The piercing fad may come and go, but for people with pierced tongues, adverse effects could last a lifetime. The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) reported that tongue piercing can result in chipped teeth, infections, nerve and gum damage, drooling, taste loss, and tooth loss. Irritation from the barbell-shaped jewelry could result in periodontal disease or oral cancer. So while it may be fun for a teen to wag a pierced tongue in hopes of disapproval from conventional society, damaged and missing teeth, disease, and life-threatening cancer are far from cool.