Jewelry
Cheek piercings are sometimes pierced with 1.6mm flat backed labret studs, but is mostly done with a regular barbell so the cheek tissues do not grow over the back of the jewelry. Also, so the wearer doesn't accidentally break/crack the jewelry by means of unintentional biting. The flat back provides comfort and lessens the chance of the jewelry damaging the teeth and gums of the wearer. However it proves problematic during the healing process because The cheek will likely heal over the flat back if the bar's length is too short. In this case, the piercer will have to cut the barbell out from the inside of the mouth. The cheek is pierced with a 22 - 24 mm labret/barbell during the procedure. This will accommodate for swelling. After the piercing is healed, shortened jewelry further reduces the chance of damage to the teeth from unintentional biting. 16 - 18mm is too short to have in your cheeks if they are freshly pierced.
Read more about this topic: Cheek Piercing
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