Tooth Piercing: Is It A Good Idea?
Although gum, lip and tongue piercings are popular trends for a number of people, some individuals now pierce their tooth enamel. If you want to pierce your tooth enamel, you may want to reconsider. Dental providers don't offer the service, so individuals seek the services of dental salons and tattoo parlors for their piercings. Dentists already warn people about the dangers of soft tissue piercings, but what about tooth piercing? Tooth piercings can damage your tooth enamel over time, as well as lead to gum infections. Here's why you should reconsider getting your tooth enamel pierced.
Tooth and Gum Infections
Tooth piercing involves removing a small amount of tooth enamel from your tooth crown, then coating it with a dental material called composite. The pierced end of an earring or stud is placed into the composite and left to dry and set. Although the person piercing the tooth doesn't use a drill to complete the work, the damage sustained from the initial step can cause problems later on, especially if bacteria travel beneath the piercing.
Bacteria is one of the causes of gum disease. If you don't see a dentist for regular checkups after you get a tooth piercing, you may not even know that you have an infection in your mouth. The infection can spread to the nerves and roots of your tooth and eventually lead to tooth loss.
Cracked Tooth Enamel
Oral piercings can damage teeth, cause injuries in the soft tissues of the mouth and trigger many other health problems. Some people even swallow or aspirate on their piercings when they loosen up or break. A tooth piercing may potentially cause the same issues if it breaks away from your tooth. Because composite becomes hard during and after application, it may remove some of the enamel below it. The damaged enamel can expose the dentin, nerves and blood vessels inside the tooth to germs.
A cracked tooth requires dental treatment, such as bonding and veneers, to repair. If you don't have a cracked tooth repaired, it can develop an abscess that may break open when you bite down on food. Abscesses often require root canal treatment to remove.
Before you decide to pierce your tooth, ask a family dental provider like Killar Curt DDS or others about how it might affect your oral health.
For more details about tooth piercing and its dangers, consult with a family dentist today.
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