a long course of time and once it happens, it’s very hard to treat and many a time it is untreatable.
Speech changes: After getting tongue or lip piercings, many patients often develop some changes in their speech which is due to the interference of the ring or stud with the tongue while speaking.
Metal allergy: A few patients have complained of swelling of the tongue and lips even after the first week of piercing and often we find out that they are allergic to the metal they are wearing. In these cases, once we remove the rings or stud, the patient feels completely normal.
Accidental ingestion: Some patients have also reported to their general practitioner that their tongue or lips piercing were loosened and they accidentally ingested it.
Scar formation: Many times piercings done by untrained professionals leave a permanent scar on the lips and the face of the patient.
Saliva drooling: After getting tongue or lips piercing, the patient often gets a lot of saliva in their mouth and they find themselves drooling over a long period.
Difficulties in dental treatment: Many tongue studs and lip rings cannot be removed by the patient which creates problems in taking orthopantomogram (OPG) or IOPA x-rays of the teeth. Even other dental treatments can be challenging for the dentist due to the interference from the piercings.
Dr Ranjan’s suggestion and advice for patients who have oral piercings is to know that there are pros of getting piercings on our bodies, and one should be aware of these before they get their bodies pierced. The patient who has oral piercings should maintain good oral hygiene to avoid any infection in their mouth. They should visit their dentist regularly to see any unwanted changes in their oral cavity. The use of non-alcoholic mouthwash, sensitivity relieving toothpaste, and soft bristle toothbrushes can be good prophylactic care.
Source: Seychelles Nation
