tongue piercing-advice needed!!!

surrealsounds

i know technically this is a health post but i couldnt find a suitable forum so i base this posts existence on the appearance part
i need help.. i REAAALLY want to get my tongue pierced, have done so for quite a few years.. why, i dont know for sure, but its always appealed to me, and im not even afraid of it hurting at this point, mind over matter, if ya dont mind it doesnt matter
..but.. i AM worried about long term affects. does it leave a hole in the tongue in case u wanted to take it out a few years down the line? does it chip your teeth and if so, which i don't doubt for a moment considering its a ball of metal, does it chip if you wear a piercing with a rubber ending? but would THAT cause infection itself?! ohhh lordy i dunno.. im posting this in the hope that ill get some positive feedback, or positive suggestions as to how to get it done but protect my teeth and gums.. i will also use this info to convince my mother im not ruining all the dental work shes paid for over the years lol!
ALL experiences welcome ALL help/advice/suggestions would be so appreciated.....

Diddler82

I have had my tongue pierced for 5 years now. Now 28 and the only time I ever had a problem with it was the first 3 weeks with the swelling. You have to be extremely careful eating. After that get a small bar and you reduce the risk hugely. Occasionally you might almost bite on it but seriously I have not had a problem. Just get a small (but comfortable) bar and 2 small studs or balls and it will be fine. Good luck

storm2811

There's a tattoo and piercing forum some place,I'm sure they'd be more experienced.:)

I wanted to get it done once aswell,untill I found out it could give you a lisp or make one worse.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=358
Here it is!

Twee.

Thread moved to Tattoos and Piercings.

gambitthefirst

i'v had mine pierced for 5 years now and i did chip 2 teeth then i started using plastic balls and had no problems with it since and i did take out the stud for about 2 years until my girlfriend ask me to put it back ;) nug nug and the hole stayed open but in saying that my mate took has out for like a week and it pretty much closed up.

Atavan-Halen

Once you're wearing a correctly sized bar and not playing with it all the tine you should have virtually no damage to your teeth and gums (I say virtually because it's not 100% definite you'll have no damage)

Afaik, the tongue closes up pretty fast but that's just going on people I know with tongue piercings and everybody is different so it mightn't hold true for you.

Once you follow all aftercare instruction, you should have no problems at all with healing. Good luck!

KatieEgg

Ta for that Gambit...

I've had mine pierced for about... oh three or four years now if memory serves, & infact I found it to be such an easy piercing to have done & to heal up I got it done a second time shortly after

Since then I haven't had the studs out for too long, a day at most, & that makes no difference at all.
Even without the studs in but with the holes still present (if you understand what I mean) it really was just like having never had my tongue pierced in the first place! So should you decided after a time you don't like the piercing & were to remove it, even if the holes never completely healed I'm sure it would make no difference to you!

I also chipped a tooth during my first few months of having it done-though if I'm honest I think that was mainly due to my habit of playing with the studs in my mouth-twisting them around, lightly chewing on them, etc.

I since changed to plastic balls & had no problem & then about a year or so ago went back to metal ones & haven't have any more chips or worries-I think I'm so used to them now that I unconsciously facilitate them without any future damage to my teeth & gums.

Personally I would recommend you to go for it, be concious of the balls & bar for the first few months (especially when the swelling first goes down & you still have the long bar in) but then switch to a plastic ball to minimise any damage.

~Katie

Pierced Off

The tongue is a muscle and so providing you're strict with your aftercare healing time is quite quick.Realistically, it is possible, though not recommended, to change the bar after 2 weeks.I have, however, replaced the initial bar with another shorter titanium bar in a tongue piercing after 6 days. I must stress that they followed the aftercare to the letter. If you take the metal balls out as soon as it's healed and refrain from biting the balls (it slows up the healing process anyway)you shouldn't chip your teeth. There is no increased risk of infection providing you practice good oral hygiene. As for closing up, that varies from person to prson, just as with all other piercings. I have found though, that in general, tongue piercings do close up quicker than most others.

catthinkin

use a plastic ball and also go to someone who knows what they are doing the wrong positioning and it will be hitting off your teeth all the time

carmel27

Diddler82 wrote: »

I have had my tongue pierced for 5 years now. Now 28 and the only time I ever had a problem with it was the first 3 weeks with the swelling. You have to be extremely careful eating. After that get a small bar and you reduce the risk hugely. Occasionally you might almost bite on it but seriously I have not had a problem. Just get a small (but comfortable) bar and 2 small studs or balls and it will be fine. Good luck

Ive mine done about 5/6yrs also, and I was the same. It hurt like *u*k for the first 2-3 wks (if anybody tells you it wont hurt, they're telling you lies my friend! I had asked a few friends of mine beforehand and they were all like "Oh God no, it didnt hurt at all. I went home and ate steak afterwards". LIARS. I went home and reconsidered my frienship with some of them afterwards!)

