Tatoos!
Moms View Message Board: The Kitchen Table (Debating Board): Tatoos!
Ginny gave me an idea for a new topic. How many have tatoos, or have family members who do? What are your personal feelings about tatoos?
I remember LECTURING my oldest DS about the dangers of tatoos(improper sterilization, etc) when he got his first one after joining the Air Force. I also used to think that they were gross on women.
Well I guess you should never judge, or say "I would never...", because after DS passed away, I got two of them, about a year apart.DD, my (then) DIL, and myself, all went and had them done to remember him. I had his name put on the back of my left shoulder. It's very pretty, and feminine. The guy in the tatoo place said that he discouraged people from putting the names of "significant others" on themselves. I told him that THIS one was my SON, and THAT would never change.
A year later, I had a Celtic cross put on my upper right arm. Way up, so that it doesn't show unless I wear sleeveless (which I don't do).
Even my 83 y/o Mom doesn't know. She would NEVER understand.
Also, how do you all feel about body piercing? I don't have any of those, except two earring holes in each ear. I heard some interesting stories, tho, from my DIL, when she was in the Air Force, about WHERE some of her co-workers had theirs! OUCH!!
Well....
I have two tattoos. I have a tribal sun surrounding my belly button (can you imagine how large it is now that I am 8 mos pregnant? lol) and an oriental dragon on my lower back with a chinese symbol that means "female".
I made sure to get these tattoos in inconspicuous areas, just my personal choice. I got them done about 3 years ago, and I do not regret having them done though I realize I may later. They are just part of my body now; I am just so used to seeing them.
I don't have any piercings. Not even earring holes, lol.
I feel that getting tattoos or piercings is a personal choice. However, one should be prepared for being discriminated against or judged if they do have tattoos or piercings, as that is just the way society is.
I have just my ears done, one whole each. No tatoos, but if I had a killer body that didn't bumps, lumps and dimples, I think a small tiny something might be pretty. I don't have smooth moist skin, so for me, I don't think it would ever happen. Too dry and flaky.
If I could ever get my tummy flat, I would love to have a belly button ring. But, since I have never had a flat tummy in all my life, I don't think that will happen either.
As for others with tatoos. I don't like the ones that show up all over the body. Sometimes, the jewlry looking type can be pretty. Those that are small and not "in your face" can be pretty.
I don't like them on men at all.
My husbands hates them, and would really be turned off if I got one.
If my DD decides to get one, she will be out of my house when she does and hopefully it will be done in taste.
I have a tattoo. It is about 2 inches and on my ankle. When I was 18 I wanted one, but nothing wild so I got a sunflower on there. Very small and a lot of people can't really notice it. As for piercings, I had my belly button done. My left ear has 6 holes and the right 5. I thought about maybe next summer getting another tattoo. I want something on my lower back that will symbolize my kids. I thought about a rose with 3 buds coming off of it.
No tattoos here. I don't care for them. Only piercings are my eats. 2 in one ear, one in the other. It would be two in both but I did the second hole w/an ice cube and a needle (when I was a teenager) and the sound of the hole being made grossed me out so much I never did the other ear.
My DH has a tattoo of a rose on his upper arm. We jokingly refer to it as my "13th" rose. He had it done soon after our 1st anniversary when he gave me a dozen roses.  I've never considered getting one, but I'm not against them. Some tattoos look like true works of art, especially if the tattooist does it free hand. On the other hand, I wouldn't give my permission for one of my kids to get a tattoo because I want it to be their decision alone, and they already know they have to wait until they're an adult. It's their body, and they will have to live with it.
I'm not a fan of piercings...I don't even have my ears pierced...but some body parts IMHO should NOT be pierced. I personally don't know what would possess someone to willingly cut some of the most sensitive areas of the body. I cringe just thinking about it!
I've got 2 holes in each earlobe, and a belly ring. No tattoos.
However, 3 of my 4 kids seems to want to pierce and tattoo all of their bodies.
Jen has 3 holes in her ears, a belly ring, just recently got her nose pierce (it's a VERY small *diamond*, and actually isn't that noticeable) and got a tattoo on the back of her neck, which I was unaware of. She *says* she's getting another tattoo.
Jeff has 2 holes in his ears, and came home one day last year with his eyebrow pierced. Thankfully, the *ring* in it is very small and thin, and I actually didn't notice it at first. But he keeps saying he's getting ANOTHER one of those.
Jules has the most - numerous body piercings, although she's let 3 of them close up since having Madison, and she has several tattoos, the most recent one on the back of her shoulder. I can't even remember what it was originally, it was small, but she had it gone over and made into something else, and from what Jen tells me, it came out awful, so now she wants to have it removed.
Jason is the only one who doesn't have all this stuff.
