Receding Gums Linked to Oral Piercing

Observe the fads and trends that enthrall teens and before long you will find that alongside the pants which are buckled below the fanny are also various bits and pieces of jewelry found in the oddest places. Of particular loathing to dental professionals is the oral piercing which may be either a piercing of the tongue or the lip in various spots. Although tattoo parlors and other places that perform this minor surgery claim that the procedure itself is safe and there are no known side effects, dentists beg to differ.

For example, receding gums have been directly linked to the jewelry worn by teens in their mouths and for at least eight years now it has been known within the professional community that the risk of localized gum recession can be connected directly to the presence of a piercing and associated jewelry. In some cases the piece of jewelry inserted through the pierced hole would consistently touch and rub over an area of the gum tissue. Within a relatively short period of time the gum would sell, bleed, and before long begin receding. Gums that are in this state of irritation are prime breeding grounds for bacteria and thus make it easy for localized gingivitis and periodontal disease to set in.

Although it makes all the common sense in the world for unilaterally receding gums to be directly connected to oral piercing fads, thus far there is a lot of resistance in the piercing community to acknowledge this clear and present danger. Of course, with receding gums linked to oral piercing, the odds of business drying up significantly is a very real possibility and thus a modicum of self interest is preventing many a piercing professional for discontinuing this dangerous practice and also from discouraging their young customers from engaging in it.

Add to this the fact that teens are by and large no longer made to visit the dentist at the behest of their parents but instead are considered old and mature enough to make this decision on their own, and it is not in the least surprising to find them with serious dental health problems in record numbers. As the problems remain unchecked and untreated, by the time the teens have turned into young adults, the receding gums may be causing serious pain and even necessitate invasive oral surgery to remedy a problem which, if caught and treated early, would have been a snap to fix.

At this point in time they may not have the dental insurance needed to take care of the gums or fear of pain and cost may prevent them from visiting the dentist. Tooth loss, abscesses, and even more serious diseases are very real possibilities at this point in their young lives. Parents will do well to explain to children early on the common sense of not having irritating baubles placed in their mouths and furthermore will have to model proper dental health behavior which begins with routine tooth brushing twice a day and spills over into routine visits to the dentist twice a year.