Aftercare & Tips
Keeping your Tattoos and Piercings in good shape
Oral Piercing Care
Tongue Piercings
What to Expect
Your piercing will most likely swell. This swelling can last anywhere from a few days in to a few weeks. You can keep swelling to a minimum by using lots of ice.
An anti-inflammatory can also be used (Motrin, Ibuprofen, Advil). You can also utilize things like ice cream, Popsicles and slurpies in conjunction with ice to help with swelling.
Since you piercing will be swollen, eating, drinking and even swallowing may be
difficult. You may feel a stinging sensation and even find that the glands along your neck may swell up a little.
Discharge
You might also notice some discharge on the inside of your mouth. It will look a little creamy and be off white in colour. This is your bodies natural lymphatic fluid, it is not an infection. You can clean it off using a Q-tip or mouthwash.
What to Eat
In the first few days soft cold foods and lots of ice will be your main diet, you can also try meal supplements such as Ensure or Boost, finger foods such as fries, bagels, muffins, things you can manually break apart and put at the back of your mouth behind the bead. Utilizing a blender will also be helpful. At the five day mark alternating between hot and cold foods is helpful.
Aftercare
To keep your piercing clean, you need to rinse with mouthwash. Using the correct mouthwash is very important. Stay away from alcohol based mouthwashes (ex; Scope, Listerine) they are way too strong to be used as frequently as you will need to.
Using too strong of a mouthwash may dry out your mouth and irritate your piercing.
Recommended mouthwashes: Biotene, Oral B Alcohol Free or Tom’s natural. These can be found at most drug stores.
You should be rinsing for 2-3 minutes with mouthwash after anything you eat, smoke or drink after water.
Tongue rinsing should be done diligently for three weeks. After three weeks you can cut down to rinsing after big meals, smoking, and drinking alcohol. After four weeks rinsing 3-4 times a day is fine.
Once your piercing becomes a bit less tender (1-2 weeks) you should begin brushing
your jewelry when you brush your teeth (mostly where the bottom bead meets the post). Your jewelry can collect plaque and tarter just like your teeth do and if you allow it to collect on the jewelry it can irritate your piercing.
Keep it comfortable
In the first few days or weeks when your piercing is swollen things like smoking, hot, spicy or citrus foods, excessive alcohol consumption, playing with your jewelry or excessive talking can irritate your piercing and prolong your swelling. These should all be kept to a minimum.
The jewelry inside you is made of implant grade of surgical steel and it is a lot harder than your teeth and gums. It is possible to chip or break teeth and wear down your gums by playing with it. This risk does increase when the jewelry is not downsized. We recommend downsizing your jewelry anywhere between two and four weeks after the piercing.
If you find that your jewelry is irritating your mouth, your gums or that you’re biting it there are alternatives that we can offer that will help. Just ask your piercer as we are all more than happy to help you find a safe and comfortable alternative to any problems you may be having.
What to Avoid
Playing with your jewelry as this irritates the piercing and can increase swelling during healing and cause tooth or gum problems. Excessive talking in the first week for the same reasons as listed above.
Spicy or salty foods: These types of foods will not only irritate your piercing but will burn and sting quite a bit.
Citrus foods: Will sting like crazy (this includes ketchup and tomato soup) Alcohol: No beer or wine for two weeks. Excessive alcohol consumption can encourage swelling and slow down healing.
Peas, Rice, Long Noodles, and fruit with small seeds such as strawberries and raspberries: These foods are very confusing to eat with a new tongue piercing. Melted Cheese: It will stick to your jewelry. Other examples of food that stick are candies, caramel and toffee.
Other peoples bodily fluids: These fluids include sweat, saliva, blood and sexual fluids. Another persons fluids are note sterile to your body and can lead to an infection. Disease transmission is also possible through a healing piercing since it is an open line to your blood stream.
Infections
Infections inside your mouth are very UNCOMMON. This is because we all have natural bacteria in our mouths to keep them clean. If you do notice a greenish type discharge accompanied by pain and swelling, please call us. If you do
experience any problems we will help you get rid of the problem quickly. We recommend that you come in or call before going to doctors or medi centers; doctors often recommend jewelry removal and prescriptions for antibiotics when both are generally NOT necessary.
ALL OTHER ORAL PIERCINGS
What to Expect
Your piercing will most likely swell. This swelling can last anywhere from a few days in a lip to a few weeks in a labret piercing. You can keep swelling to a minimum by using lots of ice. An anti-inflammatory can also be used (Motrin, Ibuprofen, Advil). You can also utilize things like ice cream, popsicles and slurpies in conjunction with ice to help with swelling.
Aftercare
To keep your piercing clean, you need to rinse with mouthwash. Using the correct mouthwash is very important. Stay away from alcohol based mouthwashes (ex; Scope, Listerine) they are way too strong to be used as frequently as you will need to.
Using too strong of a mouthwash may dry out your mouth and irritate your piercing.
Recommended mouthwashes: Biotene, Oral B Alcohol Free or Tom’s natural. These can be found at most drug stores.
You should be rinsing for 2-3 minutes with mouthwash after anything you eat, smoke or drink after water.
Keep it comfortable
In the first few days or weeks when your piercing is swollen things like smoking, hot, spicy or citrus foods, excessive alcohol consumption, playing with your jewelry or excessive talking can irritate your piercing and prolong your swelling.
These should all be kept to a minimum.
If you find that your jewelry is irritating your mouth, your gums or that you’re biting it there are alternatives that we can offer that will help. Just ask your piercer as we are all more than happy to help you find a safe and comfortable alternative to any problems you may be having.
What to Avoid
Playing with your jewelry as this irritates the piercing and can increase swelling during healing and cause tooth or gum problems.
Spicy or salty foods: These types of foods will not only irritate your piercing but will burn and sting quite a bit.
Citrus foods: Will sting like crazy (this includes ketchup and tomato soup)
Alcohol: No beer or wine for two weeks. Excessive alcohol consumption can encourage swelling and slow down healing.
Other peoples bodily fluids: These fluids include sweat, saliva, blood and sexual fluids. Another persons fluids are note sterile to your body and can lead to an infection. Disease transmission is also possible through a healing piercing since it is an open line to your blood stream.
Infections
Infections inside your mouth are very UNCOMMON. This is because we all have natural bacteria in our mouths to keep them clean. If you do notice a greenish type discharge accompanied by pain and swelling, please call us. If you do experience any problems we will help you get rid of the problem quickly. We recommend that you come in or call before going to doctors or medi centers; doctors often recommend jewelry removal and prescriptions for antibiotics when both are generally NOT necessary.
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