Straight Teeth in Less Time
The Health Impacts Of Oral Piercings
Lois Murray
There is a close connection between your oral health and your overall health. This is something that you should keep in mind when you are thinking about getting oral piercings. If you do not take good care of oral health then you could more problems than a simple infection. Read further to learn about what could possibly happen if you decide to have an oral piercing.
What Can the Jewelry Do to Your Mouth?
For starters, you have to worry about something called allergic contact dermatitis. This happens when you have an allergic reaction to the type of metal that your jewelry is made out of. Be well aware of what you can and cannot use as far materials go.
You also need to make sure that you use a well made stud or ring. You do not want to have to worry about part of the piercing becoming loose or breaking off and possibly choking you. Depending on how it is made and the shape of it, you could also run the risk of it damaging your digestive tract or possibly lung if inhaled.
If you are looking at a lip ring, then you must keep in mind that over time, your piercing will rub the enamel off of the teeth close to it and possibly damage those teeth. You could also damage your gums and cause them to recede.
What Can Go Wrong?
Other than infections, you look at numerous risks when considering an oral piercing. You run the risk of serious blood loss if a blood vessel is severed while being pierced. Not to mention the fact that in some cases, your tongue could swell up so much that it obstructs your airway. One more thing to think about is that an inexperienced piercer can possibly damage the nerves in the tongue so much that it is rendered useless.
As far as the other health factors go, you must know that the National Institutes of Health identified oral piercings as a possible transmitter of Hepatitis B, C, D, and G. Another serious risk your taking is in getting Endocarditis. Endocarditis is what happens when the germs and bacteria from your mouth enter the bloodstream and make it into your heart. This can cause an inflammation in the heart valves or the heart itself.
So when you are thinking about getting an oral piercing, remember that there a lot of risks that are involved. You're not just looking at a simple infection that antibiotics will correct, but at possible consequences that medicine can't correct. Not to mention the fact that if everything does go well and you keep everything all nice and clean you will still have to deal with the damage that piercing will do to your teeth and gums over time.
To learn more, contact a dentistry clinic like Staller & Gandel D.D.S.
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I had braces when I was a kid. Back then, you had to wear those metal wires and rubber bands for what seemed like forever. When I saw that my child’s teeth were going to be crooked like mine, I was dreading the years of braces and orthodontist appointments and limited diets that I saw stretching ahead of us. I was pleased to find out that braces today are very different from braces when I was a kid. They don’t need to be worn for nearly as long, and they aren’t as intrusive, either. My daughter got braces that can barely be seen, and she can remove them when she eats, so she doesn’t have to give up her favorite foods. I was so impressed that I started a blog to talk about modern day tooth straightening techniques. Braces have come a long way.