From the ArcaMax Publishing, Health & Fitness Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/healthtips/s-367470-320281
TEL AVIV, Israel (UPI) -- Tel Aviv University researchers say about 15
percent to 20 percent of teens with oral piercings are at high risk
for tooth fractures and gum disease.
Liran Levin, a dentist at the School of Dental Medicine at Tel Aviv
University, says these type of tooth fractures as well as periodontal
problems can lead to front tooth loss as adults.
The review by Levin and Yehuda Zadik of the Israeli Army, published in
the American Dental Journal, document the risks and complications of
oral piercings from multiple centers in America and across the world.
Ten percent of all New York teens have some kind of oral piercings,
compared to about 20 percent in Israel and 3.4 percent in Finland.
"There is a repeated trauma to the area of the gum," Levin said in a
statement. "You can see these young men and women playing with the
piercing on their tongue or lip. This act prolongs the trauma to the
mouth and in many cases is a precursor to anterior tooth loss."
Ironically, teens who opt for oral piercing are very concerned about
body image, but seemed to be unaware of the future risks piercings can
cause, Levin said.