Facial piercings spread like wild fire across the globe as young and old alike jumped on board with this new way of adding a little bit of spice to your style grew in popularity. The younger group frequently sports multiple piercings and competes with their peers for the “coolest” look. The older group, though done with modesty, still competes for the best barbell or placement in the crowd. What many Americans may not realize is they are equally competing for an unwanted to trip to a Long Island Periodontist.

According to a case report published in the Journal of Periodontology wearing tongue, lip or cheek piercings could lead to localized gum recession surrounding the area of the piercing leaving the tooth root exposed and vulnerable to infection. This infection is often the beginning of advanced periodontal disease, a condition demanding the attention of a skilled practitioner.

The report is analyzed a 26 year old female who started to notice her gums progressively receding away from her teeth soon after receiving a barbell piercing in her lip. After her gums were examined by licensed Periodontists it was apparent that the barbell had direct contact with the receding area and was believed to be the cause.

Another risk factor with facial piercings involves the risks of infection. Your mouth has over a million bacterium hanging around at any given moment, waiting for an opportunity to set up housing. A new piercing gives these bacteria the perfect housing. In addition to infection new piercings come with increased saliva, redness and even pain.

If you plan to sport facial piercing of your own be sure to understand the risks you’re taking on. It is equally important to familiarize yourself with the signs of gum disease which include; red, swollen and bleeding gum, persistent bad breath, receding gums, and loose or missing teeth.

If early signs of gum disease develop seek treatment right away. People looking for a Long Island Periodontist should contact Dr. Scharf at (631) 661-6633 or visit him on the web at http://drscharf.com. He can treat gum disease with a laser rather than a scalpel.

Tags: bleeding gums long island, Long Island peridontist, long island periodontist, periodontist disease Long Island, periodontist in Long Island

This entry was posted on Monday, July 5th, 2010 at 5:38 pm and is filed under Blog, Long Island Periodontist. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.