I had thought about getting the cartilage of one ear pierced, but when I found out how painful it was I was afraid to. Then, the daughter of a friend had it done, and hers got horribly infected, and she actually ended up having to have part of her ear surgically removed. It was a mess! I still think that tiny little rings on the cartilage part of your ear look cute.
As for tattoos, I have none, and the only way I'd ever get one is if it were small, tasteful and didn't really show, but I'm too afraid to do that so I'll probably never have any.
I only have my ears pierced.
Now my sister on the other hand is a different story! She has her ears, nose, tongue, and bellybutton pierced. She doesnt wear the nose ring anymore or the belly button ring, thank goodness! I just couldnt STAND that nose ring! lol (not too thrilled on the tongue either) She also has 6 tatoos...1 around her bellybutton, 1 little star on the back of her neck, 3 on her back, and 1 great big dragon on her leg from her knee to her ankle! I guess I really cant comlain too much on the piercings and tatoos, after all I am the one who had to sign for her to get these. I guess it all boils down to personal opinion. What goes on your body stays on your body and I just hope you like them as much when you 80 as you do now! lol thats what i told my sis before she got them.
No tattoos. I'm not that brave! LOL! I have pierced ears, but can hardly wear earrings, since the cheap ones make me itch. I generally forget that I can wear earrings.
I have a small purple rose w/a green stem on my right ankle. I had it done about 12 years ago, when I was going through a difficult time. It serves as a constant reminder to me to cherish what I have and never take it for granted again. I don't really wish I didn't have it, but I don't think I'd do it again. And I would caution my children, if they wanted one, to wait at least until they are 21.
When I was little just about all of the adult men I knew had tattoos very few women. I was always told that it was just body art...None of the men had piercings and the women only had their ears pierced.
I have my ears pierced 2 times on one and 3 on the other. I had a belly peircing but I took it out when I got pg with my 1st. I got my tongue pierced because I was bored, stupid reason I know...they didn't put it in straight so I had to take it out. I also have a small tattoo of the moon, stars and sky. It was a present from dh. One of his promises when we were dating was to give me the moon, stars, sky the whole deal. At the time I thought it was just a figure of speach...lol! My dd has her ears pierced but will not be getting any other piercings until she is old enough to make the decision and pay for them herself. My husband has 6 tattoos. One in kanji (sp?) that says hard and strong. I always tell him it says stupid white boy. The second one is a USMC skull thing that my dd calls "man" He has tribal armbands with the kids names running throught it. We figured it was safe to do since we will not be having anyomre kids. He has a Jester on his chest..a nickname given to him from one of the units he was in...dd calls this one woman. His last one that he just recently got this year is of an eagle and the American flag. I am hoping that he is done. I am not really a huge fan of the eyebrow, nose, lip and unmentionable piercings. My sister has an unmentionable and I think its disgusting, but in her line of work (she is a stripper  )I guess its far too common. To each his own.
No tattoos here, and only one hole in each earlobe. I've never liked tattoos, and have never been tempted to get one. I didn't get my ears pierced until I was 40, and only then because I love earrings, and the clip ones are few and frumpy. My DH has no tattoos, and no piercings. Our older son got one ear pierced in college, and hasn't worn an earring since he graduated. Our younger son had his ear pierced, and a 3/4 inch peace symbol tattooed on his arm by a friend. He hates it now and rarely goes shirtless because of it.
I think if you want to get a tatoo that is fine, as long as you don't do your whole body like that guy they have on talk shows all the time. He is just gross. Can you imagine what he is going to look like when he is old? EW! But most people aren't that extreme, so if they so choose I think it is fine. One of my bf's has one and I don't think any less of her. As for piercing, I have my ears pierced but that is it. I never really wear earrings though because of the kid factor. As for other piercings my personal opinion is that they are kind of gross. I think it is because a girl in high school had a belly button ring that got infected and she kept showing everyone. Talk about EEEEWWWW! Sorry to those that have them. I will not think any less of you. I am sure you all know how to clean it, unlike her. Don't take it personally, this girl just turned me off forever.
I can't get my ears pierced because I get cysts in my ear lobes, and have no other piercings. My middle son got his ears pierced, but when he decied to go to law school he let the holes grow back together. My youngest at one point had five earrings in one ear and three in the other, but his job now only allows one, so that is it. He has tattoos, and out of respect for my opinion always wears a shirt around me.
As for eyebrow, tongue and unmentionable piercing - good grief!!! Given (a) the risks of infection and (b) the risk of someone grabbing and pulling (which I have seen happen with earrings) - ouch!!
My personal opinion - I don't like it. But, bottom line, it's not my body. I know if I were hiring, I would not hire someone with a tongue or eyebrow pierce, nor anyone with a visible tatoo unless it was small and completely inoffensive.
