A black-and-white photo of a person mid-air in a Superman-style body suspension pose, supported by multiple hooks in their back and legs, smiling joyfully toward the camera. They are suspended horizontally in a large indoor space with high ceilings and visible rigging. A group of onlookers—some seated, some standing—watch with expressions of admiration, amusement, and support. The atmosphere is lively and communal, capturing a moment of shared experience and transformation.

Gum Piercings

These “gum” piercings (sort of — they’re really through the tissue between the gum and inner lip) are two years old in this photo, having healed quickly with no discomfort or follow-up issues.

Comments

82 responses to “Gum Piercings”

  1. TheWomanMonster Avatar
    TheWomanMonster

    they’re super cute.
    I like it.

  2. TheWomanMonster Avatar
    TheWomanMonster

    they’re super cute.
    I like it.

  3. Hanargh Avatar

    There is quite a bit of redness next to that premolar, I doubt her dentist is thrilled with these.

    The beads on those are huge, I can imagine the rubbing on that tooth as she talks/eats/moves any muscle in her face cannot be good for the teeth in constant contact with such a hard object.

    Coming form a girl who recently had to have quite derious dental surgery through no fault of her own, I’d say it’s not worth the risk. Piercing the skin is fine, if it’s irritated, it can be taken out and the skin will recover as cells regenerate… but teeth are irreplaceable (unless it’s with implants etc) and costly to fix. I wouldn’t want to risk huge dental bills and the possibility of damage to or the loss of my natural teeth just so people will see the flash of metal in the corner of my mouth every time I smile.

    They look great, and they may feel great and seem like they cause no harm or problems, but unless you can x ray your mouth every week to check, you just can’t know… perhaps until it’s too late.

  4. Hanargh Avatar

    There is quite a bit of redness next to that premolar, I doubt her dentist is thrilled with these.

    The beads on those are huge, I can imagine the rubbing on that tooth as she talks/eats/moves any muscle in her face cannot be good for the teeth in constant contact with such a hard object.

    Coming form a girl who recently had to have quite derious dental surgery through no fault of her own, I’d say it’s not worth the risk. Piercing the skin is fine, if it’s irritated, it can be taken out and the skin will recover as cells regenerate… but teeth are irreplaceable (unless it’s with implants etc) and costly to fix. I wouldn’t want to risk huge dental bills and the possibility of damage to or the loss of my natural teeth just so people will see the flash of metal in the corner of my mouth every time I smile.

    They look great, and they may feel great and seem like they cause no harm or problems, but unless you can x ray your mouth every week to check, you just can’t know… perhaps until it’s too late.

  5. Calhoun Avatar
    Calhoun

    Shannon – ‘No one is being limited. I’m just saying it adds nothing to just say “I don’t like that, but that’s just my personal opinion”. What’s the point? What does it achieve?’

    Personally speaking, criticism does have its place among friends, as friends don’t take overt offense at a negative opinion being voiced. I had… *awful* hair… in the first year of high school. I mean, merciful baby satan, it was nightmarish. But I was 14 and ignorant, and the gal at the salon said it looked good, so I went with it. Imagine a man with bangs down to his eyebrows, the top of his head spiked two inches high, and the sides drooping straight down to the ears with everything underneath the lobes buzzed. An abomination of nature, if nothing else, much less “bad hair”. It was like three separate hairstyles competing for land ownership.

    Not one of my “friends” ever commented or snubbed my hairstyle/follicle chernobyl. And over the years following, each proved themselves to be a rather unreliable or unworthy person. But a gal from a punk band I roadied for came up to me one day and said, in way of thanks: “Why don’t you let me shave that crap off your head and give you a half-decent haircut for once?” Then she gave me a mohawk and set me up on a date with the bass player from her band.

    So, y’know… critical assessment and opinion can have their places, even among friends.

  6. Calhoun Avatar
    Calhoun

    Shannon – ‘No one is being limited. I’m just saying it adds nothing to just say “I don’t like that, but that’s just my personal opinion”. What’s the point? What does it achieve?’

    Personally speaking, criticism does have its place among friends, as friends don’t take overt offense at a negative opinion being voiced. I had… *awful* hair… in the first year of high school. I mean, merciful baby satan, it was nightmarish. But I was 14 and ignorant, and the gal at the salon said it looked good, so I went with it. Imagine a man with bangs down to his eyebrows, the top of his head spiked two inches high, and the sides drooping straight down to the ears with everything underneath the lobes buzzed. An abomination of nature, if nothing else, much less “bad hair”. It was like three separate hairstyles competing for land ownership.

    Not one of my “friends” ever commented or snubbed my hairstyle/follicle chernobyl. And over the years following, each proved themselves to be a rather unreliable or unworthy person. But a gal from a punk band I roadied for came up to me one day and said, in way of thanks: “Why don’t you let me shave that crap off your head and give you a half-decent haircut for once?” Then she gave me a mohawk and set me up on a date with the bass player from her band.

