To identify the advice given by piercing parlours prior to orofacial piercing and to determine how many dental practitioners see complications from orofacial piercings.
Method
Administered questionnaire to 19 piercing parlours and postal questionnaire to 400 dental practitioners in southeast Wales.
Results
Ninety-nine per cent of 227 dental practitioners in south-east Wales had treated patients with orofacial piercings, over three-quarters had seen a patient for a complication caused by the piercing, and over half (N=120) had treated a patient for a complication of piercing. Tongue (N=225) and lip (N=209) piercings were most frequently seen and the most commonly occurring complication was fractured or cracked teeth (N=176). Almost all practitioners wanted more information on orofacial piercing and its sequelae. All 19 piercing parlours in south-east Wales warned clients about pain following piercing and 18 mentioned swelling; only four discussed possible damage to teeth and none discussed the risk of airway obstruction.
Conclusions
Despite the concerns of dental and medical professionals orofacial piercing remains popular and the complications it causes are frequently seen by dental practitioners. There is a need for literature to assist both dental practitioners and piercers in advising and safeguarding patients.
HoltamS.Body piercing in the west: a sociological inquiry. Body Modification Ezine [magazine on the Internet]. No date [cited 2004 November 3]. Available from: http://www.bmezine.com/pierce/bodypier.html
2.
PeticolasT, TillissTS, Cross-PolineGN.Oral and perioral piercing: a unique form of self expression. J Contemp Dent Pract [serial on the Internet].2000 [cited 2004 November 2];1(3):30–46. Available from: www.thejcdp.com/issue003/peticola/01peti.htm
GreifJ, HewittW, ArmstrongML.Tattooing and body piercing. Body art practices among college students. Clin Nurs Res.1999;8:368–85.
5.
BoardmanR, SmithRA.Dental implications of oral piercing. J Calif Dent Assoc.1997;25:200–7.
6.
MayersLB, JudelsonDA, MoriartyBW, RundellKW.Prevalence of body art (body piercing and tattooing) in university undergraduates and incidence of medical complications. Mayo Clin Proc.2002;77:29–34.
7.
BiberJT.Oral piercing: the hole story. Northwest Dent.2003;82:13–7.
8.
ArmstrongML, KellyL.Tattooing, body piercing, and branding are on the rise: perspectives for school nurses 2001. J Sch Nurs.2001;17:12–23.
9.
ChenM, ScullyC.Tongue piercing: a new fad in body art. Br Dent J.1992;172:87.
ShachamR, ZaguriA, LibrusHZ, BarT, EliavE, NahlieliO.Tongue piercing and its adverse effects. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod.2003;95:274–6.
13.
PerkinsCS, MeisnerJ, HarrisonJM.A complication of tongue piercing. Br Dent J.1997;182:147–8.
14.
FarahCS, HarmonDM.Tongue piercing: case report and review of current practice. Aust Dent J.1998;43:387–9.
15.
SardellaA, PedrinazziM, BezC, LodiG, CarrassiA.Labial piercing resulting in gingival recession. A case series. J Clin Periodontol.2002;29:961–3.
16.
BrooksJK, HooperKA, ReynoldsMA.Formation of muco-gingival defects associated with intraoral and perioral piercing: case reports. J Am Dent Assoc.2003;134:837–43.
MandalA, MckinnellT, BerryRB.Retained tongue stud: an unusual complication of tongue piercing. Br J Plast Surg2002;55:535–6.
19.
De MoorRJ, De WitteAM, De BruyneMA.Tongue piercing and associated oral and dental complications. Endod Dent Traumatol.2000;16:232–7.
20.
CampbellA, MooreA, WilliamsE, StephensJ, TatakisDN.Tongue piercing: impact of time and barbell stem length on lingual gingival recession and tooth chipping. J Periodontol.2002;73:289–97.
21.
BothaPJ.Lingual piercing. SADJ.1998;53:453–4.
22.
ReichlRB, DaileyJC.Intraoral body-piercing: a case report. Gen Dent.1996;44:346–7.
23.
PriceSS, LewisMW.Body piercing involving oral sites. J Am Den Assoc.1997;128:1017–20.
24.
KrauseH, BremerichA, SztrakaM.[Complications following piercing in the oral and facial region] Mund Kiefer Gesichtschir.2000;4:21–4. German.
25.
TronelH, ChaudemancheH, PechierN, DoutrelantL, HoenB.Endocarditis due to Neisseria mucosa after tongue piercing. Clin Microbiol Infect.2001;7:275–6.
26.
HardingPR, YerkeyMW, DeyeG, StoreyD.Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) endocarditis secondary to tongue piercing. J Miss State Med Assoc.2002;43:109.
TrachselD, HammerJ.A vote for inhaled adrenaline in the treatment of severe upper airway obstruction caused by piercing of the tongue in hereditary angioedema. Intensive Care Med.1999;25:1335–6.
31.
KeoghIJ, O'LearyG.Serious complication of tongue piercing. J Laryngol Otol,2001;115:233–4.
32.
DyceO, BrunoJR, HongD, SilversteinK, BrownMJ, MirzaN.Tongue piercing. The new “rusty nail”?. Head Neck.2000;22:728–32.
33.
YeeLJ, WeissHL, LangnerRG, HerreraJ, KaslowRA, van LeeuwenDJ.Risk factors for acquisition of hepatitis C virus infection: a case series and potential implications for disease surveillance. BMC Infect Dis.2001;1:8. Epub 2001 Jul 24.
34.
British Broadcasting Corporation News [homepage on the Internet].London: BBC; c2002–04. Minister signals body piercing laws [updated 2003 February 27; cited 2004 November 4]. Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2805971.stm
35.
WhittleJG, LamdenKH.Lip and tongue piercing: experiences and views of general dental practitioners in South Lancashire. Prim Dent Care.2004;11:92–9
36.
American Dental Association.Current Policies, Prevention and Health Education. Policy Statement on Intraoral/Perioral Piercing. Chicago, USA: American Dental Association; 1998:743.
Blue Banana [homepage on the Internet].Liskeard, UK: Blue Banana; C2004. Health care (for piercings). Available from: http://www.bluebanna.com/?p=Piercing
American Dental Association [homepage on the Internet].Chicago, USA: ADA; c1995–2005. Oral piercing [cited 2004 November 4]. Available from: http://www.ada.org/public/topics/piercing.asp
Association of Professional Piercers [homepage on the Internet].Albuquerque, USA: APP [updated 2005 March 28; cited 2004 November 4]. Available from http://www.safepiercing.org
50.
Acrodeco Body Piercing [homepage on the Internet].Bend, USA: ABP. Oral piercings care instructions [cited 2004 November 4]. Available from: http://www.centormall.com/Acro_Deco/oral.htm
51.
Axiom Body Piercing Studio [homepage on the Internet].Des Moines, USA: The Axiom; c2000–02. Aftercare instructions for oral piercing [cited 2004 November 4]. Available from: http://www.axiompiercing.com/studioaftercareoral.htm50
52.
Navel-Rings.net [homepage on the Internet].Tulsa, USA: Navel-Rings.net. How do I care for oral piercings? [cited 2004 November 4]. Available from: http://www.navel-rings.net/oral-piercing.html