Nope, no facial piercings or unmentionable piercings! Ewwww! Have gotten more used to seeing facial piercings and it still freaks me out at work when I swab someone's throat for a strep test and they have a pierced tongue! I can't imagine ANYONE poking something through my tongue!
Ginny, no tattoos??? Just kidding...
I have 2... one on my shoulder of a butterfly, and one on my lower back of the Eye of Horus, the protection god of Egyptian mythology. I'm going today to get my tongue pierced, as long as I don't chicken out. LOL. My husband has 2 tats, one he got before leaving for Iraq, with our kids names and a nice design, and another that says Army with a hatchet and rifle. I think I will make my kids wait until they are at least 17, and they have to have wanted the SAME tat for 6 months before I allow them to get it. That way they are more likely IMO to be sure of what they are doing, and get something they can live with forever. interesting topic!!!!
Did you get your tongue done today?
Just curious, why would you want to pierce your tongue? Besides painful, it seems like you would be playing with it in your mouth all day, and how do you move food around in your mouth while chewing without it getting in the way? Also, it changes the way you talk. So what are the "plus" side of having it done? Do you think they are attractive? Again, just curious, not judging you.
I just got back. It hurt like h*** but I know it is going to be worse tomorrow. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I've always wanted it done, just never had the guts to do it. It is a very sexy thing IMO, and most people I know think so too. Plus, not to get too blunt, but there are sexual benefits to it. ;) LOL, but in reality, it's just always been something I thought was cool and wanted. I'll let you know how I'm feeling in the morning. As far as it getting in the way, when they first do it they put in a long barbell to allow room for swelling. Once that goes away you put in a shorter one and it doesn't get in the way any more. I guess it's all a matter of preference.
I have a treble clef with a rose through it on my lower left abdomen. I got it 12 years ago and have never regretted it. I also have two piercings in each ear.
Crystal, please watch carefully for infection. That could be very serious. Other than that, enjoy. 
Jules had her tongue done years ago, but she took the barbell out before she had Madison. She also did her nose when she was a teen and my X literally ripped the stud out of her nose. She had her nipples pierced 5 or 6 years ago, and took those out before she had Madison. Thankfully, she has no plans to put any of them back in. I'm not certain what the attraction to all these piercings has always been with her, but motherhood has definitely changed her and she's lost interest in them now.
Karen, it was kind of the same way with me when I got pregnant with my first. Oh well, it's funny how things change...
I do believe that when I was young I never thought I would live to 30. It seemed so far away. But we do live to 30 and 40 and beyond and all the things we do to ourselves we have to live with.
I know when I was your age no one could tell me anything about anything. I knew it all. I guess I still am like that. I guess everyone has to learn the hard way. Maybe this information will convince someone else about tongue piercing.
As someone almost 40 and having to get her front teeth sealed or filed down and capped, I wonder if having metal in your mouth banging on you teeth is a good thing? Is that good for the teeth or will it wear the teeth enamel down or chip the teeth? Will the tongue piercing cause Gingivitis?
Gingivitis can also causes heart damage in older people. Some how the infection travel to the heart.
Untreated Gingivitis can lead to AIDS or Hepatis infection.
I wonder if there has been studies done on if having a stick of of metal in you tongue increases Aids rates .
I know that gingivitis increases your chance of Aids. I imagine that having a wound in you mouth would also increase your chance of aids the same way. I could just imagine the ball micro tearing the tongue and that being like gingivitis .
Sorry to post this horror but just got me thinking. I know you are going to be single soon so I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. Is isn't like you can put a condom on your tongue. You know what they say, "You have to kiss alot of frogs to find Prince Charming."
http://www.hivdent.org/oralm/oralmtpcbf0799.htm
The British Dental Association (BDA) is warning that the trendy practice of tongue piercing can be dangerous. The group said tongue piercing can result in infections, speech and breathing difficulties, and broken teeth. In addition, the BDA noted that if the piercing equipment is not sterilized, there is a risk of HIV or hepatitis transmission. Individuals intent on getting their tongues pierced, however, should make sure their piercer uses an autoclave to sterilize equipment.
http://www.dochemp.com/tonguepierce.html
TONGUE PIERCING
IS IT WORTH DYING FOR?
DISEASE (HEPATITIS C, INFECTION, Etc.) AND A POSSIBLE EARLY DEATH!
Forget about the tooth breakage, it is the possible life threatening involvement of tongue piercing that is the reason to not ever do it! if you have already done it ... Remove the post RIGHT NOW!
In a huge percentage of those that get Hepatitis C there is none of the common known risk factors, such as drug use, cocaine use, etc. ... It is my opinion that these unknown reasons for transmission are from tattoos, body and especially tongue piercing! I realize this page is pretty strong and shocking .. If I can just make one kid stop and think and realize that there are many reasons not to blindly do some of these things this page has been worth it!
