Tongue piercings, in whatever form they come in, should not be present during orthodontic treatment. If you currently have a tongue ring or stud and are planning to get braces in the near future, you should remove the piercing before treatment commences. Ask any orthodontist and many will tell you the same thing.
No matter what order you get them in, braces or tongue piercing first, for the sake of your teeth and your braces—which don't come cheap—you should never combine the two.
Tongue Piercings Counteract Braces
Braces work by pulling or pushing teeth in a desired direction. This subtle movement occurs over a period of months or even years. Tongue piercings, as shown by research, can cause teeth to become crooked. This happens because wearers often develop an unconscious habit of pushing the stud or ring against or even between their upper front teeth.
So, if you combine the pressure of your tongue piercing with the pressure of your braces, it is easy to imagine that things can go badly wrong. With the piercing pushing one way and the braces pushing another, your teeth could become even more crooked than they were before. Gaps may also form where there were previously none.
The Piercing Could Dislodge Brackets
Orthodontists always advise their patients to take care when eating apples or sticky foods such as toffee. This is because these things can dislodge the brackets that are so important for tooth movement. Piercings are even harder than these foods. All it takes is one slip, and your stud bar could become lodged in your braces.
The thought alone is enough to make you wince. Either your tongue will be injured or the bar will dislodge a bracket or two as it breaks free from the brace. If you are wearing a lingual brace, a brace which fits onto the back of your front teeth, then your piercing will almost certainly come into contact with the brace.
It Could Cost You Time and Money
If any of the aforementioned mishaps should occur, then you can be pretty certain that not only will your treatment time be extended, but you will also have to fork out more money.
While it isn't 100 percent certain that your tongue piercing will interfere with your orthodontic treatment, are you really willing to take that risk? When planning your orthodontic treatment, ensure that your braces and any other dental work are the only other foreign objects present in your mouth.
For more information, contact a local orthodontist.
