Oral Piercings. You may think it's cool, but your teeth don't.

Oral Piercings are very common among teens and adults due to the current trend in self expression. What many don't know is how they can negatively affect your oral health. Damage to the teeth and gums, nerve damage and infection are just a few problems that can be associated with oral piercings.

The mouth has a moist environment and is home to large amounts of bacteria which is an ideal location for infection to start. Touching your piercings with your hands can transfer germs and lead to infection, also food particles can collect around the piercing site which can be a breeding ground for bacteria.

Damage to your teeth and gums is also a risk. Oral jewelry can cause excessive saliva production which can lead to an interruption in the way you speak. Having a barbell shaped ring or a hoop ring can cause you to accidentally bite on it and chip a tooth. Also, some people develop a habit of playing with their piercing jewelry which can injure the gums and lead to scratched and sensitive teeth, and  eventually later on lead to future crowns and fillings.

Here are a few precautionary tips to take if you do already have an oral piercing.

• Keep the piercing site clean and free of any debris or food that can collect around it. By using a mouth wash after you eat can really help to keep your mouth clean.
• Minimize playing with oral jewelry and avoid putting stress onto the piercing.
• See your dentist regularly and remember to brush and floss.

For more information on Oral piercings and the harmful effects that are correlated with them, visit our office at Verde Pointe Dental.

Suzanna Aguilera DMD, Kirk Kimmerling DDS and Garrick Mcgrath are happy to welcome new patients to the office. They are cosmetic dentists and emergency dentists available for dental care by offering an emergency dentist coupon for $100.00