A piercing that involves a puncture wound through what is called the frenulum linguae, or lingual frenulum, is known as a tongue web piercing or a tongue frenulum piercing. It involves a puncture wound that goes right through the frenulum, which is present below one's tongue, forming a connective tissue that is attached to the floor of the mouth. This tissue controls the way we speak, and also prevents one's tongue from rolling inwards. If there is enough of tissue for the piercing to go through, then piercers go ahead with this type of tongue piercing.
Oral piercings generally don't take very long to heal, as long as you don't let yourself tease the piercing when it is new. The lingual frenulum is sore at times, due to people constantly toying with their piercings, since it is only natural for the tongue to fidget around something that is present in the mouth. Piercing jewelry involved here includes a low gauge piercing, since this area of the mouth cannot be stretched and isn't really an area that consists of a lot of mass. Larger gauge jewelry can seriously damage your gums and teeth in the long run, so it is advisable to stick to the former kind, or opt either for barbells or rings. Irritation is the main problem when it comes to a lingual frenulum piercing, but with the right care, it can heal quickly and with no bad effects in the long run.
How to Take Care of a Lingual Frenulum Piercing
When a lingual frenulum is swollen, it is only natural for it to react in this way, since this area is undergoing healing and will need the appropriate piercing to help it to do just that. Like mentioned earlier, it is better to use barbells or rings as your choice of piercing jewelry to make things easier for yourself during the healing period. To abide by tongue piercing aftercare, it is important to follow the guidelines on a regular basis to avoid an infection from taking root.
- Avoid constantly touching your piercing, be it with your hands, a foreign object or with your tongue. This can seriously impair the healing process, and cause even more problems.
- Rinse your mouth regularly, twice a day with a non alcohol based mouthwash solution (don't overdo this act), which is antibacterial or antimicrobial in nature. Whatever your piercer recommends will do the trick for you, so do as he/she instructs to help heal your piercing faster and efficiently.
- Move the jewelry slowly in and out as the jewelry directs, and lessen any friction between the frenulum and the wound entry point. Clean your hands with an antibacterial soap and make sure it isn't peroxide or alcohol based.
- Pus looking formation is normal, which signals the healing process is underway. If there is too much of it, consult your piercer for advice on what to do about it. If you experience extreme pain for days on end, consult him / her about this as well, without taking it lightly.
- It takes about 6 to 8 weeks for the healing process to end, where the jewelry should be replaced with clean hands, and with smaller, less complicated options, to avoid damage to teeth and gums.
- Avoid alcohol during this time, and cigarettes. This may be hard, but is of absolute importance during this time.
- Avoid excessive sexual play that involves the use of the oral cavity during this time. You need your piercing to take it easy for a while until the healing time has reached its end.
