A piercing in your lip, tongue, or check can come with some health risks. An oral piercing can take as long as two months to heal, so be sure you care for it properly. Here are a few basic care tips:
- Avoid alcohol while healing.
- Avoid spicy foods while healing.
- Avoid hard and/or sticky foods while healing.
- Don’t smoke or use tobacco products while healing.
- Brush your teeth after every meal.
- Rinse with a mouthwash after every meal.
- Rinse your mouth frequently with warm salt water.
- Talk to your body piercer and/or dentist if you have any problems.
Caring for your new piercing properly can help you avoid health risks. Watch for warning signs of infection, like yellow or green discharge at the piercing site, redness, pain or tenderness, bleeding or tearing after the initial healing, or a persistent low-grade fever. If you see any of these signs, talk to your doctor or dentist as soon as possible.
Besides infection, there are other potential health problems with oral piercings.
- Nerve damage in the tongue. You may temporarily (or permanently) lose sensation at the piercing site if a nerve has been damaged.
- Prolonged bleeding. If a blood vessel is damaged, you may experience bleeding.
- Increased risk of gum disease. Long barbells in the tongue may come into contact with gum tissue and cause injury or a gum line recession.
- Increased risk of tooth damage. Contact with jewelry can chip or crack teeth. Constantly playing with your jewelry can wear your teeth down.
- Changes in oral function. You may initially experience swelling at the piercing site that can cause difficulty with chewing, swallowing, and even talking. Your sense of taste can be altered. Many of these changes are temporary.
- Jewelry that becomes loose in the mouth can be a choking hazard. You may swallow all or part of a piece of jewelry; this can damage your lungs or digestive system.
Choosing the right piercing studio can help you reduce your risk of complications. Visit the studio and talk to the piercers before you commit to a piercing. Ask about their sterilization process — your piercing studio should use a hospital grade autoclave for sterilization. They should use disposable gloves for each piercing, and all needles and jewelry should be kept in sterilized packaging. The studio you choose should have passed inspection by the local health department.
I’m not trying to scare you out of an oral piercing, or any body piercing if that is what you want. I’ve got multiple piercings in my ears, and have had my share of healing problems. My brother spent several years working as a body piercer in North Carolina and New Jersey. I’ve seen how a piercing studio is run — I’ve even helped work the autoclave! If you have any questions about piercing and piercing safety, I’ll be glad to answer them or pass then on to my brother for his expert knowledge.