Tongue is usually pierced in the centre in the midline vertically or horizontally usually anterior to the lingual frenum. The tongue pierced may also be at the tip, or the dorso-lateral area or the median sulcus depending on the individual choice. The Tongue piercing may be through the body of the tongue i.e. through and through piercing or just the surface of the tongue.
Tongue Web Piercing
Tongue web piercing or commonly referred as Marle or tongue frenulum piercing is a form of piercing through the frenulum below the tongue (the frenulum joins the base of the tongue to the floor of the mouth.). The tongue web piercing are relatively simple and with lesser number of complications as compared to the typical tongue piercing. Also these Tongue piercing heals faster than the typical tongue piercing. Many of the tongue web piercing is rejected over time. The aftercare is similarly important for these piercing.
Tongue piercing should be done at authorized body piercing centers by well trained body piercers. But mostly tongue piercing is done at salons, malls, jewelry shops, home, departmental stores or clinic which are not regulated and are unauthorized for body piercing. It is done by teenagers themselves or friends, untrained people or jewelers who have received little or no training about body piercing and haven’t got the slightest idea about sterilization. All this leads to Infected Tongue Piercing. This should be avoided and proper sterilization of the instrument used for piercing and the piercing center should be done to prevent infections and cross contamination. The tongue piercing jewelry should also be germ free. Care should be taken while sterilizing it and cleaning as the chemical used can enter the body directly through the mouth or through the pierced tissue and be harmful to the individual.
The tongue piercing is done under anesthesia and proper antibiotic cover at the regulated body piercing centers to make the piercing pain free and safe. But these procedures are not followed at other places where the piercing is done without any anesthesia or antibiotics.
The professional body piercer as compared to the mall or jewelry shop piercer are well trained and have knowledge about the structure of tongue, location of nerves and blood vessels and avoid injury to them. They have knowledge about sterilization techniques and its importance. The tongue piercing is done under anesthesia and proper aftercare instructions and help are given. So make a note of the following before getting your tongue pierced:
- Whether the body piercing centre is regularized or not?
- Whether the person is trained in tongue piercing or not?
- Proper sterilization technique is followed
- Disposable needles are used
- Jewelry should not have been dipped in any caustic solution.
- Jewelry should be of proper standardized material such as surgical steel.