Three Measures To Prevent Your Dental Jewelry From Becoming A Health Risk
Posted on: 26 March 2015
Having dental jewelry can lead to oral infection, teeth chipping, and bruises on your oral tissues. Therefore, if you are determined to pierce your lip, tongue, or cheek, you should do it in a way that minimizes these risks. How do you do that? By following these three general guidelines:
Choose a Hygienic Place
To reduce the risk of infection, you need to get your piercing done at a piercing parlor with a strict infection-control policy. The only way of knowing this is to scout the parlors around your area, which means a piercing isn't something you should get in a hurry. Some of the things to confirm are the following:
- All the equipments that come into contact with your body fluids are single use. This includes all tubes, needles, forceps and others.
- The non-disposable equipment is thoroughly sterilized before use
- The piercing booth is clean (litter or debris on the flow is an automatic red flag)
Ask as many questions as you want until you are satisfied with the hygiene of a place.
Minimize Complications after Piercing
The risks do not end after getting the piercing. This is the period in which most infections strike. Take precautions to prevent complications such as swelling, pain and infections by,
- Rinsing your mouth with an anti-bacterial mouthwash
- Elevating your head slightly while sleeping
- Avoiding cigarettes since they slow down the healing process
You should be free of pain and swelling after a few days; consult an oral health professional if that doesn't happen.
Prevent Damage to Oral Tissues
You are not free from the dangers of oral piercing even after your piercing has healed. For example, the jewelry can bruise your tongue or even erode your teeth enamel. Prevent such damages by,
- Using biocompatible or plastic jewelry rather than metals
- Not playing with the jewelry; for example, you shouldn't tug at it with your hands or push it around with your tongue
- Maintaining good oral hygiene – all you need to so is brush and floss daily
- Washing and disinfecting the jewelry regularly
Oral hygiene is important for everybody, but you should be extra keen on it if you have a piece of jewelry in your mouth. The major things to remember are daily brushing and flossing, cleaning the piece of jewelry, and never missing your dental appointments. If you develop a strange reaction (such as discoloration of the surrounding tissues) to the jewelry, don't assume that it is a "normal" occurrence after getting a dental piercing. See your dentist for a diagnosis.
For more information, contact a business such as Associated Family Dentistry LTD.
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