At A Glance
Author	Unique
Contact	Unique@bme.anon
IAM	Unique
When	A week ago
Artist	Daniel
Studio	Shaman's Den
Location	Binghamton, N.Y.

I would love to have had my tongue pierced years ago, except I thought it wasn't feasible because I have dentures.

I work in an old fashion five floor department store. I am a department manager, sales person, stock person, jack of all trades. I have to talk with customers and co-workers all day, five to six days a week. I also do mike announcements for our restaurant and any other department that needs one.

I always assumed (and we know what that makes one) that if I had my tongue pierced the balls on the bar would audibly click on my denture plate, thus interfering with my public speaking.

The piercing bug has bitten me again and I'm running out of places I want pierced, so I decided to start researching tongue piercing. I read medical data on the tongue, many experiences, viewed hundreds of pictures and spoke with as many people as I could who have their tongue pierced. Although I didn't find any information concerning tongue piercing and dentures, all I did learn made me want the piercing more.

I went to my piercer Daniel at Shaman's Den, told him what I was considering and asked if he knew anyone with dentures that had their tongue pierced. He said, yes and they did just fine. He suggested I might try acrylic jewelry instead of metal. That sounded like a good idea and I knew then and there that I was going to have my tongue pierced.

Daniel and I discussed what I'd learned in my research to be sure it was correct. I told him I felt it would be best if I waited until my next vacation for this piercing, because I have to talk so much at work. He said, he wished more people planned ahead like I do.

Unfortunately my next vacation was probably six months away. Bummer!

I shopped on-line, found a great black bioblast barbell with white and red butterflies on the balls, then sat back to await my vacation.

I was fortunate though, being able to schedule a vacation for the end of January. Ye ha! I also wanted a new tattoo, so I set up an appointment for January 26 at 5PM. At this time Daniel and I discussed what jewelry he would use. He showed me some special fine tubing, but we decided against it because it would be very uncomfortable threading balls into it in a new piercing. We settled on a metal bar and acrylic balls. I scheduled myself to leave work at 4PM, so I'd have time to get my tongue pierced before my tattoo.

I bought bottled water and froze some, so I'd have ice water for right after the piercing and through the next few days.

I'd read about a lot of individuals bemoaning they couldn't chew after this piercing. How boring and limited a selection of food there was to eat. I started thinking up tasty things that required little or no chewing, yet were easy and quick to prepare, then purchased the ingredients.

My dishes included: lentil stew; scrambled eggs and sausage (pureed in blender with mayo) also makes a great spread on bread when you can chew; banana, avocado, sunflower seed meal and honey (mashed with a fork); plain whole milk yogurt, frozen mixed berries with honey smoothies (cured my donut addiction it's so good); and a raw veggie with cooked sausage soup (made in a blender, simple, quick, delicious! Visit me at IAM for recipe. I'm Unique.)

I have quite a few piercings: ears, facial and genital, but this piercing concerned me like no other. Why? All I'd read and heard told me it was a common piercing with little pain, but I still was really worried I'd be one of the few that it hurt very bad. This is out of character for me.

Well the day finally came. I left work, got to Shaman's Den at 4:15, Daniel said he had to autoclave my jewelry, so if I wanted I could get my tattoo first. My artist Shawn wasn't busy, so OK, but a moment later several people came in to confer with him about their tattoos and I ended up getting pierced first after all. Thank goodness! I'd waited long enough already. Years!

We went into Daniel's office (looks like a doctor's exam room). I sat in the chair (like a dentist's chair) trying to compose myself. My partner was preparing to have his hand broken when I squeezed it. Daniel washed up and assembled up his equipment. I asked him why should I be so apprehensive about this piercing. He said it might be because the tongue is such an important and useful part of our body. We use it for eating, tasting, talking, singing, whistling and kissing. This made good sense and I felt a little better.

Daniel showed me the packages the instruments were in and explained that the different colors on them show they have been sterilized, as he always does.

He had me rinse my mouth with alcohol-free mouthwash and I had a thought. I said the mouth wash not only cleanses your mouth before the piercing, but I bet it helps him when he's piercing someone with bad halitosis and we all laughed.

