Disturb you to see a tongue pierced?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

  1. Is it okay to wear a tongue-ring at work?

    • 252
      No, under no circumstance at work
    • 49
      Yes, but only if you have no direct patient contact
    • 187
      Yes, it's okay

488 members have participated

Do you think it's okay to wear a tongue-ring to work as a nurse, or other direct patient services aspect?

Specializes in Neuro, Critical Care.

im 24 and i got my tongue pierced when I was 19...lol...dont get me wrong I love my piercing but I wouldn't wear it to work becuase I just don't think its professional. Ive had it so long that sometimes I forget its in there so I never really think about someone noticing it...

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Specializes in ER.
im 24 and i got my tongue pierced when I was 19...lol...dont get me wrong I love my piercing but I wouldn't wear it to work becuase I just don't think its professional. Ive had it so long that sometimes I forget its in there so I never really think about someone noticing it...

There are a lot of people out there who have tongue piercings that I would never notice if they didn't stick out their tongue and show me. However, there are a lot of them who play with the barbell constantly - in the workplace I think it should be ok as long as it's not played with and showed to every patient who walks in the door. I have never had my tongue pierced, because I've heard about so many things gone wrong. My ex had one though, and they are awesome when you're kissing IMHO.

I have my nose pierced, and I'm worried they'll make me take it out when I start my Clinical Assistant job. I work in registration right now, so I still see the patients, and I have never had a negative comment about it. It's a teeny tiny diamond stud, and most people (old and young alike) have told me it looks really cute and classy. Then again, I've had people say "hey, you have a piece of glitter on your face" as they try to "wipe it off" my nose, but I just laugh and say, "It was supposed to be there!" :rotfl: In my opinion, body jewelry at work should be small and discreet-not necessarily hidden, but also not interfering with your work. I mean, long dangly earrings can get hooked on things, a hoop nose ring can do the same and is SOOO conspicuous, and long barbell tongue rings are very visible. I just think that people need to use good judgment when it comes to their body jewelry. And why is a clean, tasteful piercing or tatoo so much more offensive than a nurse who "forgot" to shower, has dirty or messy hair, chews gum all the time, or dyes her hair some white shade of blonde that looks really raunchy with her skin tone??? I agree, tatoos need to be VERY tasteful when in view - I mean, a swastika on the forehead is not going to go over so well.... but a little butterfly, or dragonfly as the OP said, I don't see the big deal! Times have changed... tatoos and piercings aren't just for bikers and druggies anymore.

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I am young enough to think it was cool at one time until I started hearing stories about chipped tooth enamel and bacteria infections..etc...I just think for the sake of the people who have tongue rings they should be shown the damage a tongue ring can cause, just speak to your dentist about it once. I don't know about you guys but I don't want to add any extra places in my mouth for bacteria to set up shop!

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i think if a nurse/someone has their own tounge pierced-then that's their perogative. It does annoy me when someone is constantly clicking it, making me want to just pull the darn thing out! :rolleyes:

I had my tounge pierced at 17. Everyone i knew was getting it done. It lasted almost 3 years. I kept cracking my teeth. It HAD to come out!!! I had perfect teeth--never a cavity in 20 years of my life. Now i have a handful of cavities because of the stupid thing. After i took it out, i now have a problem with my speech. Its like i stutter constantly. I can't get my tounge to roll letters like its supposed to. *shrug* And of course-- its been about 3 years since its been out- and my tounge is still scarred. You can see where the piercing was.

I'd highly recommend for health, social reasons to never get your tounge pierced but that's MY opinion!

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I am a gastroenterology nurse and we have patients Tuesday, Thursday, and everyother Friday and on those days I don't wear my tongue ring. On Mondays and wednesdays I wear my tongue ring, I have no patient contact so I feel it is ok to wear it. And when I wear it is completely up to me... the office I work at have no policies against having your tongue pierced. I just think that you should respect others feelings and some older patients may not like or agree with it so I just leave it out on patient days. Thats my opinion... I love my piercing :rotfl:

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Specializes in I don't have much experiance yet..

Well, I am sorry to all those who disagree but I voted No! under no circumstance at work. Before I get critisized :argue: for my vote, let me explain.

First of all, I am 25y/o and love :1luvu: piercings and tattoos. I have had my tongue pierced 3 times, eyebrow pierced, bellybutton pierced, 5 holes in one ear, 4 in the other ear, and 4 tattoos(all of which can be hidden by clothing). I truly loved having my tongue pierced. I feel that body art is exactly that,...art!!

