Oral piercings and the health dangers they pose ? such as chipped teeth, receding gums, bad breath and even the possibility of death in extreme circumstances ? will be discussed by students at an open forum later this week.

The message will be delivered by a group of students who have been using the resources of the Department of Health and their own investigations to research the subject and come up with their findings.

These will be delivered at an open public forum at the Spice Valley Middle School on Thursday.

The students, most of whom have previous public speaking and debating experience will be the guest speakers.

In the run-up to the event, Senior Dental Officer Celia Musson-Nzabalinda has spoken of some of the dangers that can arise from having metal piercings in and around the mouth.

?The jewellery can hit against the teeth when the individual talks, swallows and so on, and sometimes they might bite on the jewellery by mistake and that can cause chipping of the teeth,? she said.

?With certain types of jewellery the metal sits against the gum tissue and it causes the gum tissue to recede from the tooth so that the tooth loses its support.

?Some of the complications that can occur after the piercing include haemorrhaging because the tongue is very vascular and if it is cut it bleeds a lot.

She added: ?Infection can also arise. The mouth is resident to many types of bacteria and other bacteria may be introduced through handling of the jewellery that is being put into place. Infection can range from a small localised infection to a more severe infection with a swelling of the tongue and of the tissues around the airway so that it can cause airway blockage and death.

?The jewellery can come loose and cause choking if it comes apart and it can be aspirated and go into the lung. It can also cause bad breath.?

The forum is being sponsored by the dental section of the Department of Health and the best speakers will receive an award.

However, the department is not seeking to determine the rights or wrongs of oral piercings, but to highlight the health risks which range from bad breath caused by a build-up of bacteria around the jewellery or the tract left by a old piercing, to the possibility of choking on a piece of jewellery that comes undone.

Also during Dental Health Month the department is starting to screen 15-year-olds to record the state of their teeth and provide a report for parents about their child?s dental needs.

This work will also form the basis to compare the dental health of Bermudian youngsters with those in other countries and measure how effective the department?s preventative programmes are compared with other places that use such techniques as fluoridated water.

The forum event at Spice Valley Middle School starts at 1.30 p.m. on Thursday.