title: Randomized controlled trial: lip piercing: the impact of material on microbiological findings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there are microbiological differences in bacterial samples collected from labial piercings made of different materials.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sterile piercings of 4 materials were randomly allocated to 80 pierced subjects. After 2 weeks, microbiologic samples were collected and processed by checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization methods. Wilcoxon signed ranks and Mann-Whitney tests were used for statistical analysis (adjustment for multiple comparisons).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no statistically significant differences between material groups in relation to baseline data. In samples from stainless steel piercings, the total microbial load was significantly higher than the other materials (P<.05). Ten (mainly periopathogenic) species were found at significantly higher levels (P<.001) on steel than on polypropylene and/or polytetrafluoroethylene piercings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Labial piercings made of stainless steel could promote the development of a pathogenic biofilm.
authors: Department of Restorative and Operative Dentistry, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors: Ines
authors: I
authors: Kapferer
authors: Ulrike S
authors: US
authors: Beier
authors: Siegfried
authors: S
authors: Jank
authors: Rutger
authors: R
authors: Persson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D058491:Bacterial Load; D001641:Bicuspid / Q000382:microbiology; D018441:Biofilms; D046288:Body Piercing / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000145:classification; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003481:Cuspid / Q000382:microbiology; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005673:Fusobacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000382:microbiology; D045183:Leptotrichia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008046:Lip / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010462:Peptostreptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D011126:Polypropylenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene / Q000737:chemistry*; D013193:Stainless Steel / Q000737:chemistry*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000145:classification; D013499:Surface Properties; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011126:Polypropylenes; D013193:Stainless Steel; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D014025:Titanium