Educational intervention about oral piercing knowledge among dental students and adolescents at schools

Oral Complications Associated with the Piercing of Oral and Perioral Tissues and the Corresponding Degree of Awareness among Public and Professionals: A Systematic Review

This study systematically reviews the literature to evaluate the potential relationships between oral/perioral piercing and consequent oral complications in the corresponding society. The second objective was determining public/professional sectors' awareness of the subject. This research followed PRISMA and Cochrane guidelines for conducting systematic reviews and searching scientific databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Google Scholar, until April 2023. Cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies in English were deemed eligible. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using proper quality assessment guidelines. Of the 965 initial articles retrieved, 34 were considered suitable for qualitative synthesis after screening procedures and removing duplicates and irrelevant records. There appears to be an imbalance between the general public's low and dentists' high awareness. This draws attention to the shortage of professional and societal knowledge-sharing and education initiatives. Women were more than twice as likely as men to have oral piercings. Piercing usage had a low incidence among a cohort of students with a mean age of 16. Merely circumstantial evidence has indicated a plausible correlation between oral and perioral piercings and the emergence of secondary bacterial and fungal colonization, particularly periodontopathogenic bacteria and Candida albicans. Furthermore, several adverse consequences have been observed linked to various piercings-such as lip and tongue piercings. These include caries, gingivitis/periodontitis, dental fractures, enamel chipping/cracks, plaque buildup, bone loss, bleeding, inflammation, and swelling. Given the risks involved and the complications that might impair oral health, the prevalence of oral piercings is alarming. As a result, public health authorities need to firmly support initiatives to raise awareness of the risks associated with oral/perioral piercings. For piercers to enhance their expertise in this field, professional training is necessary because there is a shortage of knowledge on the possible adverse effects of piercings.

Knowledge and Awareness of Oral and Perioral Piercing and Its Complications Among the Population in Riyadh

Background and objective Body piercing was a cultural custom associated with religious or ceremonial rites in antiquity. Currently, it has grown in popularity among teenagers and young people as a form of self-expression. Young adults are now frequently seen with body and oral piercings, which can cause several complications. Patients with intraoral piercing often present with poor dental and periodontal health, as well as various complications and side effects. The general public is often poorly informed about the risks they are exposed to after intraoral piercing and the strategies for minimizing them, and even healthcare professionals often have limited knowledge of the risks and complications that may arise after this procedure. To the best of our knowledge, no published data assessing the knowledge of oral and perioral piercing among the population living in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia are currently available. In light of this, we conducted this study to assess the level of awareness and knowledge of oral piercing and its complications among the population living in Riyadh city and evaluate the correlation of nationality, sex, age, and socioeconomic status (educational level, area of residence, and income) with the level of individual knowledge. Methods This was a cross-sectional observational study with a sample size of 1,099. A confidence interval (CI) of 95%, a standard deviation of 0.5, and a margin of error of 5% were employed to determine the sample size. A structured questionnaire was used as the study tool and was distributed in several residential areas in Riyadh, such as North, South, Middle, Eastern, and Western Riyadh City. The data collection was performed using simple random sampling via electronic questionnaires distributed to participants living in Riyadh. Results A total of 1,054 individuals completed the survey. Of these, 95.6% were Saudi nationals. Approximately 85.5% of the participants (n = 901) were women, 52.4% were aged 20-29 years (n = 552), and most participants (62.9%, n = 663) had a low monthly income (<5,000 Saudi Riyals); in terms of residence, the highest number of participants were from the northern region of Riyadh (37.1%, n = 391). Most participants had heard of or seen an oral or perioral piercing (89.1%, n = 939). However, very few of them had received an oral piercing themselves (10.7%, n = 113) or had a family member with an oral piercing (18.7%, n = 197). Participants reported that the most commonly observed site for oral piercing was the lip (29.8%, n = 314), and teenagers were the most common age group with oral piercings (76.3%, n = 804). Regarding the adverse effects, most participants reported being aware of the negative consequences of oral piercing in the mouth (72.2%, n = 761). Sex and age were the only factors that showed a significant association with participants' level of knowledge. Women were significantly more knowledgeable and had higher scores (ß: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.13, 0.69) than men (p<0.05). Additionally, participants aged 20-29 years had significantly higher knowledge scores (ß: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.15, 0.63) than younger participants (p<0.05). Conclusions Based on our findings, participants' knowledge and awareness about oral piercing is adequate in general. However, there should be more efforts to educate the people of Riyadh about the complications of these piercings as well as raise awareness about proper oral hygiene methods.