You just have to mind it and look after by following whatever aftercare guidelines your piercer will tell you to follow.

And I use the bars with the plastic balls on either end, and have never damaged my teeth. I did swallow one of the little balls once, but I survived!

And like any other piercing, if you remove the bar, it will close up in time.

Good Luck and let us know how you get on!:D

Star Lord

carmel27 wrote: »

It hurt like *u*k for the first 2-3 wks (if anybody tells you it wont hurt, they're telling you lies my friend! I had asked a few friends of mine beforehand and they were all like "Oh God no, it didnt hurt at all. I went home and ate steak afterwards". LIARS. I went home and reconsidered my frienship with some of them afterwards!)

With piercings, as with tattoos, the experience is different for everyone. What hurts like hell for one, might be hardly felt at all by another.

carmel27

DamoElDiablo wrote: »

With piercings, as with tattoos, the experience is different for everyone. What hurts like hell for one, might be hardly felt at all by another.

Fair point! But I dont belive that somebody could have a metal bar shoved up through their tongue (that hasnt been numbed in any way) and feel nothing at all!:)

KatieEgg

I'll be honest-thought it was going to hurt alot but for me the pain was minimal-a pinch more than anything & that was it! The swelling only lasted a week for me & a friend of mine who got pierced at the same time-her tongue didn't swell at all!

xxchloexx

Honeslty wouldn't advice you to get it done , had a horrible experience , when i got it done the pain wasn't bad , the bar they put in it was quite big , although your tounge is ment to go down after a week mine didn't go down , i couldn't change the bar , then lots of gross goo came out of my tounge. The metal bar began to hurt the fillings in my teeth it was a horrible feeling. I took it out and now theres just a tiny little closed hole in my tounge. Wouldn't get it done again. I took great care of it and that happened. I know most people who get it done are fine but that just put me off getting it done and most my friends wont get it done now because they seen how bad mine was.

carmel27

KatieEgg wrote: »

I'll be honest-thought it was going to hurt alot but for me the pain was minimal-a pinch more than anything & that was it! The swelling only lasted a week for me & a friend of mine who got pierced at the same time-her tongue didn't swell at all!

I must be a serious wimp:o

irishbluebabe

hey, ive my tongue pierced almost a year now and it does hurt for the first week or so, but for me personally it wasnt excruciating pain (unless you bite it by accident) but it was very very hard to eat for about two weeks so be prepared. I also asked my dentist what she thought before i got it done and she said it just depends on the positioning of the bar and how much you play with it. I went back to her since and she is pleased that there has been no damage at all... however when getting mine done i thought he marked it too close so asked him to move it further back, by doing so its now pierced crooked (which I do blame myself) n my tongue is huge in my mouth but fine wen i stick it ou, its not painful just was hard to get used to, so learn from my mistake and let them pierce ya wer they think they shud :rolleyes: good luck!

KatieEgg

carmel27 wrote: »

I must be a serious wimp:o

Ah no, everyone's different! I was a big wimp with my nose piercing-eyes watered up everything! Yet I've had people swear it hurt less than a tongue piercing so each to their own!

eeloe

I've had mine done since 1999, and i haven't had a problem with it!

It was sore for a few days with the swelling and all, but nothing since then!

I've never had mine out for more than a few minutes, so i can't comment on it leave it a hole there for life, but i presume it does!

i personally have no chipped teeth from it, but i've recently had to go to a dentist a LOT, and he said it appears my tongue bar hasn't caused me any damage!

smash

I've had mine done for the past 9 years now, it was sore for around 3 days after I got it done but no problems since then. Longest I've had it out was for 4 days and the new bar slipped straight through no problem.

