labret piercing/tongue piercing with braces

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#1 Post by **Miranbrady20** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 2:21 pm

I have my tongue and labret pierced and I will be braced mid july and I was wondering if my labret stud will affect they way I can manuver my mouth and affect my speech also. I'm afraid that it will get caught on my lower archwire when i eat or talk... but I dont wanna take it out! orelse i'll have a little scar on my face... its been out for over a week because of my recent gum graft on my front tooth number 24 but I think once its compleatly healed it should be ok as far as the graft is concerned....

Just looking for some input or advice as far as piercings go!.. Thanks in advance!

#2 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 2:18 am

I rid my tongue ring of 5 years adieu 4 years ago. Why? I found out that they could be wearing away the enamel behind my teeth faster than should be. That was even with the dental acrylic ones because I would knock the ball around when I was bored. I would imagine that the plate rubbing against your newly grafted and healed gums to wreak havoc. If you were to let the piercing heal over, I would think you could use Mederma or something ofthe sort to minimize the look of the scar and over time, it would hardly be noticeable. I have a very nasty scar from a belly button piercing gone wrong. It was very bad 7 years ago and now it still has part of the scab in it. I think now the color is evening out a bit but is still noticeable.

#3 Post by **Miranbrady20** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:31 am

I know its better for my teeth to get rid of em but deep down i really like them and am very against removing them... im scared to because its been a part of me for about 8 years and i love them! maybe plastic ones will be better??? kinda meet in the middle ya know... what do u think?

#4 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 1:29 am

Necra, which would you prefer, the oral piercings or your teeth?

Yeah it was hard for me to part with my tongue piercing because that was when I really started to enjoy life. But then I realized, it wasn't such a big deal anymore and I'd rather keep my teeth than a barbell in my mouth. My tongue is strong enough without it.

#5 Post by **kittymeow84** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 5:57 am

You know you could take out the piercings for your treatment and if you really love them that much, you can get re-pierced when you're teeth are straight!

#6 Post by **Miranbrady20** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:17 am

my recession was caused by the fact that my lower teeth are so crowded its just pushing it clear out of my mouth... my perio said that getting braces should stop it from getting worse... and as far as the piercings im gonna try the plastic ones for a couple of weeks and if i still have a problem i'll lose em... even tho id be sad over it! I just want whats best for my health! I chew on my piercings WAY too much and I need to stop myself...

even tho another way to look at it is... if smoking is bad for you and drinking soda... eating cupcakes... breathing polluted air... drinking beer... even using your cell phone... all seems to hurt us in their own ways.. but we still do it.. we can only be ourselves and our choices make us who we are weither they are stupid or not life is a lesson that must be learned the hard way!

But like i said if the plastic ones are still giving me a hard time they are being dropped like a bad habbit! im more worried about the labret piercing then my tongue ring cause the tongue ring never touches my gums or teeth unless im chewing away! the labret on the other hand is in constant contact.

My friend said that it would be a shame to see me spend all this money fixing my teeth to just ruin it with a piercing ... but hole in my face it what scares me... i actually had a nigtmare about this whole issue!

Im sure in the end i'll make the right choice... thanks again for your advice its helped alot!

#7 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:50 pm

Eating junk food is meant to be done in moderation. If you're insisting that your piercings can be less harmful by wearing them in moderation I don't understand. Smoking, drinking, eating junk, al should be in moderation. People who eat junk food all the time will suffer with heart problems, diabetes, weight issues, etc. Same with people who drink alcohol all the time... But in moderation, you would be less likely to suffer from those problems. So I don't think you're comparing apples to apples my dear.

#8 Post by **esmeraydances** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 5:56 pm

I removed my labret years ago, because I didn't want to damage my teeth. They don't need *any* help, there! I have a tiny, tiny little circle for a scar. It's really only noticeable to me.

I had a tongue piercing as well, for about 8 years. My understanding of how it tends to wear your teeth is exactly as you described. It only hits when you're eating, right? Well, how often do you eat? Several times a day, most likely. All of those little taps add up over time.

You need those teeth for your whole life! Only you can decide what's most important to you. Remember, though, dental work isn't cheap, and it's only going to get more expensive.

