The Tribune

By Dr Sparkman Ferguson

WOULD you have your tongue pierced if you knew that it might cost you your life? Well, some people have taken that chance and died as a direct result of this one decision.

Ask someone who has survived tongue piercing why they did it, and you might get one of two answers - “its cool” or “everybody’s doing it”.

People sometimes do silly things and mong the silliest is tongue piercing. There are many reasons to consider why not to have your tongue pierced. Here are perhaps the eight most important ones.

1 Infection and death

The mouth is full of bacteria and the tongue has major blood vessels. These vessels are ideal for spreading post-piercing infection from the tongue to the brain or elsewhere. Unfortunately, body piercers do not have medical or dental training and are only seeking to fulfil your personal fantasy. This can kill you.

2 Hepatitis or HIV

Body piercers who perform tongue piercing appear to know nothing about infection control, sterilisation, autoclaves and gloves. Many use unsterile instruments, which are the perfect way to introduce microbes into your body, and cause infectious diseases.

3 Barbell failure

If the barbell - the tongue ornament - becomes unscrewed, it can get down your throat and into a lung. This would require chest surgery to correct. The barbell can take another route and end up in the intestines. This would require intestinal surgery.

4 Blood loss

Because there are large blood vessels in the tongue, body piercers can perforate them leading to profuse bleeding. If the person is lucky, they will get to a hospital and have the perforation surgically repaired before too much blood loss occurs.

5 Tongue nerve damage

Because there are nerves in the tongue, non-professionals should not be allowed near yours. Damage to the nerves in the tongue can lead to a tongue that will never work properly again.

6 Lingering pain

Tongue piercings have been associated with neuralgia (severe long-lasting nerve pain).

7 Gum surgery

The barbells have been known to damage the gums and their normal shape by constantly poking them. This then requires gum surgery to correct.

8 Chipped front teeth

The barbells always damage or fracture the enamel of the front teeth. These can be repaired, but as long as the barbell is through the tongue, continuous damage of the front teeth occurs.

So is it really worth it? You and I must decide the price of fashion. My best advice as a dentist is to keep fashion outside the mouth.

It is obvious however, that the risks of tongue piercing (and the subsequent placement of barbells) clearly outweigh the rewards for this medically unnecessary fad. Don’t do it!