Type of lip piercing can cause problems...

[Nxt2Hvn 6]

Type of Lip Piercing Can Cause Receding Gums

Thu Mar 10, 2005 03:29 PM ET

By Alison McCook

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A form of lip piercing in which people place a stud in the middle of the bottom lip where it meets the chin may put people at risk of receding gums, according to new research reported Thursday.

Investigators at Ohio State University in Columbus found that people with this type of piercing were significantly more likely than people without to develop receding gums in the front bottom teeth, where the stud of the piercing rubs against the gums.

"What you have is basically mechanical trauma hitting the gums," study author Dr. Dimitris N. Tatakis told Reuters Health. "Inevitably, they're going to have problems."

Tatakis explained that when gums recede, they creep down the teeth, exposing the root. This makes teeth ultra-sensitive to cold, and more susceptible to cavities, he said.

Moreover, if people have an uneven gum line, it's harder for them to brush and clean their teeth, putting them at risk of plaque buildup, which can cause long-term problems like gingivitis, Tatakis added.

He emphasized that the problem only occurs with lip piercings that include a stud on the inside of the lip that hits the gum line, and only affects the part of the gums that touches that stud.

As part of a study Tatakis and his colleagues presented Thursday during the 83rd General Session of the International Association for Dental Research in Baltimore, they measured gum recession in 58 people. Twenty-nine had this type of lip piercing.

They found that 40 percent of people with this type of lip piercings had receding gums in their bottom front teeth, compared with only 7 percent of people without any lip piercings.

And the longer people had the piercings, the more likely they were to develop gum recession, Tatakis said in an interview. He said he found recession in 80 percent of people who had the piercings for more than 36 months.

Tatakis noted that good brushing and oral hygiene is always helpful, but there's no way people can prevent recession if they wear an object that constantly rubs up against their gum line.

"I don't think there's anything they can do, barring removing it," he said.

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[Disinterested 3]

I can vouch that it's 100% true. I had that piercing for about a year (it's called a labret) and my gums under my two front bottom teeth have receeded dramatically.

I have an appointment in a couple of weeks, I actually need surgery to fix it.

[HowdyDoo 0]

I was in a check out line at a grocery store with my 4-year-old in the cart. The young lady checking us out had a ring through her lip. It was very infected, her lip was red, pusy and swollen, and it and looked terrible. My little boy looked at her and said, "Doesn't that hurt?" She looked miserable and said "yes" and just kept checking us out.

My boy asked me later why the girl had a ring in her lip, and I couldn't think of one good reason. He was horrified that someone would do something like that on purpose.

I figure if a 4-year-old knew it was stupid, it should be obvious to everyone else.

What people do for fashion. Geesh.

Edited March 11, 2005 by HowdyDoo

[Disinterested 3]

Ewwwww.... my piercings have never gotten red and infected.

That's sick.

Edited March 12, 2005 by Disinterested

[BurnSide 7]

Yeah, that doesn't happen if you actually clean it and look after it. It is a wound afterall, and it can get infected, which is obviously what happened to her.

Although sometimes the flesh simply rejects the piercing outright, which is pretty much uncontrollable. That's not plesant.

[AztecInca 1]

Well theres a good reason for me not to get a piercing like that!

[brittish_gurl 0]

No middle lip peircing for me!

[BurnSide 7]

It's not a lip piercing, it's a labret. The area under your lip.

[tigger 3]

depending on the peircing.. and the quality of the jewellery (and the peircer of course) you really shouldnt have any problems...

the major problem being with some ppl, is that they fiddle with the peircing, which is why they get infected, and why they have other problems. yes its true that sometime the body simply rejects the peircing.. its usually not that bad... it just grows out. like with an eyebrow ring. the body will expell it out. it doesnt hurt, it is just pushed upwards, slowly, with the new skin regeneration pattern.

i have no problems at all with body modification.. some are a little extreme, and i wouldnt do, but each to their own for expressing themselves.

edit.. it is a form of lip peircing.. but to signify what peircing it is.. they are all named differently. all lips peircings can cause some kind of damage if not correctly taken care of (ie playing with them)

Edited March 14, 2005 by tigger

[Disinterested 3]

A 'lip piercing' is directly under your lip, either in the middle or to the sides. A labret is much closer to your chin and rubs up against your gums, which is why it's different than a lip piercing.

The gum problems aren't a result of playing with the piercing, it's something that most people have a problem with including myself. There's a certain type of piercing (called a 'fishtail') that is supposed to help reduce it. I tried it, and it ended up hurting the whole lower part of my mouth. At that point it was time to take it out.

I've learned that pretty much all oral piercings can have their problems.... with tongue piercings, a lot of people end up swallowing the bead on the barbell, some people get a big hole under their tongue because of the bead underneath rubbing it, people chip their teeth.... it's just not worth it.

[distortedpandy 6]

*sigh* and I just got my upper lip pierced...

[TheCrow 0]

Well that's one less type of piercing I have to consider now. To be honest, I woudln't give much thought to get my lip, tongue, labret pierced anyway. I'm considering having my eyebrow or the top of my ear done and already have my nipple done.

[Disinterested 3]

Oral piercings suck and are more trouble than they're worth.

I've set my appointment to fix my gums. I can't believe a stupid little $65 piercing is going to cost me even MORE money just to fix the problems it caused.

And it's going to be painful......

[Celumnaz 6]

well, looks like that's one more thing I just don't have to worry about at all as I don't really care to stick holes in my body (anymore). Each to his own is what I say. But if it's really dangerous, and causes financial and self esteem issues on top of the biological ones and is going to be a burden to the population... umm... why aren't the control freaks all over this one trying to take more rights away? I mean... it'd be for the children and everything...

[starlitkate 0]

Ya when me and my spouse was dating his bottom lip ring wasn't too bad. it was in the middle. I didn't like it but when I got pregnate he volunterly took it and his tongue ring out. He hates when he once every 3 months shaves his goatee completly off, cuz he's got a gaping hole there now. Sometimes if he he'll drink something and it would squeeze thru the whole. But it don't now. Inside is all healed and closed up now, but the hole is still there on the outerskin area. So yeah, he regrets it now!!

[Amalgamut 1]

This is why I stick with tattoos.

[Undefined_innocence 1]

I think ill just stick with my tongue piercing. ....

....... yeah.... no lip piercings.

[star_child 0]

After all the arguments I had with mother on the subject! I wanted the side of my lip pierced so bad. Is it still as bad if it is at the side?

By the way, my mother said she would kick me out if I got it done lol.

[Disinterested 3]

It's not a great thing to do. I would never recommend oral piercings to anyone after what me and some friends have been through.

Lip piercings can damage your gums and the enamel on your teeth. So you're not safe even if it never touches your gums.

It's really not worth it.

[Celumnaz 6]

Newsflash!

Poking holes in your body may be harmful!

People need to be told this?

[star_child 0]

It's not a great thing to do. I would never recommend oral piercings to anyone after what me and some friends have been through.

Lip piercings can damage your gums and the enamel on your teeth. So you're not safe even if it never touches your gums.

It's really not worth it.

640369[/snapback]

Bummer! Even at the side? That sucks. I was sad to hear that happened to you and your friends, Dis.