When you puncture muscle you usually drive epithelial (skin) cells into the muscle that can become embedded for life! These embedded skin cells could turn to cancer (Squamous Cell Carcinoma) later in life just like impacted teeth can, but would be almost impossible to find early! There is no research yet on this danger ... by the time there is it could be too late. BUT! .. The most important thing is to REMOVE IT IMMEDIATELY TO PREVENT HEPATITIS C AND OTHER DISEASES! When you put a post through a muscle that is constantly moving there may always be exposed muscle and openings into one's blood stream that could be like using a hypodermic needle. Hepatitis C usually occurs during any needle or piercing procedure if the needle or piercing device is infected, but I believe that infection is possible long after that, especially in tongue piercing, due to the open hole through the muscle in the lounge.
Other diseases are bacterial endocarditis of the heart in due to all the bacteria from the mouth entering the wound 24hrs a day! Brain abscesses have been linked to tongue piercing due to all the bacteria getting into the blood stream and settling in the brain. Ludwig's angina, an infection in the neck muscles and fatal if not caught early ... you choke to death! There are cases of permanent numbness and loss of taste from nerve damage! ... Even one case of a girl's tongue stud struck by lightning ... but she lived ... see below.
After removing your post for good I think it would be a good thing to have a hepatitis C blood test run at your nearest walk in clinic or at your doctors office to see that you don't have it already. If you are already positive you can start really taking care of yourself .. eating well and stay off of anything you can that is metabolized by your liver.
Once one gets hepatitis C you can come down with it at once .. It could be chronic for about 20 years .. You could be a carrier that whole time ... at that point a high percentage could die from it. Many of the rest could have compromised livers and slowly develop scaring and liver failure. During this whole period if you are a carrier you could pass it on to your babies and family members if you were not careful. I have heard that the center for disease control has estimated that in a decade or so there will be more people dying from Hepatitis C than aids in the USA. .... I have also heard that 50 - 70% of those with multiple tattoos may already be Hepatitis C positive as per the Veterans Association. Now .. those that have financial gain may present a very different story .. But.... IT'S YOUR LIFE KID! ... Don't remove the post because your folks or teachers don't like it! .. Remove it for yourself! ... And, conversely .. Please be strong enough to think for yourself and don't just be a follower!
To find more and updated info on this please type into all of the largest search engines ... (Danger, Tongue Piercing) .. (Hepatitis C, tongue piercing) ..and (tongue piercing, hepatitis c) and (body piercing, hepatitis c). (tattoos, hepatitis C) here below are a few I just typed in tonight in a few minutes ... a couple links out of hundreds!
Studies on viral infections, etc. Body Piercing, Tattoos, etc.
Tongue Piercing and Tattoos
Old ADA Statement - Dangers
More info ... Complications
More Hepatitis Info
tongue Piercing Can be Fatal! BBC
Danger of Tongue Piercing
Tongue Stud Hit by Lightning!
Return to Doc Hemp's Dental Site
http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/band109/b109-2.html#Heading6
One descriptive review [2] has looked at this. It may be a systematic review, but it does not give a search strategy. It included 12 studies published up to 1997 mostly conducted to identify risk factors for viral hepatitis. Three studies were in the USA, four in Italy (by the same investigator) and the remainder in Taiwan, Korea, Thailand and Africa. The size varied from about 110 to over 13,000 subjects.
Nine of the studies, including all the US and Italian studies, and all the largest studies, found body piercing to be a risk factor. The three that did not were all small (fewer than 323 subjects) studies from Taiwan or Korea.
A more recent study has examined risk factors for acquisition of hepatitis C virus infection in the United States [3]. Consecutive chronically infected HCV patients eligible for a clinical trial were recruited, with HBV and HIV as specific exclusions, as was advanced liver disease. A detailed questionnaire about risk factors was completed during an interview with a single investigator.
There were 148 patients (88 men, 60 women) aged 18 to 72 years (mean 45 years). Only 5% had no known risk factor, and the most common known risk factors were injected drug use, sharing razors and toothbrushes, body piercing, being a recipient of blood products, sexual exposure and occupational exposure to blood in 48% to 32% of cases. Tattooing was associated with 17% of cases. Exposure to risk factors differed greatly between men and women, with 92% of women having body piercing (Figure 2). Most cases had more than one risk factor, but in 3 of 23 cases with a single risk factor it was body piercing.
Figure 2: Associations between hepatitis C infection and known risk behaviours
Comment
Body piercing is common, and while the only solid evidence we have is that half the undergraduates at a single US university have body piercings, a few hours watching popular television programmes tells us that this is unlikely to be atypical. Adverse happenings with body piercing are also common, affecting about one in five of them. One in ten led to a bacterial infection.
