Lip and tongue piercing can pose a risk to oral health and, in some cases, result in serious infections or illness, the Irish Dental Association (IDA) has warned.
According to members of the IDA, an increasing number of patients are seeking treatment for a number of problems caused by oral jewellery, including chipped or fractured teeth and gum loss.
"This time of the year seems to be the most popular for people getting piercings," said Dr Kevin O'Boyle of the IDA. "They're popular with young people who may just have finished their Leaving Cert and are flying the nest and heading off to college. In many cases they don't realise the risks associated with getting an oral piercing," he said.
According to Dr O'Boyle, about half of the people who get an oral piercing will experience an immediate short-term complication such as bleeding, swelling or infection and some may find their speech is impaired.
He said the damage to teeth is more gradual and depends on the type of piercing involved. A tongue piercing, for example, is likely to chip or fracture teeth, while the friction of a lip piercing could cause gums to recede.
"We would urge people not to get an oral piercing. Some of this damage is irreversible and the longer you keep in the piercing the more problems you are likely to have. Aside from that there is also an overall risk to health," said Dr O'Boyle.
The IDA warned that piercings can be particularly dangerous for people who have a heart murmur which they said is a relatively common condition among children and young adults in Ireland.
The mouth harbours a large amount of bacteria, some of which may enter the bloodstream as a result of an oral piercing. The bacteria can then become attached to an abnormal section of the young person's heart, which has been created by murmur or a damaged valve, and lead to a serious condition called Infective Endocarditis.
Although there have been no cases of Infective Endocarditis as a result of piercing in Ireland to date, Dr O'Boyle said the number of incidences linked to piercings which are reported worldwide are increasing every year.
"There is a risk [of contracting Infective Endocarditis] for a very small number of people, but it's so severe that it's worth noting. There was a small number of cases reported worldwide, perhaps two between 1996 and 2000 and that has gone up to about five a year since and those are cases which relate to piercings. Death is reported in about 30 per cent of those cases," he said. With the numbers rising like that it's just a matter of time before it happens here, he said.
The symptoms include fever, night sweats and flu-like symptoms which develop in the following weeks or months. Treatment of the condition includes antibiotics or heart surgery.
There is no regulatory code for piercers in Ireland, but Paddy O'Donohoe, owner of the Body Shock piercing studio in Temple Bar, Dublin, said certain precautions can be taken. "Always make sure that the person knows what they're doing. I get asked every day how long I've being doing piercings and is everything sterilised properly and that's absolutely fine," he said. "Be careful where you get it done. There aren't many places that do piercings so ask around and find out what kind of reputation a place has. Unless you're at a piercing and tattooing convention, don't get your piercing at a festival."