    So, y’know… critical assessment and opinion can have their places, even among friends.

  7. Kero Avatar

    Just like I was taught from a very young age, if you don’t have anything nice to say then say nothing atoll. I believe the same applies here. 🙂

  8. Kero Avatar

    Just like I was taught from a very young age, if you don’t have anything nice to say then say nothing atoll. I believe the same applies here. 🙂

  9. Warren Avatar

    I have to agree Shannon…This IS a community of friends and many people have lost touch with that…

    You can see that its not really a gum piercing like you stated…But its nothing like a “smiley” or “frowny”,etc as those are through the frenulum’s in the mouth.

    Is it documented proof that this is two years old, or are we going by their word?

    As for gum erosion you cannot really make a sound judgement call on that unless you remove the jewelry and inspect the gums and teeth that are behind the jewelry, in the photo’s.

    Personally it’s something I would have advised the person against doing…But that’s just due to my “conservative nature” when it comes to how I view my work,etc.

  10. Warren Avatar

    I have to agree Shannon…This IS a community of friends and many people have lost touch with that…

    You can see that its not really a gum piercing like you stated…But its nothing like a “smiley” or “frowny”,etc as those are through the frenulum’s in the mouth.

    Is it documented proof that this is two years old, or are we going by their word?

    As for gum erosion you cannot really make a sound judgement call on that unless you remove the jewelry and inspect the gums and teeth that are behind the jewelry, in the photo’s.

    Personally it’s something I would have advised the person against doing…But that’s just due to my “conservative nature” when it comes to how I view my work,etc.

  11. Shannon Larratt Avatar

    Calhoun – So basically you went from some sort of whacky-unique-experimental haircut to something boring and overdone, and then more people liked you? If that was a good general meme of advice, we’d be doing people a favor to advise them quit getting tattoos/piercings/etc and spend the money at a gym and a tanning salon instead in order to be appreciated by the largest number of people.

    If one has the theory that body modification is a personal journey — something one does for oneself — then in my opinion, what other people think of it aesthetically is largely irrelevant.

    Warren – I’m 99% sure that there are older photos of this piercing in the gallery, but of course I can’t prove the age other than their word when it comes down to it.

  12. Shannon Larratt Avatar

    Calhoun – So basically you went from some sort of whacky-unique-experimental haircut to something boring and overdone, and then more people liked you? If that was a good general meme of advice, we’d be doing people a favor to advise them quit getting tattoos/piercings/etc and spend the money at a gym and a tanning salon instead in order to be appreciated by the largest number of people.

    If one has the theory that body modification is a personal journey — something one does for oneself — then in my opinion, what other people think of it aesthetically is largely irrelevant.

    Warren – I’m 99% sure that there are older photos of this piercing in the gallery, but of course I can’t prove the age other than their word when it comes down to it.

  13. Venusimpelz Avatar
    Venusimpelz

    I think these look cute, but the first thing I thought when I saw these was, “Oh no, enamel erosion!” Maybe if gum/enamel erosion becomes a problem, this person can replace the rings with little barbells? That would be really secretive!

  14. Venusimpelz Avatar
    Venusimpelz

    I think these look cute, but the first thing I thought when I saw these was, “Oh no, enamel erosion!” Maybe if gum/enamel erosion becomes a problem, this person can replace the rings with little barbells? That would be really secretive!

  15. Deedee Avatar
    Deedee

    I think these are really neat! It has such a cute appeal like the smiley does.
    If the person who has these reads this, I’d like to know where the idea came from…and if they thought about it for a while before getting it, or if it was a spontaneous thing..

  16. Deedee Avatar
    Deedee

    I think these are really neat! It has such a cute appeal like the smiley does.
    If the person who has these reads this, I’d like to know where the idea came from…and if they thought about it for a while before getting it, or if it was a spontaneous thing..

  17. kivaka Avatar

    very cool look i must say, cant wait to see more fun/odd piercings

  18. kivaka Avatar

    very cool look i must say, cant wait to see more fun/odd piercings

  19. Em Avatar
    Em

    Calhoun… I could date most guys if I got a nose job and breast implants, removed all my jewellery and lasered off my ink.

    Fuck that idea up the arse with a spoon.

    A mohawk is just as silly as the style you described. Silly hair is good, and a haircut ain’t automatically better because every member of a scene owns one.

  20. Em Avatar
    Em

    Calhoun… I could date most guys if I got a nose job and breast implants, removed all my jewellery and lasered off my ink.

    Fuck that idea up the arse with a spoon.

    A mohawk is just as silly as the style you described. Silly hair is good, and a haircut ain’t automatically better because every member of a scene owns one.

  21. Nocebo Avatar
    Nocebo

    Hey! As a proud mohawk wearer I feel a bit insulted. Of course you’re free to dislike my hair, but when I get strangers touch my hair and take pictures of me without my permission, I feel that I can at least get some understanding from modified people. No, it’s not the same a facial tattoo, but I feel I deal with some of the same issues. And yeah, I’m also pretty modifed for my age/area, but it’s the mohawk that means I can’t walk past a building site without being verbally abused. Rant over!

