STORY BYIf you’ve ever watched “Extreme Makeover,” you know there is a way to alter just about every body part that displeases you.
Breasts too small or sagging? Those can be enlarged and lifted.
Nose too big or crooked? It can be snipped and straightened.
Tongue too human-looking for you? That can be split down the middle to give
you that reptilian flare.
Yes, you read correctly. Tongue-splitting is a growing trend in body modification,
and men and women who want to speak with forked tongues are seeking surgeons
or performing the elective procedure themselves.
While proponents of tongue-splitting view it as an enhancement similar to breast implants or facelifts, health care professionals are concerned about the medical risks tongue splitters may be taking.
Bleeding and infection are among the life-threatening complications, said Kelly Peters, DDS, director (in 2003) of the general practice residency program at The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston.
“The tongue is a complex organ. It helps with speech, airway management, taste and pronunciation,” she said. “If you are unfamiliar with the anatomy, you could bleed to death or paralyze the tongue, which can cause a blockage of the airway.”
Cutting the tongue too far back or swelling after the surgery could also impede the airway. There also is a risk of sensory and motor nerve damage.
Infection in the mouth could lead to a systemic, bacterial infection throughout the body. “Your mouth is a window to the rest of your body,” Peters said. “It is filled with bacteria that could infect the lining of the heart or cause other problems.”
Similar problems can arrise with tongue piercings, a more moderate form of tongue modification.
Pamela Minke, DMD, director (in 2003) of advanced education in general dentistry, restorative dentistry and biomaterials at the UT Dental Branch, said if tools are not properly sterilized, patients also run the risk of becoming infected with hepatitis, HIV or other diseases that are transmitted by blood and other body fluids.
“I think there is a concern for public safety here,” Minke said. “Tongue-splitting could be very dangerous. Some people feel it is an art – something they want to do to their body to express themselves. Others believe it is self-mutilation.”
Whether or not it is self-mutilation, health care specialists agree that tongue-splitting can mutilate a person’s speech pattern. The tip of the tongue helps you pronounce “ch,” “t” and “s” sounds, and if that area of the tongue is damaged, you could permanently speak with a lisp or have to relearn how to talk all together, Minke said.
Minke and Peters said that patients need to weigh all the risks before deciding whether to have their tongue split. If they decide they want the procedure, the dentists advise that they not perform it themselves. Instead, they recommend an oral surgeon who is familiar with the tongue’s anatomy.
Peters said that unless there was a tumor in the center of the tongue, there would be no medical indication for performing such a procedure, so it may be difficult to find a doctor who is willing to split the tongue.
She adds that tongue-splitting is reversible. However, the doctor would have to remove the epithelium (outer layer) and a portion of the tongue, so it would be smaller than its original size.
“The tongue is a vital organ,” Peters said. “It serves several important functions. My advice is to not mess with it.”
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The General Practice Residency Program is a one-year experience in hospital dentistry sponsored by The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston and is based in the university's affiliate hospital, Memorial Hermann Hospital.
The advanced Education Program in General Dentistry (AEGD) is a 12 month continuing education experience in the many phases of advanced general dentistry. It is based in The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston and interfaces with a number of other dental specialties.
Eating healthy
reverses metabolic syndrome
Dr. Tasnime Akbaraly of University College London and her colleagues were interested if healthy eating could actually turn-the-tide and reverse metabolic syndrome, which is having 3 or more of the following risk factors: excess abdominal fat; high triglycerides, hypertension, low levels of HDL the “good” cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes. Having metabolic syndrome doubles a persons’ risk of heart disease and greatly increases the odds of developing type 2 diabetes.
The researchers studied 339 British civil servants with metabolic syndrome, and how closely the adhered to the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) to see if it could help reverse metabolic syndrome. The AHEI is a set of published nutritional guidelines by the Harvard School of Public Health in 2002 that emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables and decreased red meat consumption.
Five years into the study, nearly 50% no longer had metabolic syndrome. People who followed the AHEI guidelines the closest were nearly twice as likely to have reversed their metabolic syndrome. The results of the study were published in Diabetes Care, online July 29, 2010.
Dr. Alice Lichtenstein, an expert on diet and heart health from Tufts University in Boston who was not involved in the study said, "It's not about focusing on individual components of the diet, it's really the whole package, and that becomes important because it means that if one of the components of a healthy diet is to eat more fruits and vegetables, just buying a pill saying that there's a concentrated extract of fruits and vegetables is probably not what's going to help you."
Call and make an appointment with Wellness Coach Sam Hester, CWC, CPT, LWMC, at 713-500-3327. It's confidential and free. For more information on the wellness services provided, visit UT Counseling and WorkLife Services.
