Tongue puncture

Olmecs , Aztecs, and Mayans practiced tongue piercings for ritual purposes ^{[1] [2]} . Mayan cave paintings depict rituals during which the most senior members of the tribe pierced their tongues with thorns. In this case, blood was collected in the bark of a tree, which was subsequently burned in honor of the Mayan gods ^[3] . The Hyde people, the Kawakiutl and Tlingit tribes also practiced piercing the tongue; in addition, the practice was common in the east among Sufis and Fakirs ^[4] .

Tongue piercing was also practiced by Australian Aborigines . Their righteous people pierced their tongues in order to “release evil magic from their bodies” ^[5] .

In modern Western culture, language piercings began to gain popularity in the 1990s, among the stars that contributed to the public acceptance of this modification, it is worth noting singer Melanie Brown from the Spice Girls group, and among representatives of the techno scene of the Prodigy singer Keith Flint ^[6] . Actress Drew Barrymore , singer Bill Kaulitz from Tokio Hotel , Janet Jackson and Malcolm-Jamal Warner from Cosby also have a puncture.

As ornaments for piercing the tongue, direct dumbbells are most often used. Due to the high mobility of the tongue, it is important to choose the right size and location of the decoration. Too thin rods are more likely to migrate and can cause discomfort and irritation to the puncture. The puncture of the tongue is easy to extend and bring to the size of the tunnel .

As a rule, a puncture is made in the center of the tongue, it is also possible to place the decoration on the sides, the tip of the tongue or horizontal installation of the decoration. For some variants of tongue piercing, a flexible bar is used, for example, from Teflon, such a bar reduces the mobility of the tongue to the least extent.

In the case of creating punctures that are different from the classic puncture in the center, the healing time usually takes longer. The likelihood of complications and rejection of the piercing increases.

The puncture site is marked and fixed with a clip. As a rule, a rod is installed in a fresh puncture, the length exceeding the required size, based on the swelling of the tongue during the healing period. During the first two days after the puncture is created, swelling of the tongue to a size twice as large as possible is possible, which can lead to difficulty in speaking and eating during the healing period. Due to the high ability of the tissues of the tongue to regenerate, this variant of punctures is usually delayed faster than others. Complete healing of the canal takes place on average in 3-6 weeks ^[7] .

Puncture in the mouth, as a rule, heals most quickly (2-4 weeks), while other types of piercings can heal for months, before the risk of infection in the puncture is removed. The two most common complications resulting from oral piercing are increased brittleness and brittleness of the teeth ^[8] (occurs in 14% –21% of cases) ^[9] and gum disease ^[8] (occur in 19–38% of cases) ^{[ 9]} . In some cases, the risks also affect the jaw bones , creating a risk of weakening and destabilizing the condition of the teeth.

Additionally, there is a risk of infection ^{[10] [11]} . In the case of the termination of wearing the piercing, the period from the moment of creating the puncture to the moment of removing the jewelry should be about 4 weeks ^[12] . The American Dental Association cites several other risks associated with oral punctures: bleeding and nerve damage, possibly in case of improper installation by a layperson, jewelry that interferes with speech due to improper choice of jewelry location ^[13] .