  22. Nocebo Avatar
    Nocebo

    Hey! As a proud mohawk wearer I feel a bit insulted. Of course you’re free to dislike my hair, but when I get strangers touch my hair and take pictures of me without my permission, I feel that I can at least get some understanding from modified people. No, it’s not the same a facial tattoo, but I feel I deal with some of the same issues. And yeah, I’m also pretty modifed for my age/area, but it’s the mohawk that means I can’t walk past a building site without being verbally abused. Rant over!

  23. Sara Avatar

    That’s nifty…not something I think I’d do, but this person pulls it off well. I wonder if they have any other visible mods…if not, I bet people are shocked when they flash a smile, lol. How hard was it to get used to eating, talking, etc?

  24. Sara Avatar

    That’s nifty…not something I think I’d do, but this person pulls it off well. I wonder if they have any other visible mods…if not, I bet people are shocked when they flash a smile, lol. How hard was it to get used to eating, talking, etc?

  25. Calhoun Avatar
    Calhoun

    Shannon – Er, no. I didn’t become more popular and people didn’t really treat me any differently. Someone gave me with a critical assessment of my appearance, and offered an alternative. The point of my mentioning her introducing me to her friend was that she made a couple gestures of friendship towards me, one of which was openly critical of my appearance. But there wasn’t any malice in that.

    If body modification is being done solely for one’s self, why would anyone post pictures of their work on the internet? If there wasn’t a desire for discussion and voicing of opinions, why allow for a comments section? Speaking solely for myself, when I do something to change my appearance, permanent or temporary, I’m interested in what other people think of it. I’m not going to keep a look because someone likes it, and I’m not going to change it if they don’t, but I wouldn’t ask them not to express their thoughts either way.

    Em – Oh, no argument. I shaved off the mohawk about a week later, it was too much hassle and I wasn’t that heavily invested in the punk scene. But the gal who gave it to me didn’t take that as a snub against her opinion, any more than I took offense at her describing my original haircut as “crap”.

    The gist of what I was trying to say is that even a stranger can offer a critical assessment of something, and not have negative emotions behind it.

  26. Calhoun Avatar
    Calhoun

    Shannon – Er, no. I didn’t become more popular and people didn’t really treat me any differently. Someone gave me with a critical assessment of my appearance, and offered an alternative. The point of my mentioning her introducing me to her friend was that she made a couple gestures of friendship towards me, one of which was openly critical of my appearance. But there wasn’t any malice in that.

    If body modification is being done solely for one’s self, why would anyone post pictures of their work on the internet? If there wasn’t a desire for discussion and voicing of opinions, why allow for a comments section? Speaking solely for myself, when I do something to change my appearance, permanent or temporary, I’m interested in what other people think of it. I’m not going to keep a look because someone likes it, and I’m not going to change it if they don’t, but I wouldn’t ask them not to express their thoughts either way.

    Em – Oh, no argument. I shaved off the mohawk about a week later, it was too much hassle and I wasn’t that heavily invested in the punk scene. But the gal who gave it to me didn’t take that as a snub against her opinion, any more than I took offense at her describing my original haircut as “crap”.

    The gist of what I was trying to say is that even a stranger can offer a critical assessment of something, and not have negative emotions behind it.

  27. Warren Avatar

    #32 Shannon…Maybe my memories getting better with age and lack of alcohol consumption…But I seem to recall this posted before in the past, although freshly done…It was modblogged before right?

  28. Warren Avatar

    #32 Shannon…Maybe my memories getting better with age and lack of alcohol consumption…But I seem to recall this posted before in the past, although freshly done…It was modblogged before right?

  29. Homicidal_Sweetheart Avatar
    Homicidal_Sweetheart

    I’ve been employed as a Dental Nurse for 12 months now, and I will say that her teeth look fine! The state of her gums is fantastic especially considering she’s had them for 2 years! They don’t seem to be having any adverse effect on her dental health, and I agree, i think they’re so damn cute! But as my parents don’t approve of peircings etc, and my job would probaly disapprove as well, I’m limited to the mod’s i can get…Until i eventually move out! Anyway, just thought I’d clarify, yes, her dentist would probably hate them, but you never know, the nurse might just love them, or have something similar 😉

  30. Homicidal_Sweetheart Avatar
    Homicidal_Sweetheart

    I’ve been employed as a Dental Nurse for 12 months now, and I will say that her teeth look fine! The state of her gums is fantastic especially considering she’s had them for 2 years! They don’t seem to be having any adverse effect on her dental health, and I agree, i think they’re so damn cute! But as my parents don’t approve of peircings etc, and my job would probaly disapprove as well, I’m limited to the mod’s i can get…Until i eventually move out! Anyway, just thought I’d clarify, yes, her dentist would probably hate them, but you never know, the nurse might just love them, or have something similar 😉

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