Dental hygienists pierce the media

Awarning that oral piercings cause drooling and slurred speech has generated widespread media coverage for the Dental Hygienists' Association of Australia (DHAA) in early March.

The DHAA issues a statement on March 6 warning the nation about the dangers of tongue and lip piercings as part of its ongoing education campaign highlighting the importance of maintaining oral hygiene.

The warning generated outstanding media coverage, including prominent articles in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, the Courier-Mail, The West Australian and Hobart Mercury, plus more than 15 regional newspapers across SA, Victoria, NSW, Tasmania and Queensland. The newspaper articles generated over a one-week period reached more than 2.8 million readers.

Dental hygienists from Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Adelaide were also interviewed by metropolitan and regional radio stations, generating more than 65 in-depth interviews and news stories which were heard by more than 1.2 million listeners.

The Dental Hygienists Association expects to receive further coverage for its oral piercing warning over the next few months in men's, women's, gay and health publications.