““Mouth Jewelry-It’s Not As Simple As You Think!”Mouth Jewelry-It’s Not As Simple As You Think!”

HistoryHistory The ancient The ancient

Aztecs, Mayans, Aztecs, Mayans, and tribes of the and tribes of the American American Northwest pierced Northwest pierced their tonguestheir tongues

Religious ritual Religious ritual performed by performed by shamen and shamen and priestspriests

Purpose: to Purpose: to communicate communicate with the Godswith the Gods

History cont.History cont. Recent HistoryRecent History

Rise of Rise of popularity in popularity in the 1970’sthe 1970’s

Transition of Transition of piercing into piercing into the the “mainstream“mainstream””

Piercing Piercing trends trends glamorized in glamorized in the mediathe media

Newest Oral Fad……Newest Oral Fad……

Dental “Grillz”Dental “Grillz” Customized teeth caps Customized teeth caps

made of precious made of precious metals and jewelsmetals and jewels

Cost for a full set-Cost for a full set-hundreds to hundreds to thousands of dollarsthousands of dollars

Styles can be snapped Styles can be snapped onto the teeth like an onto the teeth like an orthodontic retainer orthodontic retainer

Others are Others are permanently bonded permanently bonded to the teethto the teeth

Made popular by Made popular by rappers such as Nellyrappers such as Nelly

Tongue SplittingTongue Splitting The tongue is cut down The tongue is cut down

the middle, and is the middle, and is induced to heal in that induced to heal in that state, leaving a forked state, leaving a forked tongue tongue

Side effects can include Side effects can include serious infection with serious infection with damage to speech and damage to speech and tastetaste, or worse, since , or worse, since there are many blood there are many blood vessels in the tongue, vessels in the tongue, severe bleeding can severe bleeding can cause enough blood loss cause enough blood loss thatthat a person could die a person could die

Oral PiercingOral Piercing

Piercing is becoming a more prevalent form of body art and self-expression in today’s society

Oral Piercing has been implicated in a number of adverse oral and systemic conditions

LocationsLocations

CheekCheek FrenumFrenum LipsLips TongueTongue UvulaUvula

TypesTypes

Lip PiercingLip Piercing The lips aren't as The lips aren't as

vascular as the vascular as the tongue, so there's tongue, so there's probably less chance probably less chance of major infection.  of major infection.  But they're even But they're even more more likely to rub the gum likely to rub the gum tissue away from your tissue away from your toothtooth and necessitate and necessitate gum surgery to avoid gum surgery to avoid losing the tooth. Gum losing the tooth. Gum surgery beats brain surgery beats brain surgery, but do you surgery, but do you really want either?  really want either? 

Common Piercing Common Piercing ProblemsProblems

Common symptoms following Common symptoms following piercing and tongue splitting piercing and tongue splitting include pain, swelling, include pain, swelling, infection and increased infection and increased salivary flowsalivary flow

Other problems include:Other problems include: gum tissue injury or gum tissue injury or

recessionrecession damage to teeth and fillings damage to teeth and fillings interference with speech interference with speech

and eatingand eating scar-tissue formationscar-tissue formation development of metal development of metal

allergiesallergies

Bleeding and Bleeding and SwellingSwelling

The tongue contains The tongue contains largelarge blood blood vessels, and you're in trouble if one of vessels, and you're in trouble if one of them is perforated. You could end up them is perforated. You could end up having to have the vessel having to have the vessel closed closed surgicallysurgically in hospital in hospital

Swelling Swelling is a common symptom is a common symptom experienced after oral piercing.  Since experienced after oral piercing.  Since the tongue is in constant motion it can the tongue is in constant motion it can slow and complicate the healing slow and complicate the healing processprocess  

Infection!Infection! Because your mouth contains millions of bacteria, Because your mouth contains millions of bacteria,

infection is a common complication of oral piercinginfection is a common complication of oral piercing Bacteria then cause the floor of the mouth to Bacteria then cause the floor of the mouth to

rapidly swell, which can block the airway or rapidly swell, which can block the airway or prevent the swallowing of saliva  prevent the swallowing of saliva 

Damage to Hard and Soft Damage to Hard and Soft TissuesTissues

Damage to Damage to teethteeth

Chip/crack Chip/crack toothtooth

Can damage Can damage restorations restorations and fixed and fixed porcelain porcelain prosthesesprostheses

Gum RecessionGum Recession

Damage to Hard and Soft Damage to Hard and Soft TissuesTissues

Scar-tissue Scar-tissue formationformation

Keloids form on Keloids form on both the top and both the top and bottom of tonguebottom of tongue

More serious More serious complicationscomplications

Oral infectionsOral infections can lead to infections can lead to infections in other parts of the body. Your in other parts of the body. Your mouth has high levels of bacteria. mouth has high levels of bacteria. When you puncture any part of the When you puncture any part of the oral cavity, this bacteria may find its oral cavity, this bacteria may find its way into your bloodstream. Bacteria way into your bloodstream. Bacteria can reach your heart and cause a can reach your heart and cause a variety of health problemsvariety of health problems

This is called This is called bacterial endocarditisbacterial endocarditis

Bacterial EndocarditisBacterial Endocarditis

Bacterial endocarditis is an Bacterial endocarditis is an infectioninfection of the heart's inner of the heart's inner lining (endocardium) or the lining (endocardium) or the heart valves. This can damage heart valves. This can damage or even destroy your heart or even destroy your heart valvesvalves

This presents a risk for people This presents a risk for people who have cardiac abnormalitieswho have cardiac abnormalities

Bacterial Bacterial EndocarditisEndocarditis

A person who develops bacterial A person who develops bacterial endocarditis can potentially endocarditis can potentially die die from heart from heart

complicationscomplications

Brain EncephalitisBrain Encephalitis

The picture on the right The picture on the right was a girl who almost was a girl who almost dieddied from a from a brain brain abscessabscess following a following a tongue piercing. She tongue piercing. She had had part of her skull part of her skull removedremoved to relieve to relieve pressure caused by the pressure caused by the infection. She can still infection. She can still feel the soft spot where feel the soft spot where the skull is missingthe skull is missing

Hepatitis or HIV?Hepatitis or HIV?

Unsterile instrumentsUnsterile instruments are an easy way to are an easy way to spread spread these and these and other infectionsother infections

Policy of the Policy of the American Academy of American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD)-opposes the (AAPD)-opposes the practice of piercing practice of piercing intraoral and perioral intraoral and perioral tissuestissues

Impairs Normal Oral FunctionsImpairs Normal Oral FunctionsOral jewelry can:Oral jewelry can:

Impede the ability to pronounce words clearly Impede the ability to pronounce words clearly Cause problems with chewingCause problems with chewing Cause problems with swallowing foodCause problems with swallowing food Stimulate excessive saliva productionStimulate excessive saliva production Some metal alloys can cause allergic contact Some metal alloys can cause allergic contact

dermatitisdermatitis Interfere with the oral health evaluation: Interfere with the oral health evaluation: Jewelry in the mouth can block the transmission Jewelry in the mouth can block the transmission of X-rays so abnormalities like cysts, of X-rays so abnormalities like cysts, or abscesses can be seenor abscesses can be seen National Institutes of Health has identifiedNational Institutes of Health has identified piercing as possible route for transmission piercing as possible route for transmission of hepatitis of hepatitis

Do plastic barbells solve Do plastic barbells solve the problem? the problem?

NoNo. They reduce but . They reduce but don't eliminate the don't eliminate the trauma to teeth and trauma to teeth and gums, and they don't gums, and they don't

reduce the risk of reduce the risk of infection infection

Questions?Questions?