Most parents assume that dental care ends once their children’s permanent dentition starts. Therefore, they will stop taking their kids for routine visits when they celebrate their sixth or seventh birthdays. Teenagers are also among the highest affected by dental issues. One habit teenagers are all the rage about is getting an oral piercing. Though often on the tongue, oral piercings can also be done on the uvula and cheeks.
As a dentist in Upland will attest, oral piercings affect your dental health at varying degrees. In teenagers, especially, the piercings place them at risk of different dental issues since their palates and teeth are still growing. The following are the common problems that might affect an adult’s and a teenager’s dental health after getting an oral piercing.
Cracked Teeth
The ring inserted into a tongue or cheek piercing might continually rub against the teeth. This is only normal when chewing and talking as it remains close to the teeth. The rubbing will, over time, weaken your dental enamel and chip the teeth. The cracks in teeth caused by piercing might not be as gross as those in teeth cracked by trauma. Even so, they will often lead to tooth sensitivity as they expose the inner teeth layers and place you at high risk of dental infections.
Destroyed Dental Restorations
The ring inserted into an oral piercing will also continually rub against dental restorations like crowns, veneers, and fillings. The restoration thins and weakens. It will only be a matter of time before it falls off and leaves the tooth exposed. Dental restorations do not come cheap, and this introduces an extra cost for their replacement. It also leaves the restored tooth exposed to bacteria and other elements that will call for extensive treatments before the restoration is replaced.
Tooth Movement
With the introduction of the ring into your mouth, the teeth will have to adapt to it naturally. In most cases, this means the shifting of the teeth to accommodate the piercing. The most commonly affected teeth are the ones in front of the piercing. These are constantly under pressure from the ring and will slowly move or loosen. In most instances, you will deal with misaligned teeth, even where the teeth were previously straight.
Bacterial Infections
The moist environment in your mouth makes it challenging for a tongue piercing to heal effectively. Even after it has healed, however, you might be left battling with frequent gum infections. This is because the ring will keep scratching the gums and open them up to bacterial invasion. Recurring bacterial gum infections also, unfortunately, increase your risks of infective endocarditis. This is a severe condition that affects your heart valves.
Even with the above issues, oral piercings are not all doom and gloom. When getting one, you can consult a dentist on the best choices for you. The dentist will also recommend several steps to minimize the damage to your oral health caused by oral piercings. You, for instance, should observe a strict dental hygiene regimen and ensure the piercing is attached correctly.