Self- mutilation

PERSONALLY, I cannot think of anything as cruel to one’s own self, which is nothing else but self-mutilation, as body piercing; a trend that is becoming increasingly popular in Guyana. I am seeing it much more now among my patients as say15 years ago.

One common type of body piercing is tongue piercing, which involves placing a “barbell”-type stud through the tongue. The fact is wearing a tongue stud puts people at risk for chipped teeth and recessed gums.

However, most people don’t realise that getting an oral piercing also places them at risk for developing a fatal infection or, in some cases, a mini-tongue and serious nerve damage.
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. This mass was determined to be a scar tissue formation. Improvement was noted after oral hygiene was increased (frequent use of mouthwash and hydrogen peroxide mouthwash) and the tongue stud was eventually removed and the tongue was repaired.

Although this is clearly an extreme case, there are some very common dangers associated with tongue piercing. Unclean piercing equipment used in this unregulated procedure can cause blood-borne hepatitis B, C, D, and AIDS. So far no cases of tetanus or tuberculosis transmission have been reported with regards to oral piercing, both have been documented in relation to earlobe piercing. Also, if a patient is not instructed to avoid touching the piercing, they might spread infections with their own fingers.

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. The best way to prevent damage is to not get your tongue pierced.

Not too long ago, teens wanted to avoid the moniker “metal mouth,” but the oral piercing trend seems to have overshadowed that social fear and so piercing the tongue, lip or cheeks is a fairly popular form of self-expression. However, infection is a possibility with any opening in the skin or oral tissues. Given that the mouth is teeming with bacteria, oral piercing carries a high potential for infection at the site of the piercing. Handling the jewellery once it has been placed also increases the chances of developing an infection.

Damage to the tongue’s blood vessels can cause serious blood loss. Swelling is a common symptom experienced after oral piercing. Unlike an earlobe that is pierced, the tongue is in constant motion, which can slow and complicate the healing process. There have been some reports of swelling subsequent to tongue piercing that has been serious enough to block the airway. In addition, oral piercing carries a potential risk of endocarditis, a serious inflammation of the heart valves or tissues.

The wound created during oral piercing provides an opportunity for oral bacteria to enter the bloodstream, where they can travel to the heart. This presents a risk for people who have cardiac abnormalities, on which the bacteria can colonise.

Oral jewellery interferes with normal oral function because it can stimulate excessive saliva production, can impede the ability to pronounce words clearly, and may cause problems with chewing and swallowing food. Furthermore, metal alloys used in the manufacturing of oral jewellery can potentially sensitise susceptible people, resulting in allergic contact dermatitis. Jewellery in the mouth can block the transmission of X-rays.

Clear radiographs, what you know as “X-rays,” are essential to a complete oral health evaluation. Jewellery can prevent a radiograph from revealing abnormalities like cysts, abscesses or tumours. Then there is always a possibility that the jewellery can come loose. As with any loose object in the mouth, unfastened jewellery becomes a choking hazard. The jewellery also could be ingested, which could result in injury to the digestive tract.

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