Oral Body Piercings

Choosing the Right Body Jewelry

There is a risk of damage to teeth and/or dental work with tongue and other oral piercings, but these risks can be significantly reduced by choosing the right tongue piercing jewelry.  Consult with your piercer to choose body jewelry that is appropriately sized, is of the right material, and is well made.
Your piercer can help you make the right choice, but it’s important that you be informed as well.  Certain styles of piercing jewelry is appropriate for certain types of piercings, so don’t try to use a lip ring for as a tongue ring. 

Longer barbells allow for swelling, and should be used for new piercings and kept in until the piercing is healed, but after the healing process they should be replaced with shorter barbells to avoid damage to teeth and dental work or structures.  It may also be advisable to wear a smaller ball on the underside of your tongue, as this will also reduce the risk.

Check the quality of the body jewelry material to be sure the metal is crafted from surgical grade stainless steel, titanium or 14kt gold.  Acrylics and non-metal materials like Bioplast are a safe choice for tongue rings that can further reduce the risk of damage.

And remember, the cause of such damage is often the result of constant “playing” with the piercing, so use caution.

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