Along with tattoos, teenagers and young adults are increasingly engaging in oral piercings as their expressions of their style and their individuality or identity. What piercing parlors often fail to explain clearly are the potential dangers associated with traumatic piercings in these particular parts of the body. One of the main concerns is the possibility of infections resulting from poorly sanitized instruments and improperly cleaned tissues prior to inserting the sharp piercing tools. The transmission of hepatitis, herpes, HIV, and other highly contagious diseases has been documented from these procedures. There is also serious potential for complications arising from improperly trained body piercers causing permanent damage to many of the nerves and glands in the lip, tongue and cheek areas. Instances of uncontrolled bleeding of the tongue or partial paralysis have been reported, as well as severe infections in the traumatized areas, leading to permanent speech and tongue function impairment. Cheek and lip piercings can lead to damage of many delicate nerves that control our ability to speak and smile. One of the common side-effects from tongue bars, rings and other decorative jewelry is the frequent chipping and cracking of teeth, as these items are played with and chewed upon.

Those who already have these oral piercings should be well aware of their potential hazards, and should have frequent checkups to ensure that the piercings are not contributing to any further oral disease or other potential problems.