The complication of oral piercing and the role of dentist in their prevention: a literature review

OBJECTIVES. The work report about the complications of oral piercing and the role of dentist in their prevention. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The authors conducted a systematic review of the literature through the Medline database by entering "oral piercing", "piercing and complications", "piercing and hygiene" as keywords. Articles published between 1988 and 2012 were considered. RESULTS. Oral piercing is linked to several potential complications. Many of them are due to scarce awareness of the risk, bad habits and inadequate oral care. CONCLUSIONS. The dentist should motivate patients with oral piercing to maintain a good oral care, provide instructions and conduct periodic inspections to secure their understanding and implementation in order to prevent complications.