However, there are several reasons why I feel that tongue rings should not be worn at work.

1) No matter how much we like it, it still does not look professional.

2)For the same reason we are not to wear stone rings to work. The ball on the end of the post can easily unscrew and fall out of your mouth. If you have your tongue pierced and have never had this happen, ..just wait it will.

3) It doesn't matter how long it has been pierced, when the post is in you do talk differently. Usually, with a wisp. And as we all know, we need to be understood when speaking to patients or on the phone with a doctor or insurance company.

4) We all tend to play with it whether we realize it or not. I do not know one person who does not periodically play with their tongue ring.

Now, I am sure I have upset a few people with this post :angryfire , however, this is just my opinion :D . If your work allows you to wear it, and you choose to do so, then fine. I personaly, make sure that my tattoos are covered, I have only one set of ear rings in, and I only wear my wedding band when at work.

When I am not at work, well, :cool: that is a different story. As I said, I love body art and I will show mine off.

Jennifer

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I have my tongue pierced,and have had it pierced for four years. three of those four i have been in the hospital setting. There are people that I have worked with for two years that have only recently noticed it. I do not talk with a lisp, play with it, or click it on my teeth like alot of people do. I dont see how it can be an infection control issue as it is in my mouth and my mouth is not in direct patient contact. The piercing is completly healed anyway. Please correct me if I am wrong.

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Specializes in I don't have much experiance yet..
I am young enough to think it was cool at one time until I started hearing stories about chipped tooth enamel and bacteria infections..etc...I just think for the sake of the people who have tongue rings they should be shown the damage a tongue ring can cause, just speak to your dentist about it once. I don't know about you guys but I don't want to add any extra places in my mouth for bacteria to set up shop!

You are absolutly RIGHT!!!! Those things do happen no matter how careful and clean you are. There is nothing worse then seeing someone with part of their tongue removed due to infection. I have seen pictures in my dentist's office.

As I said in a previous post, I had mine pierced 3 times. And yes I did love it!!! However, I decided to let them close up after I had chipped one of my teeth while talking. I accidently bit down on it and it chipped my tooth which costed me a lot of money to fix. When I got my first one done, it ripped while I was eating a cheese burger. NOT FUN!!! :crying2: Now, I have a scar from that. Yes, a scare on my tongue. People can't see it unless I stick out my tongue and show them, but I know it's there.

Jennifer

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I think it's unprofessional. It's all I can look at when they are talking. We were not allowed to have long nails, nose rings, facial piercings or tattoes in nursing school and have our hair neatly pulled back and nails and clothes clean and neat I think that was a good standard to aspire to.

I work night shift and there is a guy from pharmacy who stocks the shelves and he has those huge holes in his ears with these giant - what are they - LOGS in his ears and I can't stop staring at him. He doesn't have patient contact so I guess it's ok but he just looks bizarre.

Melissa

Do you think it's okay to wear a tongue-ring to work as a nurse, or other direct patient services aspect?
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I am not sure if it some pediatric (ooh shiney!) type of reaction or if I actually think it is cute but I don't mind a tongue piercing. As far as appearence I would rather have a clean neatly dressed person with body piercings rather than someone who looks like they haven't had a shower today, wearing clothes that look like they slept with the hogs, and their breath smelling like a smokey truck stop bathroom. Then again I had an ear piercing get infected and it got very bad before it got better. After that little expirience I am shy about holes in my body. If I ever get skinny and little and cute I may do a little work but as long as I am as fat as I am I don't want to draw attention to myself. :rotfl:

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Specializes in ICU, psych, corrections.

After $12,000 worth of dental work to fix what a tongue ring did to my teeth, I will never, ever put anything like that into my mouth. I waited until I was 25 to get mine pierced, never really had any big dental problems. After about 3 or 4 years with it in, I had massive amounts of microscopic cracking in my teeth which then led to cavities, which then led to root canals, which failed and led to my four front lower teeth being pulled a few months ago and now I'm in the process of having implants. My in-laws are dentists and going through periodontal school right now....they've shown me enough pictures of what those piercings do the teeth and soft tissue. No thanks! I'll stick with my little tattoos and my navel and nose piercings.

I do still think they look cool, though....sigh. Just wish they didn't cause the damage they do.

Melanie = )

P.S. My little sis is now going through what I did....19 cavities on her last visit to the dentist.....thanks to the good ol' tongue piercing. She has taken it out since that visit and will never put anything back into her mouth like that. She just gets everything else pierced instead....teehee!!!

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

IMO, not at work. It looks unprofessional

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