The increasing popularity of body piercing around the world has prompted one professional association to issue a warning following the unfortunate experience of a woman who developed a "second tongue" after undergoing a tongue piercing procedure. The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) has for some time been warning the public about the risks involved with tongue piercing, which involves placing a barbell shaped stud through the tongue. But as well as the risk of chipped teeth, recessed gums and nerve damage; a tongue piercing can also lead to a fatal infection or, as in the second tongue case, a mini-tongue growing from scar tissue.
The tale of two tongues appears in the current issue of General Dentistry, the AGD's journal. The report tells how a young woman's pierced tongue developed a large, round lump adjacent to the piercing. The lump, which she called her "second tongue," didn't hurt, nor was it infected, but it was growing. It was found to be a scar tissue formation and improvement occurred after oral hygiene was improved (frequent use of hydrogen peroxide mouthwash) and the tongue stud was replaced with a shorter shaft.
Dentist Ellis Neiburger said that although it was an extreme case, people should be aware of the very common dangers associated with tongue piercing. "Unclean piercing equipment can cause other infections, such as bloodborne hepatitis. Also, if a patient is not instructed to avoid touching the piercing, they might spread infections with their own fingers. Keep the wound clean. Make sure the bar is short so food and bacteria won't enter the site," advises Neiburger. "And replace the metal barbell heads with plastic ones," he added.
AGD spokesperson, Melvin K. Pierson, said that the number of young adults getting tongue piercings continued to increase despite warnings from health professionals. "I see a lot of damage caused by piercing - tooth fractures, tooth chips. Patients don't see the relation between them and piercing, which weakens the tooth. The damage is almost always in the pre-molars, the middle teeth, almost parallel to the piercing," he explained. "The best way to prevent damage is to not get your tongue pierced."
Source: Academy of General Dentistry