We do not know how many will contract a serious viral infection from body piercing or tattooing. We know that there will be an increased risk. In the meantime, people considering body piercing should be aware that it is more than just a bit of fun. The industry should be careful regulated, single use sterile devices should be mandatory, and HBV vaccination for operators would be a very good idea. In the meantime, a significant public health problem may be silently building up.
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/27/1728_60396.htm?lastselectedguid={5FE84E90-BC77-4056-A91C-9531713CA348}
Medical News Archive
Just Say No to Tongue Piercing
By Denise Mann
WebMD Medical News Archive Reviewed By Annie Finnegan
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Aug. 15, 2000 -- There's new meaning to the term "fashion victim." It may be trendy, but tongue piercing also poses some serious health risks, including pain, swelling, blood poisoning, and gum injury, according to the Chicago-based American Dental Association (ADA).
In fact, the hazards of tongue piercing are so great that the ADA has declared war on the practice.
Oral piercing, which involves inserting studs or rings in the tongue, lips, cheeks, or a combination of sites, may also cause trauma to teeth, interference with chewing and speaking, and hypersensitivity to metals. Foreign debris may also collect at the site, and breathing difficulty may occur due to swelling in the pierced area, experts tell WebMD.
In tongue piercing, a needle is used to insert a barbell-shaped piece of jewelry through the midline of the tongue. Individuals typically undergo oral piercing procedures without anesthesia and with no complications; healing usually takes four to six weeks.
"Any time we perform a surgical procedure, we weigh the risk vs. the benefits, and I don't have a whole long list of benefits for tongue piercing," says ADA consumer advisor Matthew Messina, DDS, a dentist in Cleveland.
However, "we have a number of potential risks here," he tells WebMD. "The tongue is a big muscle and [has lots of blood vessels]. If a major artery is nicked, then a lot of bleeding will occur very quickly. It can be a big mess."
Ear piercing is safer because, unlike the tongue, the earlobe has almost no blood supply, according to the ADA.
Still, he is not in favor of a ban on the procedure. "Part of me says that if you outlaw it, more people will do it, since a lot is done as a rebellion anyway." But "rather than outlawing it, people should have to sign an informed consent that explains the risks, [and this] may dissuade them from going through with it."
For example, the tongue will swell, Messina adds. "It always does, [and] because we breathe around the tongue and if the back of the tongue swells, it can cause difficulty breathing."
Messina says he has seen four cases of broken teeth and cuts in the gum that occurred from scraping or biting on the pieces of jewelry.
Tongue piercing can also increase the risk of contracting diseases such as HIV, he says. "If the person doing the piercing is infected, or if the instruments were not adequately sterilized between candidates, it is possible to transmit diseases, including HIV and hepatitis," Messina says.
New York City dentist Jay L. Levy, DDS, agrees. "The people who are doing this are not trained and they are not using the same sterile techniques or instruments that dentists use, and they do not use anesthesia," he says.
Piercing may cause permanent numbness and/or paralyze the tongue if a nerve is injured, he adds.
Levy calls a tongue pierce a "plaque trap" that can sabotage proper dental hygiene. "There is now an extra thing in the middle of the tongue that can collect food and plaque," he says.
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/25/3606_1380.htm?lastselectedguid={5FE84E90-BC77-4056-A91C-9531713CA348}
Tongue Piercing Damages Teeth, Gums
By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Michael Smith, MD
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March 27, 2002 -- Tongue piercing may not just be hard on parents' eyes but may also be damaging to kids' teeth and gums. A new study shows extended wear of barbell-type tongue jewelry can cause receding gums and chipped teeth.
Tongue piercing has grown in popularity among young adults in recent years, and an increasing number of dental and mouth problems have been linked to the practice. To get a better understanding of the problems tongue piercing may cause, researchers examined the mouths of 52 young adults with pierced tongues. Their study is published in the March issue of Journal of Periodontology
The most common type of tongue jewelry is known as a barbell. It consists of a stem that goes through the tongue and is held in place with screw caps on both ends. The study found the type of damage caused by the tongue piercing varied according to the length of the barbell stem.
Nearly half of the participants who wore either long or short barbells for four or more years had chipped teeth. But the frequency of chipping was much greater among those wearing short-stemmed (less than 5/8 of an inch) barbells.
Researchers say short barbells are more likely to cause tooth chipping because it's easier to position between the teeth. People with tongue piercing tend to habitually bite the barbell.
The study found receding gums, a problem that can lead to tooth loss, in 35% of those who had pierced tongues for four or more years and in 50% who had worn the long-stemmed barbells for two or more years. Researchers say that during tongue movement, long-stemmed barbells are more likely to reach and damage the gums than short barbells.
"Given this new information, I strongly recommend discussing potential risk factors with your dentist before mouth piercing," says Kenneth Bueltmann, DDS, president of the American Academy of Periodontology, in a news release. "Taking precautions now will increase your chance of keeping your teeth for a lifetime instead of needing dentures like many of your grandparents."
