Piercing screams - Known risks no deterrent for latest fashion craze
by Erin Gruene, reporter   

     Part 1 in a series on body art

     It started with one earring per ear, then two, then multiples. Next it moved to the nose, on to the navel, then to other parts of the body. Piercings are everywhere. And that may cause problems.
     “There are many risks associated with body piercings,” Jeane Knowles, dental hygienist, said.
     Of the many possible risks, infections are the most serious.
Jill Shaw, a nurse at All Saint Episcopal Hospital Emergency Department, said, “If you don’t treat an infection, it spreads and spreads.”
     One patient developed an infection four months after getting her nipple pierced, Shaw said. The infection spread and got into the blood stream.
“She could have died,’ she said.
     The patient remained in the hospital for several days on antibiotics. She was told to remove all her piercings.
     Any infection on the face is serious, Shaw said, because it is so close to the eyes and sinuses.
     For those with oral piercings, the risks are greater.
     According to Knowles, “The alarming one [problem] is that the tongue is highly vascularized, and there is a very serious risk of hitting a blood vessel and causing heavy bleeding.”
     Elaine Z, of Pacific Body Jewelry, said, “For any oral piercings where the environment is continually moist, there is the risk of infection.”
     As for hitting arteries, however, professional piercers are aware they must avoid the lingual veins and the lingual frenum, she said.
     According to a position statement from the American Dental Association (ADA), other risks of oral piercings include increased salivary flow, gingival injury, damage to teeth, restorations and fixed porcelain prostheses; interference with speaking, biting down or swallowing; scar tissue formation and development of metal hypersensitivities.
     Dr. John McNeff, a local dentist, said there also is a continuous effect of the barbells on teeth, either from playing with the barbell or biting on it.
     “Over time—several years—the barbells will wear against the teeth they rest on,” he said, but he doubts many people keep the piercings in long enough to cause anything but minimal damage.
     Rarely do dentists restore the damage until the patient takes out the jewelry; otherwise, they may also damage the crown, McNeff said.
     One TCC student has her nose, tongue, nipples, navel and genital area pierced, along with nine earrings. Shannon Page has had to repair damage to her teeth with a crown because of her tongue ring, and she said all her sharp teeth are now flattened.
     Mike Morey, TCC, has piercings in his tongue, nipples, navel and genital area. The rings could be ripped out easily, by an automatic seat belt, he said.
     Although many hazards and horror stories about piercings abound, Elaine Z assures that “they simply will not happen when the piercing is done properly.”
     “We discuss common risks such as infection by explaining the steps we use in the studio to avoid infection and the steps the customer must use to avoid infection after the piercing is done,” she said.
     TCC student, Jenny Armijo, who has her navel pierced, said, “When you get it pierced, they tell you the risks and how to take care of it.”
     Heidi Perkins, another TCC student, concurred, “The main thing is taking care of it. You always have to wonder with piercings, whether it’s on your eyebrow, or nose or mouth, about the scar it’s going to leave.”
     The ADA stands firmly in its opinion.
     “Because of its potential for numerous negative sequelae, the ADA opposes the practice of intraoral and perioral piercing,” reads the position statement.
     Knowles said, “Medically it is very unhealthy, and dentally it is very damaging.”
     Jimmy Wilkinson, TCC student, said, “Your body is thy temple. You gotta keep it clean.”