Piercings in the mouth can cause complications including pain, swelling, bleeding, infection, slow healing, and difficulty chewing and speaking.
If you choose to have your tongue or lip pierced, plastic jewellery is recommended over metal. The metal ball or backing can repeatedly knock and rub against the adjacent teeth causing cracks, tooth wear or gums to recede. In extreme cases, repeated knocking of the metal tongue piercing against the teeth can cause dental pulp (nerve) death of one or more of the lower front teeth.
If you have an oral piercing or are thinking of getting one, consider talking to your dentist about the risks this can have on the health of your teeth and gums.