Who needs cosmetic dentistry when there's tongue splitting?

Tongue bifurcation, or tongue splitting, is a type of body modification in which the tongue is cut centrally from its tip part of the way towards its base, forking the end. Many who have had the procedure report that it enhances the pleasure of kissing after gaining independent control of the fork. And while I would bet there's a blog out there highlighting the oral sex aspect of "lower lizard love" (my term), I'm sad to report that I was unable to find it.

Tongue splitting is now explicitly illegal in some U.S. states (and banned in the U.S. military) and effectively all surgeons refuse to do it, so by necessity it is an underground practice. For all you history buffs out there, it was also used as a punishment in the Byzantine Empire. When an emperor was overthrown, he often had his tongue split, according to the tradition that such a mutilation made an emperor ineligible to rule again.

Erik "The Lizardman" Sprague chronicles his tongue bifurcation experience on his website. His journal includes his tongue splitting history and motivation, prelude to the procedure, the procedure itself, and aftercare.

"After a short wait to let the Novocain take effect, "he writes, "I was given another quick shot in the tongue itself. Then, I put on some protective eyewear and the operation began. The laser itself was relatively quiet but the suction machine for the fumes was quite noisy. There was minimal discomfort but I did get the interesting experience of smelling and tasting my own burning tongue."

While Erik's surgery was performed by an oral surgeon, according to Answers.com, "tongue bifurcation is not necessarily a surgical procedure. Self modifiers often choose to achieve a split by gradually tightening nylon bindings inserted through an existing tongue piercing over a long period of time."