Wales bans under-18 tongue piercings due to health risks
NewsPosted by: Dental Design 1st February 2018
The Guardian reports that intimate body piercings for children have been banned in Wales after it has emerged it can lead to health issues and make young people vulnerable to abuse.
The new law means that practitioners are not allowed to carry out or arrange intimate piercings including to the tongue, breasts and genitals on anyone under 18. Those living in Wales are the first UK country to encounter the ban and face prosecution or a fine if they were to break it.
The Welsh government said because children aren’t fully grown when getting a piercing, that it could ultimately result in complication as they continue to develop. Also, their age may mean that they have little experience or knowledge of how to clean their piercing properly, which could pose the risk of infection.
The chief dental officer for Wales, Dr Colette Bridgman, spoke to the Guardian regarding tongue piercings: “It can lead to lasting damage to teeth and gums, and can cause serious swelling in the mouth that can effect breathing. Many dentists in Wales have seen patients who have permanent harm following piercing, and dental teams in Wales really welcome this new law.”
A study was conducted on body piercings that revealed the intimate kind more often resulted in complications. It revealed that half of incidents reported were due to tongue piercings.
If you wish to read the full story, click here: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/feb/01/wales-bans-intimate-piercings-under-18s-health-fears
