Passos P F, Pintor A V B, Marañón-Vásquez G A et al. Oral manifestations arising from oral piercings: A systematic review and meta-analyses. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol 2022; 134: 327-341.

Gingival recession, abrasion and dental fractures were amongst the most prevalent complications associated with oral piercings.

Fifty-four studies were included in this systematic review, with 15 achieving good methodological quality. Periodontal and tooth damage were the most reported, followed by soft tissue/mucosal injuries, speech disorders, chewing, soft plaque, and saliva. Pain was the most reported complication, followed by infection, swelling, bleeding, inflammation, allergy, and adornment aspiration. Meta-analyses revealed that 33% of participants with piercings had gingival recession, 27% had non-specified dental damage, 22% had tooth chipping, 34% wear/abrasion and 34% had dental fractures.