Oral Piercing Complications Among Teenage Students

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the use of oral piercings and their possible associated complications among students aged 14 to 18 years. Materials and Methods: A total of 927 students from private and state schools were invited to participate in this study. The participants were subjected to clinical examination, and a questionnaire was provided for collecting the following data: gender, piercing location, oral complications or alterations, and cleaning frequency. Results: Among the students who were analysed, 33 had oral piercings (3.6%); 69.70% were from state schools and 30.30% were from private schools. There was a slight predominance of males (54.55%) compared with females (45.45%). The tongue was the most common location for piercing (66.6%). The complications and alterations associated with the use of piercing were observed in 74.3% of the cases. Conclusions: In the population that was studied, oral piercing was observed in a small percentage of teenage students (3.6%) and there were local complications associated with its use. Keywords: body piercing, dental plaque, infection