Table 2. Prevalence of oral piercing and knowledge among study participants (N = 1,054).
PMMA: polymethyl methacrylate; PTFE: polytetrafluorethylene; HBV: hepatitis B virus; HSV: herpes simplex virus; HAV: hepatitis A virus; HCV: hepatitis C virus
| Knowledge and self-perception of oral piercing | N (%) | |
| Have you ever heard about or seen oral or perioral piercing? | No | 115 (10.9%) |
| Yes | 939 (89.1%) | |
| Have you ever had an oral piercing? | No | 941 (89.3%) |
| Yes | 113 (10.7%) | |
| Did one of your family members have an oral piercing? | No | 857 (81.3%) |
| Yes | 197 (18.7%) | |
| If you have heard about, seen, or had an oral piercing, what type was it? | Lip | 314 (29.8%) |
| Cheek | 106 (10.1%) | |
| Tongue | 155 (14.7%) | |
| Lip + cheek | 53 (5.0%) | |
| Lip + tongue | 144 (13.7%) | |
| Cheek + tongue | 17 (1.6%) | |
| Lip + cheek + tongue | 265 (25.1%) | |
| What do you think is the most common age group that goes for oral piercings? | Children | 21 (2.0%) |
| Teenagers | 804 (76.3%) | |
| Adults | 218 (20.7% | |
| Elderly | 11 (1.0%) | |
| From your point of view, what is the purpose of having an oral piercing? | Esthetic | 145 (13.8%) |
| Feeling of independence | 65 (6.2%) | |
| Trend | 342 (32.4%) | |
| Other | 130 (12.3%) | |
| Esthetic + feeling of independence | 14 (1.3%) | |
| Esthetic + trend | 183 (17.4%) | |
| Esthetic + others | 9 (0.9%) | |
| Feeling of independence + trend | 45 (4.3%) | |
| Feeling of independence + other | 10 (0.9%) | |
| Trend + other | 42 (4.0%) | |
| Trend + esthetic + feeling of independence | 33 (3.1%) | |
| Esthetic + feeling of independence + trend + other | 9 (0.9%) | |
| Esthetic + trend + other | 20 (1.9%) | |
| Feeling of independence + trend + other | 6 (0.6%) | |
| Other + esthetic + feeling of independence | 1 (0.1%) | |
| From your point of view, what style of oral jewelry is the most common? | Don’t know | 270 (25.6%) |
| Ball captive ring | 426 (40.4%) | |
| Barbell | 82 (7.8%) | |
| Labret | 72 (6.8%) | |
| Ball captive ring + barbell | 73 (6.9%) | |
| Ball captive ring + labret | 57 (5.4%) | |
| Barbell + labret | 9 (0.9%) | |
| Ball captive ring + barbell + labret | 65 (6.2%) | |
| From your point of view, what is the main component of oral piercing jewelry? | Don’t know | 683 (64.8%) |
| Titanium | 132 (12.5%) | |
| Surgical steel | 119 (11.3%) | |
| PMMA, PTFE, bioplast (plastic) | 61(5.8%) | |
| Titanium + surgical steel | 31 (2.9%) | |
| Titanium + PMMA, PTFE, bioplast (plastic) | 9 (0.9%) | |
| Surgical steel + PMMA, PTFE, bioplast (plastic) | 11 (1.0%) | |
| Titanium + surgical steel+ PMMA, PTFE, bioplast (plastic) | 8 (0.8%) | |
| If someone asked you about having an oral piercing, would you recommend it? | No | 940 (89.2%) |
| Yes | 114 (10.8%) | |
| Do you think that oral piercing should be done by a person with professional qualifications? | No | 161 (15.3%) |
| Yes | 660 (62.6%) | |
| Don’t know | 233 (22.1%) | |
| Are you aware of the danger of mouth piercing? | No | 293 (27.8%) |
| Yes | 761 (72.2%) | |
| Do you think oral piercing can chip any of the teeth? | No | 231 (21.9%) |
| Yes | 477 (45.3%) | |
| Don’t know | 346 (32.8%) | |
| Do you think oral piercing can cause discomfort in the gum? | No | 69 (6.5%) |
| Yes | 830 (78.7%) | |
| Don’t know | 155 (14.7%) | |
| Do you think oral piercing can cause halitosis (bad breath)? | No | 100 (9.5%) |
| Yes | 764 (72.5%) | |
| Don’t know | 190 (18.0%) | |
| Do you think oral piercing should be removed before visiting a dentist? | No | 131 (12.4%) |
| Yes | 544 (51.6%) | |
| Don’t know | 379 (36.0%) | |
| Do you think your dentist would recognize if you had an oral piercing? | No | 48 (4.6%) |
| Yes | 778 (73.8%) | |
| Don’t know | 228 (21.6%) | |
| Do you think once the oral piercing is done, there will be any change in oral hygiene methods? | No | 93 (8.8%) |
| Yes | 768 (72.9%) | |
| Don’t know | 193 (18.3%) | |
| From your point of view, how often should oral jewelry piercing be cleaned? | Never | 268 (25.4%) |
| Once a week | 128 (12.4%) | |
| Once a month | 27 (2.6%) | |
| Every day | 631(59.9%) | |
| From your point of view, what are the best methods for cleaning an oral piercing? | Don’t know | 355 (33.7%) |
| Antimicrobial solution | 300 (28.5%) | |
| Brushing | 57 (5.4%) | |
| Both | 342 (32.4%) | |
| Do you think oral piercing can cause inflammation or infection? | No | 77 (7.3%) |
| Yes | 806 (76.5%) | |
| Don’t know | 171(16.2%) | |
| Complications of oral piercing might include | Allergic reaction + gingival inflammation | 914 (86.7%) |
| Gingival inflammation | 38 (3.6%) | |
| Allergic reaction | 16 (1.5%) | |
| Temporary paralysis | 13 (1.2%) | |
| Other | 73 (7.0%) | |
| Viral complications of oral piercing might include | Don’t Know | 771(73.1%) |
| HBV | 18 (1.7%) | |
| HSV | 92 (8.7%) | |
| HAV + HBV + HCV | 21 (2.0%) | |
| Other | 152 (14.5%) | |