Remove oral piercings, new study urges

Dental professionals attending an European event on periodontology and implant dentistry were being urged to remove oral piercings to save teeth and gums.

An e-poster carrying the message circulated amongst attendees at EuroPerio10, dubbed by its organisers, the European Federation of Periodontology, as “the world’s leading congress in periodontology and implant dentistry.

It is estimated that 5% of young adults have oral piercings with the tongue being the most common site, while women are about four times more likely to have an oral piercing.

“Our study found that many people with oral piercings had deep pockets and gaps around their teeth, and receding and bleeding gums,” said study author Prof Clemens Walter of University Medicine Greifswald, Germany.

“These are all signs of periodontitis, also called gum disease, which can lead to tooth loss. People with tongue and lip piercings should remove them to protect their teeth and gums from further damage.”

The systematic review includes eight studies with 408 participants who had a total of 236 lip piercings and 236 tongue piercings. About 20% of the patients had piercings in more than one oral site. Most wore metal-based jewellery, with average wearing durations between 1 month – 19 years.

In the study, teeth and gums sited next to the piercings were compared with teeth and gums elsewhere in the mouth.

In relation to tongue piercings, the researchers found deeper pockets around teeth next to the piercing in three out of five studies; while observing wider gaps in three of four studies.

Four studies found receding gums in patients with tongue piercings while two in three studies found bleeding gums. Patients with lip piercings were found to have receding gums, as observed in three out of four studies.

“The findings suggest that oral piercings, especially in the tongue, negatively affect the adjacent teeth and gums,” said Prof Walter.

“In those with tongue piercings, damage was particularly notable around the bottom two front teeth, called the mandibular incisors, which are important for biting and chewing food. The likelihood of tooth and gum damage appeared to increase with the duration of wearing a lip or tongue piercing.”

“Dentists should inform their patients about the risk of periodontal complications when wearing oral piercings, and people with these piercings should be strongly encouraged to remove them.”

EuroPerio10 is organized by the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP), a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting awareness of periodontal science and the importance of gum health.