Tongue Ring Bling

PDO 801: Profession, Practice & Community

Office Team
Dr. Goodbar
Peter Goodyear
Miss Preside
Sumaya Ibraheem
Miss Shine
Viktoriya Bihary
Miss OReach
Arielle Ganas
Mr. Banks
Haani Virjee

dentist
office manager/front desk
hygienist
outreach coordinator
chief financial officer

Case: Alex Pierce

Adolescent (16 y.o.) with
poor oral hygiene; wants
tongue ring/oral
piercings
Medical history:
noncontributory
Has been coming
regularly for years

Target Population - Adolescents

Period of human growth
and development that
occurs after childhood and
before adulthood, from ages
10 to 19
Rebellious, independent
years
Presenters with whom they
can relate
Gimmicks or media they
enjoy

What can we do for our

Community?
Start off the program by visiting 3 High Schools.
-Burgard Vocational High School
-Lackawanna High School
-Lafayette High School

We will plan a Oral Health Awareness Day as part of

health classes.
Main goal:
Educate the youth on the consequences of getting an
oral piercing and overall oral health.
Prevention: Issues it can present in the oral cavity as well as
systemic problems.
Provide information to teens who already have piercings, and
what they can do to diminish negative consequences.

How will we accomplish this

Outreach?
Contact each high school to coordinate a time that is best for the
students and our offices schedule.
Put up flyers around the school before hand, to grab the attention
of any other students or teacher who are interested.
Recruit Volunteers:
o Members of the office.
o UB pre-dental club.
Educate in the consequences of oral piercings.
More relatable
o Professional Piercers
Cowpok, in Elmwood.
Arboreal Ink, in Buffalo
Make a powerpoint with case studies and graphic pictures/videos
depicting all the possible consequences.

Consequences of Oral Piercings

- Pain
- Postoperative hemorrhage and hyperplastic
tissue
- Numbness of the tongue and alteration or loss
of taste
- Gingival recession on the labial or lingual surfaces
- Damage to the teeth may involve enamel, dentin, or
even the pulp, as well as fillings
- Unpleasant itching sensation as the tissue heals

Local and Systemic Infections

Associated with Oral Piercings
- Local infections occur due to the accumulation of dental
plaque and calculus at the piercing sites
- The piercings also act as a harbor for bacteria and for the
formation of dental biofilm
- Systemic infections occur because bacteria from the oral
cavity enter the systemic blood circulation
- Piercings and infections are a special threat to
immunocompromized patients
- Risk of transmission of Hepatitis B,C,D or HIV if the
procedure is performed in a non-sterile environment
- Risk of endocarditis for patients with cardiac abnormalities

How to Diminish Negative Consequences of

Oral Piercings
1. a cold liquid diet for the first day and then a soft food
diet
2. applying ice externally for thirty minutes
3. rinsing with 0.12% chlorhexidine (5 times a day for the
first ten days)
4. decreasing the consumption of alcohol, cigarettes,
caffeine, and chewing gum because these substances
interfere with epithelial healing
5. replacement of the initial jewelry with a smaller one
6. paying attention to oral hygiene, especially at the site of
the piercing and during the period of healing
7. checking the status of the piercing as often as possible to
avoid infections and to make sure the piercing is not
loose and will not become dislodged

Pamphlet
Pamphlets Distributed will depict examples to
illustrate the consequences of oral piercings

Visual Aids
Some common oral piercings

Visual Aids
Meet Jason.

Visual Aids
Cheek Gauges
-incision made in
cheek and slowly
expanded over
time.
Problems?

Piercings gone wrong

Piercings gone wrong

Finances/Budget
Item

Cost

Informative pamphlets and posters

400$

Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, mouthwash from

Crest Oral-B

300$

Professional Videographer

250$

Pre-outreach meeting with pre-dental UB

students, participating dental offices

150$

Total = 1,100$

Feedback
. How can we improve this outreach?
. How can we make this outreach sustainable?
. Hand out surveys to the teachers and the
students

FIN
Questions?

Works Cited
Ioannis Plastargias and Dimitra Sakellari, The Consequences of Tongue Piercing on Oral and
Periodontal Tissues, ISRN Dentistry, vol. 2014, Article ID 876510, 6 pages, 2014.
Oral Piercings. American Dental Association. Web. 15 Feb. 2015.
Protecting All Childrens Teeth. Oral Health Initiative. American Academy of Pediatrics. Web. 15
Feb. 2015.
http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/adolescence/dev/en/