© 2002 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/71/81289.htm?lastselectedguid={5FE84E90-BC77-4056-A91C-9531713CA348}
Oral Piercing Causes Long-Term Damage
Lip, Tongue Piercing Can Cause Tooth Loss
By Cherie Berkley, MS
WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Michael Smith, MD
on Monday, July 21, 2003
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July 21, 2003 -- Piercing is a hot fashion trend but you may not be smiling pretty for long if you get one in your mouth. A new study shows oral piercing -- such as on the tongue or lip -- may cause tooth loss.
"Wearing oral piercing ornaments, even over relatively short periods, may result in significant deformities to gingival tissue (gums) that might not respond satisfactorily to surgery and, in fact, may lead to tooth loss," says lead researcher John K. Brooks, DDS, associate professor at the University of Maryland Dental School in a news release.
His study appears in the July issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association.
The damage to the gum line comes from the constant contact between the oral jewelry and the gums. The results can be permanent. They include:
Receding gums
Chipped or fractured teeth
Nerve damage or inflammation at piercing site
Periodontitis (when the inner layer of the gum and bone pull away from the teeth and form pockets) resulting in loose teeth or tooth loss
The researchers discussed five cases of young adults with oral piercing jewelry and the health of the gums near it. In each case, the patient had some degree of receding gums and injury near the piercing site. Three of them had signs of severe periodontitis.
In one case, a 19-year-old woman showed significant signs of receding gums in just five months. This type of fast-acting damage means it's critical for people with oral piercings to get regular dental checkups, Brooks says.
The article reports the most commonly pierced oral sites are the tongue and the lip. Tongue-piercing may damage gum tissue behind the lower front teeth, while lip-piercing may injure gum tissue in front of the lower teeth.
I should add that my mom has gingivitis and goes and get tortured as a treatment of it. I think they cut her gums to help the gingivitis. I dont' believe gingivitis can be cured. Of course a few teeth fell out from the gingivitis so that improved the gingivitis. Seems like the teeth were not helping the gingivitis.
The dentist told me why the Tooth enamel is so important. The tooth enamel protect and strengths the tooth. When the tooth enamel get damages the tooth weakens and is more subject to chips and breaking. If the tooth breaks off too much the dentist can not cap the tooth.
I also have whole section of teeth that have no tooth enamel. It is getting progressive more painful. Soon it will be like having an exposed tooth nerve.
If you have chipped a tooth, it is an extremely good idea to visit your dentist promptly, even if you are in no discomfort. Teeth may fracture for a variety of reasons, including cavities, congenitally weak enamel, brittle teeth due to root canal treatment or non-vital pulp, and trauma. Fracture lines within a chipped tooth may continue to increase as well, creating greater risk of further chipping or discomfort. Treatments for fractured teeth range from placing new fillings to crowns, or veneers. Extensively fractured teeth may require root canal treatment or, rarely extraction. If a tooth has fractured off at the gum line, it may still be savable!
http://www.seattle-dentist.com/chipped-teeth.htm
Gingivitis or inflammation of the gum tissue, is caused by acid waste products of bacterial plaque that is allowed to remain chronically around the teeth and below the gumline. Untreated, this inflammation can cause loss of bone, gum recession and possible loss of teeth. Recently, evidence has been presented that indicates untreated periodontal disease can cause heart disease.
http://www.finesmiles.com/webpages/interest/ging.html
Almost all the enamel on my teeth is missing. Not because of my brand new piercing, but from my braces. They stripped my teeth. I get cavities easily, have one crown at the front of my teeth and was told I'd need all my front teeth crowned within 10 years. I know my dentist is going to have a caniption when he sees this piercing. As far as the risks of diseases, I'm aware of them, and the best way to avoid physical damage is get a properly fitting bell. I've been hitting mine on my teeth because the piercing bell is LONG to allow for swelling, but I'm dying to get a much shorter one when the swellings subsides. I really appreciate all the information Feona posted, that reminds me to take car of my ring properly so I can avoid adverse reactions as much as possible.
BTW, Ginny.... you said you would never hire anyone with a tongue piercing. What if they put a spacer in so you couldn't see it and no one would know it was there? In the Army they are not allowed to have them, but my DH, quite a few of my soldier friends, and the guy who went with me last night have all had them. They buy clear plastic spacer bas to hold the hole while they are on duty, and where a barbell while in civilians. Just curious if that would make a difference to you.
When I had my second tattoo done, there was young Navy wife there to have both of her NIPPLES pierced. Her husband was at sea, and she wanted to surprise him, when he came home.
There is biker bar in front of our local tattoo parlor, (I KNOW that that is a surprise...kidding LOL), so she went there first to get a little 'courage". I expected to hear her scream, but she came out smiling. I could see them thru her t-shirt. I asked her if it hurt. She said only for a second.
