Tongue Rings are straight post barbells with balls on both sides which is worn in a tongue piercing which is ussually pierced directly at the center of the tongue. Tonge piercings are one of the most popular body piercings in western culture, second to the ear and navel piercing.
Tongue Rings are ussually straight barbells size 14g and 3/4 inch length. After healing is complete, a 14g 5/8 inch length is worn as a standard size while the longer 3/4 inch tongue ring is used for the initial piercing to allow for swelling that typically occurs when the piercing is done. The tongue moves around a lot in the mouth so jewelry size is especially important to maximize comfort while wearing the tongue ring. Barbells that are too thin are more likely to migrate which means the piercing moves closer to the tip of the tongue as the body attempts to reject the tongue ring from the body. This would cause discomfort and can create irritation. Tongue piercings can be stretched to wear larger gauge barbells. Commonly the initial tongue piercing is done at 2 mm (about 12g), and then a few months later it can be stretched to 2.4 (10g) or 3 mm (8g). The tongue is very flexible and can be stretched larger to diameters greater then 10 mm. The environment inside the mouth takes a toll on the tongue ring and can crack and discolor the jewelry over time. Tongue Retainers can be used to conceal the tongue piercing when at work.
The standard placement of a tongue piercing is directly on the midline of the tongue, at the center depth of the mouth. Most commonly, the tongue ring sits approximately 3/4 inches (about 19mm) from the tip of the tongue. It is ussually placed with the top ball a little bit further back than the bottom ball, so the top ball of the jewelry lays slightly backward, away from the teeth, and toward the higher part of the upper palate where there is more room in the mouth. The bottom is usually placed just in front of the attachment of the lingual frenulum.More info>>
