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CHICAGO, Mar 12 (Reuters Health) - Pierced tongues, cheeks and lips are as popular now as they have ever been, but few dentists whose patients wear such oral ornaments are educated about their proper care and potential complications, a researcher said Saturday.
A survey presented at the 30th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research showed that 80.6% of dentists with young patients have patients with oral piercings and 73.9% have more of these patients today than they did 5 years ago.
"This is such a fad," said researcher Dr. Steven Kuhn of the University of Illinois at Chicago. "It's not just teenagers anymore. People in their 20s, 30s and even their 40s are getting these as well."
Information about oral piercing, however, appears to be lacking within the dental profession, Kuhn told Reuters Health. Nearly 79% of the 438 Midwest dentists surveyed by Kuhn and colleagues said they could not advise their patients on the proper care of oral jewelry. The findings showed a lack of basic understanding about oral piercing, such as where it is done, how piercers are trained and what types of jewelry are used, Kuhn said.
At the same time, reports of complications resulting from oral piercings are increasing. Among the survey respondents, 24% said they had seen such complications in their offices, according to the researcher.
The most common complications observed were broken teeth, ripped or torn tissues, scratches on teeth, cheeks or gums and infections, he added. Some complications that were seen less frequently included allergic reactions, swallowed jewelry and loss of sensation in the tongue.
The American Dental Association Web site warns that "because your mouth contains millions of bacteria, infection is a common complication of oral piercing."
The group also notes that "in extreme cases, a severely swollen tongue can actually close off the airway and prevent breathing."
Dentists have an obligation to learn more about oral piercings so that they can better inform and care for their patients, Kuhn concluded. "We tell patients how to brush their teeth. If they have oral jewelry, you have to be able to tell them how to take care of their oral jewelry as well," he added.
In a future study, Kuhn plans to examine whether dentists could face any legal liability for mishandling their patients' oral piercings. His current study found that only 11.4% of those surveyed have an office policy on oral jewelry. "Like a no smoking sign, can you say no oral jewelry allowed?" he asked.
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