I wouldn't be that brave. Not that I would want that myself.
A spacer would be OK, because then it wouldn't be visible. Tatoos are OK if the visible one or two are small, and not offensive. Hey, aside from my personal feelings, I work in a law office and we have clients of all ages and from all kinds of backgrounds. And they see the support staff, so image is important. I would hope that I would not allow my personal preferences to get in the way of what is considered generally acceptable in our office.
We once had a clerk who did the mail, copying, and substituted on the switchboard. She had a large dragon tattoo on her thigh, and a couple of times she wore a skirt short enough so that a large part of it showed. She was told that she should keep it covered, which is what I would have told her.
Look, the job market is competitive, especially now. Employers can discriminate on the basis of image, and the old truths about wearing Sunday clothes when you are applying for a job do apply. And image includes piercings and tattoos. So if you intend to work in a field where some people might object, keep your piercings and tats discreet - what you do on your time off is your business but at work your appearance is your employer's business.
Heck, when I applied for the job I have now, I wore a suit, styled my hair, and wore makeup and pumps. Now, after 6+ years, I wear slacks almost every day, pull my hair back with a tie or a clip, and seldom wear makeup. But, that was after I got the job and saw what was acceptable in this office. There are other offices where only skirts or pantsuits are acceptable. My lawyer son works in an office with no "casual Friday", suits and ties every day for the men, and the support staff dress accordingly. Our office has casual Friday, and some of the staff even wear knee-length shorts on Fridays and I usually wear jeans - every workplace is different, and when you are applying for a job it is best to be very conservative until you know what will be allowed.
Can you talk with a stud in you mouth? I thought it gaves you a slisp?
I have been able to talk fine since I had it done. Even in the morning when my tongue is most swollen it doesn't give me a lisp. Right now I tend to talk a *little* slower than normal, because it hurts, but once that heals there will be no problems. And Ginny, I agree with you, people do not know how to properly dress for job interviews and stuff. Both my tattoos and now my tongue ring will not be visible ANY time I'm applying for a job, or trying to look professional. It's almost always a skirt that hits right below the knee and a nice top, with heels for me.
I watched Robin Williams LIVE on Broadway, out on DVD. He did a great impression of a woman with a tongue piercing. Very funny.
I wouldn't want one, but I have a friend who has one. Just not my cup of tea. Whatever floats your boat. LOL
My 12 year old dd mentioned a couple of weeks ago that she would like to get a tattoo when she is 18. She doesn't really know what design she would like.
I said to her....
"8 short years ago, you were SOOOOOO into Barney, the dinosaur. You wore Barney sleepers to the market, watched the tapes constantly, EVERYTHING was Barney. What if you had a Barney tattoo now? You would be mortified!" She agreed.
I don't have any tattoos, but I am not against them. A personal choice.
I got a tattoo about a week after my sister died. My other sister and I went and had them done, each different in a way that we are comfortable with. Mine is a very artistic J (her name was Jessica) that sits right over my heart. I have never for a moment regretted it. When I was a rock climbing instructor at school I'd forget about it and take off my shirt and have people ask me about it and I felt weird telling them about it for a while but I got used to it.
I am afraid I think the tongue ring for women are like Chinese foot binding if people are doing it to appear more attractive. The reason I think it is similiar is because it gives some woman a lisp which would decrease their chances of getting a good paying job. This lisp would make a woman more dependant on Men. I guess this foot binding will be the next trend. Picture of foot that was bond is in the link.
Never mind I had nightmares about metal banging on my teeth last night.
Like the others said. What ever rocks your boat.
http://pub132.ezboard.com/fbodypiercingtattooingandbodymodificationfrm45.showMessage?topicID=7.topic
Annie2, I love what you told your dd!
I imagine having a tongue ring would distance you from other women.
Feona how do you think it would distance someone from other women? Just wondering. I think that large tatoos are offensive especially on women. It is not becoming. Small ones are ok if placed properly. I will not let my children get them as long as I have a say. I have no tatoos or piercings.
I don't think tatoos are offensive. I like little tatoos. If someone has a big tatoo on their face lets say, I might be alittle taken a back.
I wonder if having a tongue ring would effect how others interact with you let say in the park. I know know way too much about tongue piercing so I couldn't be a good predictor of how others perceive you lets say for a casual conversation in the park. I guess it might be the same, but it is something to think about.
I mean if I walked out of the house with my shirt on backwards would that change the way a stranger reacted to me for a casual conversation in the park? (actually I have done this many times.) How about if I wore a black bra and a white shirt?(I did this once too) How would a stranger react to me? So I imagine having a tongue ring would effect how a stranger in the park might react to me.
I read more warnings the other day about tongue piercings.
http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/health_and_fitness/article/0,1406,KNS_310_2188445,00.html
Adorning the mouth could be asking for trouble
Jabbing a gold stud through your lips or piercing your tongue with a silver bar can cost you a tooth.
