Pros and Cons of Tongue Piercing

[Necrosis]

Thats odd, because cancer is caused by so many things that its very hard to point at something and say "that won't give you cancer".

In fact I'd be more suspicious of something if they said it was 100% to have nothing to do with cancer. Genetic abnormalities for the win, GG.







In any case, cancer is the least of your worries compared to metal poisoning or a variety of charming infections.

[Plaguebearer]

I had a friend with a tongue piercing that got infected, ended up with a huge black boil on his tongue.  Eww.

[lolfighter]

I would dare to claim that a skin irritation is also a chemical reaction, though. There is almost nothing in your body that ISN'T a chemical reaction of sorts. Even your neurons don't work entirely off electricity, your synapses use chemicals to transfer signals.

[GrayDuck]

Ok so what I have in my mouth is called 'Torus' I can't find a pic online that I like that looks exactly like mine - but it's similar to the third image here:

I didn't ask the dentist about a piercing, I was too busy being told to floss more.

Still thinking about this.... hmmmmmmm

[bacon_flaps]

Ew, mouths are gross :x

[Necrosis]

Aha, torus mandibularis.

Well, its more common in women than in men. Its not necessarily inherited, but since you say others have it in your family then I'm inclined to think its the inherited variety. You can inherit it from just one parent, so chances are at least one of your parents has a torus. Further, you're likely going to pass it to your kids, as its a dominant trait.

Interestingly, the larger the torus, the higher the density of your normal bones.


The gene itself controls a protein involved in bone development, eye development, and normal cholesterol and glucose metabolism. Its also related to another condition which gives people enlarged mandibles as well as a thicker, tougher skeleton.

Not too bad, all things considered..

[GrayDuck]

hmmm my dentist said it was from grinding my teeth.... but he couldn't tell me exactly how grinding my teeth gave me extra bones sticking out of the bottom of my mouth - he just said the torus was a result...

Back to initial quesiton - will a tongue ring be bothered by it?  to give you an idea to how bad mine is --- there is probably a centimeter between my two 'bumps' - I can just barely wedge my finger inbetween them.   Thoughts?

[Necrosis]

I'm not a dentist, but from what I can see a torus would develop in order to support the jaw, like a structural reinforcement.

However, if it runs in the family then its likely the inherited mutant gene. At the same time, it could also be an inherited grinding trait.

If its grinding, your dentist will notice chipped teeth, flat back teeth, and the tops of your teeth will look faceted, like a gemstone. You'll also have damage near the root of your teeth, as thats where the tooth "bends". If thats the case, its time to buy a dental guard.

If thats not the case, then its just the inherited lumps and bumps.

As for piercing.... I personally wouldn't combine a subconscious tooth grinding habit with a bit of metal. Run it past your dentist if its the grinding thats causing torus development. Most dentists dont like tongue piercing as is... it tends to chip teeth, which is something you do NOT want if you already have problems with grinding.

If its not grinding, then as well as the usual health concerns, you have to consider if swelling of the tongue is going to affect your mouth. If those bumps already take up a bit of space, then a swollen tongue could be very hazardous. Swelling is fairly common as part of tongue piercing, and the presence of a bar moving around your mouth might agitate those lumps.

I can't tell you whether or not to go for it... I'm not into piercing at all so I might be biased that way, but imho if its just for cosmetic reasons then I'd really not bother. If you get your tooth grinding fixed then I'd certainly give it more consideration, and if the grinding is fixed AND there's plenty of space in the mouth then I'd give it as much thought as any other piercing.

[GrayDuck]

curse you for being so logical  <_<

[Necrosis]

Its life Jim, but not as we know it.

*raises eyebrow*