News

Oral piercings

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Erica Willis
  • 55th Dental Squadron

Body piercing is a popular form of self-expression.  Oral piercings, a subset of body piercing, are any piercings of the tongue, lips or cheek.  Similarly, tongue splitting (or tongue bifurcation or forking), is a type of body modification in which the tongue is cut centrally from its tip to as far back as the underside base, forking the end.  Oral piercings or tongue splitting may seem harmless, but they can both be dangerous to your health.  There are numerous side effects to these oral alterations that may include infections, nerve damage, gum disease and damage to teeth.  In some cases, a tooth may be cracked by biting down too hard onto the piercing jewelry and repeated jewelry clicking against teeth may also cause damage.

A person considering getting a piercing or splitting, should be aware they are exposing themselves to dangers, and there are inherent risks to getting these procedures.  If done incorrectly, the chances of nerve damage are greatly increased.  Piercings can cause numbness or loss of sensation at the site of the piercing.  Tongue swelling, following tongue piercing, can actually be severe enough to block the airway and make breathing difficult.

 If deciding to go through with an oral piercing or tongue splitting procedure, despite these risks, be sure to see your dentist at the first sign of pain or problems.  Be aware that even after the initial wound has healed, damage to the teeth or ingesting loose jewelry is always possible.  Also, for those with poor oral hygiene or a history of tooth decay, oral piercings are even more highly discouraged as the tendency for proper piercing hygiene is less likely.

It is important to remember Air Force Instruction 36-2903 provides clear guidance for active duty members concerning body piercing and body modifications.  For example, paragraph 3.6 states “Intentional alterations and/or modifications to a members body that result in a visible, physical effect that disfigures, deforms or otherwise detracts from a professional military image are prohibited.”  Tongue forking is listed as an example.  If you are considering a body piercing, you should review the AFI and talk to your supervisor.

For more information, please visit:

http://media.dentalcare.com/media/en-US/education/ce432/ce423.pdf

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/oral-piercing

http://www.ada.org/en/member-center/oral-health-topics/oral-piercing

http://www.afpc.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-140814-096.pdf