Will tongue piercing damage my teeth and gums?

A recent study presented at the European Federation of Periodontology in Copenhagen found that.

In patients with tongue piercings, the teeth adjacent to the piercing showed increased deep pockets, more gum recessions and a higher percentage of bleeding.

Yes, a tongue piercing  will damage your teeth and gums

The evidence showed that patients with a lip piercing or tongue piercing were more likely to get gum recession; this is where the gum becomes eroded, and teeth can become more sensitive.

Time was a significant factor! 

The longer a piercing is in place, the more likely it will lead to irreversible damage to the gums and the surrounding bone and damage to the teeth, which can risk chipping and breaking.

The research was a systematic review of several tongues and lip piercing studies. The conclusion is that tongue & lip piercing negatively impact the health of teeth and gums adjacent to the piercing.   

EuroPerio10 Programme (abstractserver.com)

See an x-ray of the lower front tooth below. The coloured picture shows an image where the extent of the bone loss around the root is revealed in green.

The image on the left shows a darker area around one of the teeth.

This tooth has lost more than half of its bone support due to the long-term wearing of a tongue stud. As a result, this tooth is at risk of being lost.

So the evidence shows that tongue and lip piercing can harm your oral health and can have lasting damage, with possible tooth loss.

If you have noticed your teeth becoming longer and your teeth becoming more sensitive, or you have bleeding gums, book an appointment with one of our gum experts here at Perio and Implant Dental Referral Centre.