Topic Overview
Problems that can develop when you have your tongue, inner cheek,
uvula, or lip pierced include:
- Pain.
- Bleeding.
- Infection
at the site of the piercing.
- Infections, such as
,
,
, and
.
- Speech
problems.
- Chewing and swallowing problems.
- Tooth
damage, including chipped, cracked, or broken teeth.
- Scar
tissue.
- Swelling that may block your throat.
If you have your mouth pierced and use oral jewelry, make sure you
can remove it. The ball on one end of a barbell-shaped device must be able to
be screwed off and on to make the jewelry easy to insert and remove. Mouth
jewelry that dislodges can be accidentally swallowed or inhaled, causing injury
or requiring surgical removal.