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Oral Piercings

 

 

Name of Piercing: Oral (includes tongue, all oral webs (incl. smiley), labret, Madonna, Medusa, cheek, chin, lip...)

 

Body Part: Tongue, tongue web, lip web, different parts of the cheek, chin and lips

 

Approximate Healing Time: 6-12 weeks -Oral piercings heal very quickly and resist infection, but stick to sensible after-care

 

Suggested Jewel Type(s): straight barbell for tongue piercings, captive bead rings for web piercings, labret rings for labret, cheek, Madonna,

 

Suggested Jewel Gauge: 14ga - 10ga or smaller for web piercings

 

Cautions:

 

- Signs of over-cleaning include a very white or yellow looking tongue.

 

- It is very hard to speak correctly for a while after the piercing because of swelling and the jewelry.

 

- Some people do not have the correct facial structure for particular piercings. Often the piercee (and sometimes even the piercer) will not be aware of the non-matching structure until problems arise. In other cases, some piercings are simply placed improperly or the piercee chooses to wear jewels that are unsuitable for the piercing or too large.

 

With proper placement and jewels, providing that you care for your piercing and body properly, and that you are physically structured to suit a piercing;

 

- Tongue rings should not damage your teeth, enamel or gums

- Lip rings and all other oral piercings, including labret rings should not damage your teeth, enamel or gums

 

If these types of problems arise with your piercing, do not let the problem continue. Seek advice from a local studio and remove your jewels when your piercing is fully healed and free of infection.

 

See http://www.all-body-piercing.com/5.htm for more details.

 

Cheek: It is usually advised to have your cheek pierced slightly higher or lower than where your teeth meet inside the mouth. If this isn't taken in consideration, than the likelihood of biting the back of the stud is greatly increased.

 

Labret: L-shaped Fishtail Labrets are designed to reduce gum erosion. The "tail" is intended to stay in place in the indentation below the gum line; the piercing cannot be placed too high. The presence of a large frenulum may impede ideal placement for a fishtail. Some piercers prefer to angle the Labret piercing so that the disc is above the teeth. This placement will avoid gum erosion but may cause the wearer to inadvertently bite down on the jewelry while eating and speaking, resulting in chipped teeth.

 

History of Piercing: 

 

Labret: The word is from the Latin labrum, lip. It is not French, and should be pronounced "la-bret" not "la-bray." The labret was a traditional piercing among the American North-West Coast Indians, where it was related to status. When a mask was being made to represent someone of high status, naturally enough, that mask had a labret.

 

Cheek piercings are favorites of the vegetarian festivals in Phuket, Thailand where the monks enter trance and have huge piercings performed in their cheeks and go on a procession with all manner of objects inserted in them. Such as 20ft spears, anchors. In other cultures piercings through the cheek, tongue, and out the other cheek aren't unheard of. A cheek piercing is considered a more socially piercing.

 

Mayans pierced their tongues as a spiritual ritual. In the ancient temples of the Aztecs and Mayans, Shamens and High Priests pierced their tongues as part of a ritual to communicate with their gods. Thousands of years later, and it is still a popular piercing, although for different reasons. Both men and women can find it sexually arousing, as well as empowering.

 

The mouth and lips are a sensuous part of the body and power is an aphrodisiac, so it is only natural that only the higher castes of Aztecs and Mayans should adorn their lips with labrets of pure gold. In Africa, the women of the Makololo tribe of Malawi wear plates called ‘Pelele’ in their upper lip, to arouse the men in their tribes. Tribes in central and South America pierced their lower lips and stretched the hole to fit in wooden plates.

 

Suggestions:

 

Oral Rinse

The optimal way to care for your piercing is to rinse your mouth for 30-60 seconds with a medical-grade oral rinse (such as Tech 2000 or Biotene) after every meal during the initial healing period (3-6 weeks). If a medical grade oral rinse is not available, the next best thing is to dilute 4 ounces of an oral antiseptic with 4 ounces of water. This will de-intensify the antiseptic and prevent it from irritating your piercing. (Note: Do not use plain mouth-wash because it will do nothing for your piercing—only mask your halitosis.) Be careful not to over-clean your piercing, as this will prevent proper healing. (Signs of over-cleaning include a very white or yellow looking tongue.)

Sea Salt Rinse

In addition to the oral rinse after every meal, sea salt soaks will also help heal your piercing. First, fill a fresh disposable cup with approximately 8 ounces of water and add ¼ teaspoon of sea salt, stirring until it is dissolved. Then, rinse your mouth for approximately 15 seconds. Sea salt rinses should be performed after smoking or drinking anything other than bottled water. Note: Some piercers and piercees have had much success by substituting sea salt rinses for medical-grade oral rinses.

Ice

Ice and other cold liquids can help reduce swelling. Ice pops, ice cream, and frozen yogurt are also good ways to reduce swelling, but be sure to perform either a sea-salt or oral rinse following your snack (this is not necessary if you just use plain ice). Swelling tends to last 3-5 days.

Ibuprofen

For those who are extremely sensitive, an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen (Motrin IB, Advil, etc.) can help reduce swelling and pain.

Brushing Your Teeth

It is important to brush your teeth three times daily while your piercing is healing. Brushing your teeth will cut down on the amount of bacteria and food particles in your mouth. It is suggested that you purchase a new soft-bristle toothbrush to use during the initial healing period. Also, plaque (a white crusty shell) will begin to build up on your tongue jewelry if you do not gently brush the balls and post. You should brush your jewelry daily if you want to prevent plaque build-up.