by Billings, MT Dental Hygienist Oh, my aching tongue!
Health care providers generally come equipped with our own set of bias. As a dental
hygienist, I found my first encounter with a pierced tongue a bit unnerving. My initial
reaction fell somewhere between “grossed out” and mortified. Within the last year the
number of tongue piercings I have seen has grown. And, while I do not recommend or
support tongue piercing, I decided it was time to become better informed about the
procedure.
Body piercing is not a new craze. Most piercings have tribal origins, which date back
many, many years. Remember those pictures in National Geographic showing rings and
bars through various parts of the anatomy? In the head area alone, piercing sites include
ear cartilage, ear lobe, nostril, septum, eyebrow, lip, cheek, labret and tongue. Piercing
the tongue is currently running second to the ever-popular ear piercing.
The first tongue piercing was done in the U.S. about ten years ago. While Montana is not
exactly setting the trend, more and more tongue piercings are being performed. If you
are thinking about having your tongue pierced you should be aware of risks and
expectations before having the procedure. A piercing is a foreign object, and the body
naturally wants to get rid of it. It is a puncture wound that needs special care.
Selecting a studio and piercer
Montana currently has NO laws regulating piercers or piercing studios. This means it is
YOUR responsibility to select a site for a safe piercing experience. Guidelines set out by
the Association of Professional Piercers (APP) include such considerations as:
- Check the autoclave (sterilizer) and spore test
If there is no autoclave, RUN!
- ALL needles should be individually packaged and opened while you are present.
Piercing guns are a NO-NO!
- The studio should appear clean
See the piercing room and set up before your procedure
- Studio’s age requirement - usually 18 without parental permission
Most studios have an age requirement even if no state laws exist
- Ask questions of staff and piercer
Do they seem knowledgeable and well informed? Are there plaques or certificates
on the walls?
- Make sure they provide an AFTERCARE information sheet
This should be read BEFORE your piercing procedure
The Procedure
Options for tongue piercings include centre, off-centre, horizontal and tongue web
piercing. Variations can include multiple piercings with a mixture of jewelry.
“Standard” tongue piercings are done using a straight barbell, usually between 14gage
to 10 gage. The length needs to be 50% longer than the tongue at rest to
accommodate the swelling that will occur.
A strong mouthwash is used and then the “piercing site” is marked on the tongue and
checked by you. The tongue is then held in a clamp. A needle is passed through the
tongue and followed through with the jewelry. Then the clamp is removed and the
bead is placed.
Aftercare
Full healing of the site takes 4 weeks, though the primary healing (swelling and
discomfort) takes a week or less.
Following the tongue piercing, it is imperative that aftercare procedures are heeded.
This will include the daily use of antibacterial or peroxide based mouthrinse products
and special cleaning instructions. It is necessary to rinse the mouth with an
appropriate antibacterial solution after ANYTHING goes in the mouth (except water
or ice).
It is important not to play with the piercing for the first 4-6 weeks beyond the
necessary movement to speak and eat. Avoid chewing on fingernails, pencils,
sunglasses, etc. during healing.
A complete list of procedures for care should be given to you and strictly followed.
Risks and Considerations
Anything you do to your body can have possible side effects. This is true with tongue
piercing. SOME of the risks are:
- The tongue swells 2-3X normal size the first 48 hours
Ice, cold nutritional drinks, and elevation of the head when sleeping are
recommended
- Speech, taste and swallowing disturbances, especially in the initial healing stage
- Infection—if you get an infection LEAVE YOUR JEWELRY IN! This allows the
pus to drain out and avoid an abscess.
- Nerve damage or hemorrhaging—proper placement is imperative, every tongue is
different
- Chipping teeth—biting on the jewelry or clicking it against the teeth can cause
tooth chipping. To avoid this, replace the balls with acrylic balls, which are kinder
to the teeth.
- Gum and bone erosion—when the bead puts constant pressure of the gums or roof
of the mouth it can cause erosion of the bone and gum. This is minimized by
proper placement and correct length of bar post.
After becoming more “informed” about tongue piercing I haven’t changed my mind
much. The bottom line is:
this is an unregulated procedure and I wouldn’t recommend
latching onto the trend. If you decide that tongue piercing is for you, be smart and get
informed.
