What Do You Need to Know About the Risks of Oral Piercing?

Body piercing, including oral piercing, (the tongue for example) has become common practice. So what do you need to know about the risks? Here's something to think about if you want to have an oral piercing done.
The skin is your body's first defense.  Before you pierce it consider the following risks:

• You can be susceptible to infection.
• You can be exposed to blood-borne diseases like hepatitis and HIV/AIDS (these are diseases that you may not know you have right away).
• Your mouth is home to thousands of germs and can become infected.
• You may suffer from pain, swelling, redness and elevated body temperature (sign of infection).
• You can puncture a blood vessel, or chip and crack your teeth.
• You may develop an allergy to metal used in oral jewellery.

Where to Go

Look for the safest piercing salon.

Choose a salon that:

• displays a Certificate of Inspection from the Health Unit
• is clean, sanitary and well lit
• has a sink with hot and cold running water and liquid soap
• has sterilizing equipment and uses it on required tools before each use