Oral piercings

Oral piercings behave unlike anything else. The mouth has an exceptional blood supply, so they heal in weeks rather than months. It is also full of bacteria, permanently wet, and lined with teeth that the jewelry can meet. To compare every placement side by side, see types of piercings.

This page covers what applies to all of them, alongside dedicated guides for the tongue, frog eyes, tongue web and smiley piercings above.

Frenulum piercings beyond the smiley

The smiley’s upper-lip frenulum has a mirror image and two close relatives:

• Frowny: the lower-lip frenulum, the same tissue and the same elevated rejection rate as a smiley.
• Tongue web: the frenulum on the underside of the tongue.
• Frog eyes, also sold as venom bites: two piercings placed symmetrically on either side of the tongue, rather than one through the centre.

Not sure which suits you? The piercing quiz narrows it down.

All three follow the same broad pattern as a smiley: quick to place, four to eight weeks to heal, and prone to rejection because the tissue involved is thin and constantly moving.

The dental risk is the real issue

This is the part that matters over years rather than weeks.

Damaged teeth. The American Dental Association’s MouthHealthy page says you can crack a tooth by biting down too hard on a piercing, and that repeated clicking of the jewelry against your teeth can also cause damage. A 2014 review of tongue piercing complications (Plastargias and Sakellari) lists tongue jewellery, habitual biting or chewing of it, barbell stem length, the size of the ornament and the material among the causes of tooth trauma.

Gum damage. The ADA says a habit of biting or playing with the piercing can injure your gums. A 2023 systematic review (Mosaddad and colleagues) reports gum recession with lip and tongue piercings, and finds that the longer they are kept in, the greater the likelihood and severity of problems.

You can reduce both substantially:

• Downsize as soon as the swelling drops. A long bar swings and hits teeth.
• Choose small, flat ends rather than large balls.
• Consider a softer material for the end that contacts teeth, and ask your piercer what they recommend.
• Do not play with the jewelry against your teeth. This is how most damage happens.
• Tell your dentist, and have them check the area at each visit.

The first week of a tongue piercing

Swelling peaks around day two to four and is significant. Plan for it:

• Eat soft, cool food. Avoid spicy, acidic, very hot and very salty things.
• Sip cold water and let ice melt in your mouth.
• Speech will be affected for a few days.
• The initial barbell is long specifically to allow for the swelling. Do not swap it early.

Full detail in the tongue piercing guide.

Aftercare

Oral piercings need both an inside and an outside routine.

Inside: rinse with alcohol-free mouthwash or saline after every meal, every drink other than water, and after smoking. Alcohol-based mouthwash dries and irritates.

Outside, for piercings with an external opening such as a labret: sterile saline twice a day.

Additional rules while healing: no sharing drinks, cutlery or kisses; no smoking if you can avoid it; and keep the jewelry away from your teeth.

The general aftercare guide covers the rest.

Piercings professionals often decline

Snake eyes, a horizontal piercing through the tip of the tongue, passes through both muscular halves and can tether them, restricting movement. The jewelry also rests directly against the teeth. Many experienced piercers refuse it.

Tongue frenulum and lip frenulum piercings are quick and easy to place, but they reject frequently because the tissue is thin and constantly moving, and they rub on teeth and gums. See the smiley piercing guide for the anatomy behind this.

A piercer who declines one of these is applying professional judgement rather than being difficult.

When to see someone

A piercer for jewelry that is too long, sits against a tooth, or has loosened.

A dentist for any chipping, sensitivity or gum change.

A doctor for spreading redness, thick coloured discharge, swelling that increases after the first week, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or fever. Difficulty breathing is an emergency.