I broke a filling on it once but I was pretty drunk at the time

surrealsounds

thanks u guys im getting it done tomo (i hope!) ill report back tomo evening if all goes to plan thanks

princess-lala

I think my cartilage hurt more than my tongue! Tongue healed after a couple of days but the cartilage is still sore more than 4 months on

Fizgig Bandicoot

I got mine done 5 years ago, I had to get it done sideways because the tongue-frenulum(If that's what it's called) thing came up to the tip of my tongue. (you wouldn't notice it was sideways.)

Didn't hurt that much to get pierced, but I found it really hurt me to yawn for about a month afterwards. When the big tongue bar was in it sometimes it used to get caught over my teeth.

I have a plastic tongue bar in now and I find it doesn't chip the enamelk off your teeth.

Oh, and the longest I've evr had it out for was about three weeks. I did find it quite difficult to get the bar in again, the hole didn't seem to close up completely, just get narrower.

surrealsounds

okay guysh, im back wid my tongue finally piershed haha thanks for everyones advice, much appreciated!!
the actual piercing itself didnt hurt really, although my eyes watered and i DROOLED all over the guy putting in the bar haha! rather embarrassing...... the swelling is a B***H OMG... it hurt bad for a few days, i even had to blend a perfectly fine fish pie with milk in order to eat it uggh... altho liquidised food is actually not bad neurofen was my life saver, every 2 - 4 hours i was told, altho i sorta developed a dependence on it... ive weened myself off now tho but im still tempted to take 2 for no reason lol!? it really helps tho! and ice, lots and lots of ice!!!! not calippos, altho they make a nice change occasionally :P
ive still ot the big bar in, 2 weeks later, and i do think i will chip my teeth if i dont change soon, i cant stop playing with it!! it feels unreal nice tho, im never bored anymore cause im the whole time messing, my dentist will kill me hehe!! now i just gotta work out HOW to change it..
is it the bottom ball that opens?? im gonna rip my mouth open if i dont change soon lol...
it has to be the lovliest feeling ever tho i highly recommend it! (but its important to note that when i was going through the swelling perios i did NOT recmmend it! but once its over, its worth it!)
thanks again to everyone, it really helped me decide to get it done, i would have had to many doubts to go through with it otherwise
and altho mine went well i have friends who had a disasterous time, so i guess it is sorta dodgey getting it done cause it could go either way really!!!

EmilyN

Pierced Off wrote: »

The tongue is a muscle and so providing you're strict with your aftercare healing time is quite quick.Realistically, it is possible, though not recommended, to change the bar after 2 weeks.I have, however, replaced the initial bar with another shorter titanium bar in a tongue piercing after 6 days. I must stress that they followed the aftercare to the letter. If you take the metal balls out as soon as it's healed and refrain from biting the balls (it slows up the healing process anyway)you shouldn't chip your teeth. There is no increased risk of infection providing you practice good oral hygiene. As for closing up, that varies from person to prson, just as with all other piercings. I have found though, that in general, tongue piercings do close up quicker than most others.

hey you know what your talking about, what exactly does the aftercare entail as regards to drinking and smoking ? if I was to carry around my non alcoholic mouthwash thingy and drink through a straw would it be SOO bad?

xoxyx

surrealsounds wrote: »

now i just gotta work out HOW to change it..
is it the bottom ball that opens?? im gonna rip my mouth open if i dont change soon lol...:)

Both the bottom and top ball come out. But, you don't want to hurt yourself in the early stages so if you do need to change the bar and the balls won't come off easily, go back to your piercer and they'll be happy to change it for you!

Congrats on your new piercing btw! I've had mine for about seven years now (got it young!) and it was weird at first, but now it just feels mega strange if I take it out as it's a part of my mouth!

And, re. tooth chipping, mine is a bit back - you wouldn't notice it much if I was talking to you (about 1" into the tongue) and I have never, ever had a problem with it hitting off teeth. It's just a case of getting used to it and getting over the first few weeks / months of messing with it.

Pierced Off

EmilyN wrote: »

hey you know what your talking about, what exactly does the aftercare entail as regards to drinking and smoking ? if I was to carry around my non alcoholic mouthwash thingy and drink through a straw would it be SOO bad?

Mouthwash after smoking does help, as for drinking through a straw... when you use a straw a) you suck, thereby putting pressure on your fresh piercing and b) direct the alcohol straight at the piercing.So it doesn't seem like a straw is a great idea.