Many people absolutely love body art. Many people have at least one tattoo or piercing. One kind of body art that can end up being an issue at the dentist is a tongue piercing.

Here at Fredericksburg Dental Center, LLC, we typically do not endorse tongue piercings as they can end up causing problems with your teeth down the road.

One of the reasons dentists dislike tongue piercings is because they can actually move around in the tongue, creating a larger gap than needed called a diastema. Although it can develop without a tongue ring, it is much more common with one.

Another reason that tongue piercings can be hard on your mouth is that they can bump against your teeth when you talk and eat, causing teeth to crack or chip. Although this does not happen as often the longer you have the piercing, when you first get it, you are not familiar with it and so chipping a tooth is much more common.

Finally, bacteria can get into the tongue piercing and cause an infection. This is also most common in the weeks following first getting it done.

If you still want to get your tongue pierced, there are a few things you can do to avoid these problems. First, try to choose a location on your tongue where it will not be able to touch your teeth. Secondly, choose a type of ring that it not too big and is a good fit for the location in your mouth. Lastly, if you choose a ball, make sure that it is made of polymer as this reduces the risk of tooth damage.

If you have any questions regarding tongue piercings or are having problems with one, don’t hesitate to call us at (717) 865-3457.