People with tongue and lip piercings should remove them: study

• People who get oral piercings suffer from signs of periodontitis.
• Study compares gum and teeth around piercings with other parts of mouth.
• Study shows these damages increase with time. 

A study has found that people who get oral piercings suffer from signs of periodontitis which leads to tooth loss. 

"Our study found that many people with oral piercings had deep pockets and gaps around their teeth, and receding and bleeding gums," Web MD quoted study author Dr Clemens Walter, a professor at University Medicine Greifswald in Germany, as saying.

The team studied eight different research studies which included a total of 408 people with lip and tongue piercings. Participants of the study had their piercings ranging from one month to 19 years. 

Most jewellery that people used was made with metal.

Researchers compared the gum and teeth around the piercings with other parts of the mouth. 

Experts found that in three out of five studies there were deeper pockets around tongue piercings. The teeth gap was also commonly seen. Two in three found bleeding gums. Four out of four studies hinted toward receding gums. 

"The findings suggest that oral piercings, especially in the tongue, negatively affect the adjacent teeth and gums," Walter said.

He also said that these damages increase with time. 

"People with tongue and lip piercings should remove them to protect their teeth and gums from further damage," he advised.