Since your mouth is a literal breeding ground for numerous types of bacteria, it is important that you keep your piercing clean during the healing process. Here are a few things to keep in mind about keeping your piercing clean.
Piercings That Are Inside the Mouth Entirely
You want to make sure you get an alcohol-free mouthwash that has an antiseptic in it for rinsing your mouth during the healing process.Your piercer likely sent you home with aftercare instructions, so follow those to the letter. Use a very mild saline solution to rinse your entire mouth three times per day for the first one to two weeks, unless you were told longer by your piercer.
Piercings That Are In and Out of Your Mouth
If you got a piercing that goes from the outside of your skin into your mouth, the process is similar, but not exactly the same. You need to always rinse with a saline solution to rid your piercing of bacteria and to speed up healing.However, you also need to allow a gentle soap to wash over the piercing for about 30 seconds each day, then rinse it off. This is easy to do if you are in the shower.
Always make sure you wash your hands with a reliable soap prior to touching your piercing so you do not introduce new bacteria. If your piercing hurts more than normal, swells, smells or tastes bad, or begins to ooze, make sure you contact your piercer or our office immediately. This could be the sign of an infection that will require treatment to heal properly.
