Lip piercing can lead to receding gums

A form of lip piercing, where people place a stud in the middle of the bottom lip where it meets the chin may increase the risk of receding gums.Researchers from the Ohio State University in Columbus found that people with this type of piercing were more likely to develop receding gums in the front bottom teeth, where the stud of the piercing rubs against the gums as compared to people without them. It is a mechanical trauma hitting the gums, which is inevitably going to create problems.When gums recede, they creep down the teeth, exposing the root. This makes teeth ultra-sensitive to cold, and more susceptible to cavities. If people have an uneven gum line, it's harder for them to brush and clean their teeth, putting them at risk of plaque deposit, which can cause long-term problems like gingivitis.

The researchers emphasized that the problem occurs only with lip piercing that include a stud on the inside of the lip that hits the gum line, and only affects the part of the gums that touches that stud.Researchers measured the gum recession in 58 people. Twenty-nine had this type of lip piercing. They found that 40 per cent of people with this type of lip piercing had receding gums in their bottom front teeth, as compared to the 7 per cent of who did not have any lip piercing. The longer people had the piercing, the more likely they were to develop gum recession. Eighty per cent of the people with lip piercing for more than 36 months had gum recession.

Good brushing and oral hygiene is always helpful, but there's no way people can prevent recession if they wear an object that constantly rubs up against their gum line.

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