I recently got six porcelain crowns on my front top teeth. I have a titanium monroe piercing on my tongue and every once in a while I hear and feel it click against the porcelain. I am wondering if the piercing can damage the crowns and if so, what kind of damage it would cause?
Thanks, Lisa
Dear Lisa,
Any type of tongue jewelry can damage your teeth whether they are porcelain crowns or not. Your titanium jewelry is stronger than your porcelain crowns, therefore can cause chipping or breaking. Besides causing damage to the tooth or restoration in place, it’s common for those who do have their tongue pierced to rub their tongue ring against their front teeth causing spaces to appear between the front teeth. Other complications from tongue rings are inflammation of the tongue, a greater risk of bacteria within the mouth, gum recession, difficulty in swallowing and speech, as well as developing an allergic reaction to metal.
If you want to continue with your tongue piercing a better choice of jewelry would be plastic, however remember that any kind of piercing within the month can cause some damage. Remember to visit your dentist twice a year for your dental check-ups and have your dentist look for any complications that your tongue jewelry may be causing.
Post courtesy of Dr. Kitchen and Dr. Stapley, Mesa Arizona dentists.