Dr. John K. Brooks and two colleagues at the University of Maryland Dental School say there is growing clinical evidence that oral piercings increase the risk of gum disease, which can cause painful infections and tooth loss.
Presenting their case to the Journal of the American Dental Association, the three detailed five patients who suffered gum loss and other dental problems because of lip and tongue studs.
People who insist on wearing studs in their mouths "have to maintain exquisite oral hygiene, brushing and flossing," says Brooks.
But even so, "there is no escaping that they will be at risk for damage to their gums and their teeth."
A lot of times people have had tongue rings and I didn't even know until they started playing with it or told me. So if they weren't messing with it I might not notice.
I guess if they don't mess with it I wouldn't notice either. I guess I always think of someone sticking their tongue out and showing it off like the rock stars.
LOL@ the rock star thing, it made me think of Gene Simmons. No one really knows unless you play with it. I know a lot of soldiers with them that don't get caught because their command can't tell they have one.
LOL, Just saw Gene Simmons in concert Aug. 27th!
My ears are double pierced, but no other body piercings. No tattoos. I can't possibly think of anything I want permanently etched into my skin. I have nothing against them, but don't like rude or distasteful ones.
My Dad is 70 yrs. old and was in the Canadian Navy during the Korean war. During his travels in the Navy he got a tattoo on each arm. They both say something in Japanese but no one but my Mom and Dad know what they say. He does not want us (his kids) to know. I've always wondered if he was a drunken sailor when he got them and regrets it. BIG secret! LOL!
I don't like tattoos. My DH's grandpa was in the navy and has tattoos on his arms. Now that he is almost 80 and VERY wrinkly, the tattoos look awful. They are just big black blotches all over his dry hairy skin LOL. Yuck!
I have 3 holes in one ear and two in the other. However, I only use one hole in each year, and I wish that I hadn't gotten the other holes just because it was "in style" at the time. Because now, I can't get rid of them!
So, I guess I'm pretty boring yet again!
My DH had a tongue ring when we were dating. His mom went nuts when she found out. He let it grow shut at one point and then had it done again. He took it out when our first DD was born. I told him it was time for it to go.
My SIL also has a tongue ring. She's about as classy as they come. She is only 22 but is the Vice President of the bank in her city. She is very professional and extremely beautiful. You can't see the tongue ring unless she shows you.
I would never have the guts to PIERCE my tongue! I went with DH when he was my boyfriend and *I* almost passed out.
bump
Just curious, why would you want to pierce your tongue? Besides painful, it seems like you would be playing with it in your mouth all day, and how do you move food around in your mouth while chewing without it getting in the way? Also, it changes the way you talk. So what are the "plus" side of having it done? Do you think they are attractive? Again, just curious, not judging you.
Actually it wasn't that painful at all ;) Biting your tongue hurts worse than getting it pierced IMO. It doesn't get in the way and you don't play around with it all day (unless you want to). To be honest, after awhile it's easy to forget that it's in there. It does not change the way you speak - maybe for some people?? who knows - but not for me personally or any one else that I know who has their tongue pierced. I never did mine to make myself more "attractive" to others. I did it because it was something that I wanted for myself. To be honest, no one even knew I had it unless I showed it to them. I "tested" that by seeing how long it would take people to notice. My sister didn't even know I had it done until one day I stuck my tongue out at her in jest (this was 4 months after I had my tongue pierced..and she had her tongue pierced too if that makes a difference). Oh...and I guess that would go on to answer that no....I wasn't concerned at all about someone in public, like say for instance a park, judging me because of my tongue piercing. How would they know? Im a paralegal and worked as such for 4 years with my tongue piercing. No one knew (except for my boss who asked to see it after I told him I was going to get it done) As far as the tooth damage from metal rubbing on them...easy enough - don't use the metal ones. I always used the plastic
In addition to that I have three holes in each ear, and my naval pierced. I have two tattoos...one on my left breast and one on my shoulder blade. The one on my shoulder blade is fairly large...and if I'm on the beach or somewhere where I would be baring my shoulders, of course it is noticeable. I happen to love that tattoo though, so it's not an issue for me. I'd like to show it off more
Just one of those things where IMO it's to each its his own...
My husband has a Tattoo that he got when he first joined the Marines, gosh 20 yrs ago now. I like it alot, I want him to get another one on his back. I would love one but I can't decide on something that I want on my body for the rest of my life. I think that they can be tastefully done on women if they are not too big or as long as they are in places that they can be covered up. If I did get one, it would have to be somewhere that my parents would never see it. They would flip out!!!
It didn't change the way my DH spoke. He sounded exactly the same. He also didn't have to go back and get a smaller bell. He always had the same one.
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