One common question about oral piercings arises when the jewelry starts to sink into the tissue. Is this a bad thing? Do I need to take my jewelry out? How do you know the difference between normal and abnormal in this situation? We’re going to take a few minutes to explain what nesting and embedding are and what the difference is between the two!
Nesting
This is when an oral piercing makes a small dent in the tissue, around the end that is inside the mouth. The exterior end of the jewelry doesn’t do this. If the jewelry of an oral piercing seems to be sinking into the outside tissue, it is not nesting. Nesting is actually a good thing because it can help protect your teeth and gums from contact with the jewelry, thus protecting your teeth from potential damage. If your jewelry is nesting, you should still be able to easily move the jewelry out of the dent it’s sitting in. It should be free of abnormal pain or swelling and have no issues aside from normal signs of a healing piercing. The jewelry end inside the mouth should be visible and not covered over by oral tissue.
Embedding
This generally happens when an oral piercing is performed with jewelry that is too short to accommodate the swelling that happens post-piercing. This is especially important to take into account as some oral piercings (the philtrum is notorious for this, as well as the first few days with a fresh tongue piercing) swell a lot for the initial period post-piercing. The interior end of the jewelry gets essentially swallowed by the tissue around it and starts to grow over the jewelry end. This is a bad situation as it can make removal of the jewelry difficult, if not impossible. The worst-case scenario would mean a trip to the doctor to have the jewelry removed. Embedded jewelry would not be comfortable, there would be redness, warmth, possibly bloody or white discharge, and the jewelry would feel painfully tight. You would not be able to move the interior end of the jewelry past the tissue and the jewelry may not be able to be moved at all.
If your oral piercing is nesting, you have nothing to worry about. Continue your aftercare regimen as your piercer recommended – you’re on the right path! If your piercing is embedding or if you are concerned that it is embedding, you need to go see your piercer ASAP. You may still be able to salvage the piercing with longer jewelry. If things are too far gone and your jewelry can no longer be removed, your piercer should be able to tell you that it’s time for medical attention. If you have a new oral piercing and the jewelry feels too tight, don’t wait to seek help from your piercer.
Happy piercing!