#9 Post by **Miranbrady20** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 7:05 pm

i really gotta talk myself into getting rid of em!... im really stubborn and hard headed when it comes to self expression and i'll be the first to admit it but i hate that side of me...

and i was just saying everything we do harms our health wither its food or the very air we breath... and believe it or not i do wear my piercings in moderation... i take them out everyday for work and leave em out for the week and put em back in when im on my days off... so its not constant

#10 Post by **Miranbrady20** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 7:43 pm

yea I know the right thing to do its just hard for me to let go and grow up but that's what this is all about... I grew up and realized that I need braces and I know I need to move on to the next phase ... Its just scarry some times so ima take em out!

#11 Post by **jgrrl22** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 6:06 pm

XXNECRAXX

I had my labret pierced for about 2 years when I decided to finally get braces. I was braced on January 25th of this year, and my piercing had to come out. I, like you, agonized over whether or not to get rid of it. But honestly, now that I've been in braces for about 5 months I couldn't imagine trying to work my labret piercing into having braces... plastic or metal.

Sometimes I can just smile "funny" and get my lip caught (somehow?). I can't begin to imagine how often my labret piercing would get stuck in the archwire, plus I'd be afraid it'd wind up breaking the wire somehow.

As for the scar, it isn't really noticeable to anyone but me. In fact, when I tell people I used to have my labret pierced, they squint at the spot under my lip and say "Oh, I can kinda see it."

So, as someone before me said, you have to make the decision for yourself. But coming from a person whose had the piercing and now has braces... I'd just take it out and if you really miss it that much, get it pierced again when the braces come off as a "YAY I'M FINISHED!" gift to yourself.

#12 Post by **Miranbrady20** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 6:14 pm

sounds like a plan! thanks for the help!

#13 Post by **jumbie** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 10:20 pm

Ahmm I think some of you guys are being a bit over dramatic. A piercing is only as good as the piercer and the piercee. If the person who did the piercing did a bad job or you have skin that gets keloids etc then it will be all wrong. If you don't take care of the piercing it will also just heal badly.I have a belly button piercing and a tongue piercing for 10+ years and NEVER had any issues.I still have both.

I have my tongue piercing WITH my braces and it causes absolutely NO problems. My tongue piercing was done at an angle so that it does not sit on my inner gum line, but in that fleshy place at the bottom of your mouth where it meets the jaw.I don't know if that makes a difference but It therefore does not knock against my teeth except for the odd occasion when I chew with my mouth too wide and I might bite on it.

I also faced the conflict of whether i should take it out or not when i got braces.I also considered taking it out and redoing it after but was concerned it would not be done exactly as it is now. My ortho even scolded me on it but for a very different reason. Her take was that the tongue was a sensory organ like your finger tips and eye ball and that i was damaging the nerve endings and my sense of taste.Too late for that, but she compromised with me when I told her I would use a plastic 'keeper' barbell during treatment.That lasted two visits and I went back to the metal barbell cause it was more comfortable in my mouth. She still scolds me for destroying nerve endings but has never told me take it out because of my teeth. And guess what? My teeth are not the worse for it.Neither my dentist nor my ortho have ever indicated that I have any deterioration of any kind.

I think because of the location the labret might cause some conflict. But I am living proof that the tongue ring can be done without causing damage.I for one will be keeping all of my piercings until God tells me to take them out...

#14 Post by **dubnobass** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 12:46 am

I had a labret for 10 years but took it out about 4 years ago. I still have a little hole under my lip, which hasn't really changed much in outward appearance since I removed it (except that the hole itself is now closed). It's not really very noticeable though - nobody notices it, unless I point it out to them.

The backing disc on my labret did rub on one side of my gums, though, and I have some permanent gum recession there now. I had it removed and re-pierced after 6 months (at a steeper angle, to the back knocked into my teeth instead) when I realised what had happened, and the second time round, it no longer rubbed, but by then the damage was done. It doesn't really bother me, but it probably will if I ever get nagged about it by a periodontist or I lose the tooth there!

I'd wait and see if the labret becomes a nuisance after braces - if it does, you might as well remove it.

#15 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 1:40 am

I took out the tongue ring, though it had an acrylic barbell, I would unconsciously knock it against the back of my teeth. If I had the will to stop myself I would have probably kept it longer until I realized how useless it was in my mouth.

Jumbie - By all means, keep yours in, don't think we're trying to convince you out of it. We were trying to help a memeber who has already suffered from gum recession in the area and was trying to help her save her new investment. Perio surgery isn't something people can afford to do everyday. Obviously, she was a bit worried and we were only trying to help her weigh her options. If she did not want to hear our opinions, she probably would have kept that to herself and ended discussion about it. This is a place where people come to look for opinions, advice, and solace. We are not the Oral Health Military.