He then said stick out your tongue. I asked if it might help to take out my lower teeth and it did by allowing me to stick out my tongue further. He dried my tongue, marked it with ink on a toothpick and said I could close my mouth the ink wouldn't come off. He washed and did a few more preparations.

Now he was ready to pierce and told me to stick out my tongue again. I think he dried it again and then put on the clamp. I had read that the clamp was the worst part, but it didn't hurt at all. My partner said ,Daniel used a rubberband to hold the clamp closed instead of the clamp's regular locking notches. This leads me to believe that some piercers clamp unnecessarily tight, thus the pain people describe.

Daniel said, OK I'm about to pierce. Take a few deep breaths in and out. Don't hold your breath. I'm piercing.....

I was ready to squeeze the hell out of my partner's hand ...... and Daniel said, done. I had felt nothing, nada, zip! Not so much as the prick of the needle! This is what I had myself so worked up about? My partner said the needle went through like my tongue was soft butter. I don't know if I was elated or disappointed by the lack of pain, but I was definitely glad I got this piercing. Putting the balls on the bar was the most uncomfortable part and that was minimal.

I have since learned that the tongue has very few pain receptors except on the edges. That's why it hurts so bad to bite your tongue, but piercing it is so relatively painless.

Daniel gave me a mirror so I could see my new piercing. It looked great! Then he gave me a cup of cold water to drink, to be sure I could swallow alright.

Daniel started to explain the after care: rinse with alcohol- free mouth wash then sea salt in water after everything you eat or drink except water; don't drink from a straw, take Ibuprophen for pain and swelling as needed; drink lots of water; suck on ice chips for the swelling; elevate your head when sleeping to help keep the swelling down; don't play with the jewelry; eat soft or liquid foods and I reminded him that I had my frozen water and my tasty menu. He said, oh that's right I don't have to tell you, you're always prepared. I wish all my clients were as prepared as you. We were done.

I happily went to get my tattoo and drink some ice water, ooooh that felt good. About a half hour later, I walked out the proud owner of a tongue piercing and a new tattoo. I paid and tipped them both, got my after care kit and we walked twenty blocks home.

I ate lentil stew for supper, rinsed and went to bed. I hurt my back two days before, so I slept propped up because of that.

I'm a mouth breather and my tongue gets so dry at night it hurts. It's worse with the piercing, so I wake every few hours to drink water and hold some in my mouth to rehydrate my tongue.

My tongue muscle felt very stressed the first night, similar to when you suck tongues too vigorously (smile). The next morning it was somewhat swollen and sore, but not bad.

I brushed my teeth and tongue, then rinsed. I ate banana and avocado mix. While I was eating the top of my tongue felt stingy sore. After eating I went to rinse and discovered that the top acrylic ball was missing. I must have swallowed it. The bar rubbing in the top of the new piercing was the stingy pain I felt.

I immediately called Daniel and explained what happened. He said, he was afraid of this. The acrylic doesn't autoclave well and warps (which he had explained to me). Anyway, I went to the shop and he put on metal balls for now. I can go to acrylic later and I want to try out bioblast.

The next day I was lightly tapping the top ball on my upper denture plate off and on for hours. I got up to do something and the top ball came off. This time I felt it and didn't swallow it (smile). My partner and I got it back on. I haven't been tapping since and I tighten it daily.

It's been six days and I can basically eat what I want if I chew very carefully, so as not to bite the jewelry. Spicy food stings the top of the piercing. I haven't tried salad yet. That will be my biggest challenge. It was with my labret. Raw food is the hardest to chew, that's why I made the raw veggie/sausage blender soup.

I'm just beginning to be able to manipulate my tongue, so I can lick my lips. There seems to be a trick to getting the lower part of the bar over your lower teeth, so you can stick out you tongue. I'm sure a shorter bar will help when it's healed. I may have to get a smaller ball on the underside, because the ball irritates the glands sometimes.

It's certainly an interesting piercing!

If you're considering this piercing, research it. then find a knowledgeable, experienced, professional piercer, preferably someone you've been to before or you personally know someone else who has and go for it!

It's a great piercing if you educate yourself and use good common sense.

Enjoy! I certainly will!