I had it done a long time ago. As long as the place is clean and follows certain guidelines, I say go for it. Do they have state regulations for piercings in Cal? I know they do in Florida which is where I lived at the time. It doesn't really hurt, just kind of shocking when you feel the needle go through. The swelling usually goes away after 2 days (chewing/sucking on ice really helps) Get used to Listerine rinses after anything you put in your mouth. (funny, I love Listerine because of that). Skip the calories in milk shakes and go with Icee's. Once healed, you can eat and talk normally, but the first time you eat spaghetti will be wierd-it gets caught on the barbell. As others have said, please don't chew on it or click it on your teeth which is bad for the enamel anyway. If you decide you don't want it anymore, it will close up pretty quick. I took mine out after 2 years for a job interview and didn't bother putting it back in and it was closed up in 2 days.
Good luck and have fun!