Perception and Knowledge of Oral and Facial Piercings among Dental Students: Web-based Survey

AIM

The aim of this web-based questionnaire was to survey dental students to obtain their perception and knowledge of oral and facial piercings.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The participants comprised 240 students enrolled in the dental school who were asked to complete 20 close-ended, yes/no, yes/no/do not know, and multiple responses questions. The questionnaire covers general information concerning oral/facial piercing, triggers why youths and early adults get it, probable complications, their appreciation of the possibility of related health conditions, and their knowledge and perception. The survey was distributed to the students by email. The results were tabulated and statistically analyzed.

RESULTS

Dental first year (D1) and dental second year (D2) were substantially more likely to indicate that orofacial piercings as unacceptable and are less expected to have an orofacial piercing compared to D3 and D4 (p < 0.01). About 16.8% of the students reported previous orofacial piercings. There was a definite correlation between previous orofacial piercings and thinking that is appropriate in society (p < 0.05). Males were significantly more likely to have an orofacial piercing (p < 0.01). The Internet was reported as the most common source of information. The most popular cause for piercings is to be unique and different.

CONCLUSIONS

Orofacial piercings are relatively frequently used by students in dental school and few students intend on getting one in the future. Knowledge of the hazards of orofacial piercing correlated with the requirement for parental approval. The majority of students think piercings are appropriate in society and know their complications and risks.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Orofacial piercing has been gaining popularity but its risks/complications may not be known by practitioners. There is a need for research to assist dental/medical practitioners in advising, educating, and safeguarding patients by evaluating of the perception and knowledge of students about orofacial piercings.

Oral manifestations arising from oral piercings: A systematic review and meta-analyses

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review of oral manifestations arising from oral piercings.

STUDY DESIGN

Literature was searched through January 2022 in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Virtual Health Library, OpenGrey, and Google Scholar to address the question, "Is there an association between oral piercings and oral alterations, complications, or lesions?" Quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal tools. Meta-analyses were performed, and certainty of evidence was assessed through Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). Reporting followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

RESULTS

Fifty-four studies were included, 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 (GR) (event rate [ER] = 0.329). In participants with piercings, ER values for nonspecified dental damage (NSDD), tooth chipping, wear/abrasion, and dental fracture (DF) were 27% (ER = 0.270), 22% (ER = 0.219), 34% (ER = 0.344), and 34% (ER = 0.338), respectively. Certainty of evidence was very low.

CONCLUSIONS

Alterations, complications, and lesions were associated with oral piercings and adornments, of which GR, DF, and NSDD were the most prevalent.

Piercing and Oral Health: A Study on the Knowledge of Risks and Complications

The aim of the present study is to verify the knowledge of risks and complications of oral piercings, and to observe the main complications associated with piercings, using a sample from central Italy of patients wearing intraoral piercings. Through piercing and tattoo studios selected randomly in Rome, Latina and Campobasso, and a tattoo and piercing convention in Latina, a group of 387 individuals with oral piercings were selected and asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire. After filling in questionnaires, 70 individuals of the 387 selected agreed to be visited to allow the observation of the integrity of their teeth and gums (especially close to the oral piercing), oral hygiene conditions, piercing cleaning, bad habits and gingival recession. Among the respondents, 46.8% said they had not been informed about these risks, 48.5% claimed not to clean the piercing, 70.6% stated that they had not been made aware of gingival problems that can arise, 60.4% subjects stated that they were not informed about the complications of piercings concerning teeth, 52.8% had insufficient oral hygiene conditions, 42% showed signs of generalised gingivitis, 20% had 3–4 mm recessions and 22% had tooth fracture(s) due to piercing. From this study, it emerged that oral piercings can represent a risk to oral health and that there is a widespread lack of awareness of the complications and correct methods of maintaining oral piercings. Periodic checks by both dentists and dental hygienists, for patients with oral piercings, could play a decisive role in preventing, intercepting and treating the complications that they can cause.