{"id":2021,"date":"2023-08-07T11:12:44","date_gmt":"2023-08-07T11:12:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smilogy.com.au\/?p=2021"},"modified":"2025-06-24T06:33:46","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T06:33:46","slug":"the-lowdown-on-piercings-teen-smiles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smilogy.com.au\/dental-clinics\/the-lowdown-on-piercings-teen-smiles\/","title":{"rendered":"the lowdown on\u00a0piercings <\/span>\u00a0& teen smiles"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Oral piercings are nothing new. For years, teens and adults alike have used lips, tongue and cheek piercings as a form of self-expression. At smilogy, we love what makes you \u201cyou\u201d. We know that piercings may be part of your teen\u2019s personality, but as dental professionals, we owe you the facts.<\/p>

Piercings (studs, barbells and rings) around the mouth pose greater health risks than many piercings elsewhere.<\/p>

Years of wisdom tells us that telling teens what to do never solves anything. Seriously, think back to when you were younger – your parents probably seemed seriously uncool.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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the risks<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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While not everyone with a lip, tongue or cheek piercing is going to experience side effects, there are some real risks that you or your teen should be aware of.<\/p>

According to the Australian Dental Association (ADA): \u201cIntra-oral and peri-oral piercings are invasive procedures that carry significant local and systemic health risks\u201d. These include:<\/p>

  • Infection due to bacteria surrounding the jewellery and when handling it<\/li>
  • Serious bleeding if the piercer hits a blood vessel<\/li>
  • Pain and swelling (in extreme cases, it can close off the airways)<\/li>
  • Cracked, chipped and fractured teeth<\/li>
  • Damage to any existing repair work<\/li>
  • Injury to the gums, which can cause them to recede or even become diseased<\/li>
  • Excessive saliva flow and drooling<\/li>
  • Struggles with chewing and swallowing<\/li>
  • Difficulty speaking normally<\/li>
  • Blood borne diseases (if tools weren\u2019t sterilised properly)<\/li>
  • Nerve damage<\/li>
  • Allergic reactions<\/li>
  • Trouble with future dental work<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    the law<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    The laws differ across Australia regarding whether teens can get piercings. Generally, children under the age of 16 need their parents\u2019 permission, although this is 18 in Western Australia.<\/p>

    In the Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory and Queensland, it depends on the teen – they can get them without your permission if they\u2019re thought to be mature enough to make \u201creasonable judgement\u201d.<\/p>

    Obviously, once your teen hits 18, they\u2019re legally an adult. They can (and may) get whatever they want, regardless of your thoughts!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

    \n\t\t\t\t
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    minimising the risks<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    So, your teenager can\u2019t be persuaded. It\u2019s okay, we totally get it! If their mouth stays infection-free and the piercing doesn\u2019t interfere with their life, there are ways to protect them while they get on with it.<\/p>

    • Choose surgical stainless steel or titanium jewellery only<\/li>
    • Brush teeth twice a day and floss daily<\/li>
    • Gently brush the jewellery itself to remove bacteria<\/li>
    • Use antiseptic mouthwash after every meal<\/li>
    • Once healed, remove it while playing sports if you can<\/li>
    • If it\u2019s a tongue ring, get a plastic ring retainer. It\u2019s better for the teeth!<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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      speak to us!<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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      In an ideal world, you could bring your teen to us, we\u2019d advise against piercings, they\u2019d say okay, and you\u2019d be on your way. We don\u2019t live in that world!<\/p>

      However, at smilogy we are always on hand to offer advice where possible and help if anything happens to their smile.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Oral piercings are nothing new. For years, teens and adults alike have used lips, tongue and cheek piercings as a form of self-expression. At smilogy, we love what makes you \u201cyou\u201d. We know that piercings may be part of your teen\u2019s personality, but as dental professionals, we owe you the facts. Piercings (studs, barbells and rings) around the mouth pose greater health risks than many piercings elsewhere. Years of wisdom tells us that telling teens what to do never solves anything. Seriously, think back to when you were younger – your parents probably seemed seriously uncool. \/*! elementor – v3.15.0 – 02-08-2023 *\/ .elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px} the risks While not everyone with a lip, tongue or cheek piercing is going to experience side effects, there are some real risks that you or your teen should be aware of. According to the Australian Dental Association (ADA): \u201cIntra-oral and peri-oral piercings are invasive procedures that carry significant local and systemic health risks\u201d. These include: Infection due to bacteria surrounding the jewellery and when handling it Serious bleeding if the piercer hits a blood vessel Pain and swelling (in extreme cases, it can close off the airways) Cracked, chipped and fractured teeth Damage to any existing repair work Injury to the gums, which can cause them to recede or even become diseased Excessive saliva flow and drooling Struggles with chewing and swallowing Difficulty speaking normally Blood borne diseases (if tools weren\u2019t sterilised properly) Nerve damage Allergic reactions Trouble with future dental work the law The laws differ across Australia regarding whether teens can get piercings. Generally, children under the age of 16 need their parents\u2019 permission, although this is 18 in Western Australia. In the Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory and Queensland, it depends on the teen – they can get them without your permission if they\u2019re thought to be mature enough to make \u201creasonable judgement\u201d. Obviously, once your teen hits 18, they\u2019re legally an adult. They can (and may) get whatever they want, regardless of your thoughts! minimising the risks So, your teenager can\u2019t be persuaded. It\u2019s okay, we totally get it! If their mouth stays infection-free and the piercing doesn\u2019t interfere with their life, there are ways to protect them while they get on with it. Choose surgical stainless steel or titanium jewellery only Brush teeth twice a day and floss daily Gently brush the jewellery itself to remove bacteria Use antiseptic mouthwash after every meal Once healed, remove it while playing sports if you can If it\u2019s a tongue ring, get a plastic ring retainer. It\u2019s better for the teeth! speak to us! In an ideal world, you could bring your teen to us, we\u2019d advise against piercings, they\u2019d say okay, and you\u2019d be on your way. We don\u2019t live in that world! However, at smilogy we are always on hand to offer advice where possible and help if anything happens to their smile.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2022,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ih-teens-kids"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smilogy.com.au\/dental-clinics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2021","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smilogy.com.au\/dental-clinics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smilogy.com.au\/dental-clinics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smilogy.com.au\/dental-clinics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smilogy.com.au\/dental-clinics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2021"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/smilogy.com.au\/dental-clinics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2021\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6780,"href":"https:\/\/smilogy.com.au\/dental-clinics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2021\/revisions\/6780"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smilogy.com.au\/dental-clinics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2022"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smilogy.com.au\/dental-clinics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smilogy.com.au\/dental-clinics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smilogy.com.au\/dental-clinics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}