Vaping Threatens Oral Health as Much as Smoking
09/18/2022
It has long been understood that smoking can seriously harm gum and dental health, with smokers more likely to experience gum infections, tooth loss, and oral cancer. Additionally, it is well-known that gum disease can harm overall health; for instance, it has been linked to inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic respiratory illnesses.
In contrast, common cautions against vaping typically only point out its negative effects on the heart and lungs without mentioning dental health.
Contrary to tobacco users who are more aware of smoking's link to general health issues and gum illnesses, vaping consumers are frequently made to believe that e-cigarettes are somehow less dangerous or even safe. Vaping may be just as bad for your teeth and gums as smoking.
Nicotine, whether smoked or vaped, limits the blood supply to the gums, which is one of the factors contributing to vaping's unhealth effects. Formaldehyde, propylene glycol, and benzene, among other chemicals found in the vapour of e-cigarettes, may rapidly accelerate oral damage, beginning with the gradual deterioration of the periodontium, the tissues that support the teeth.
Unfortunately, vaping is becoming more and more popular all over the world. Teenagers, young adults, and those who have never smoked appear to be more likely to adopt this potentially harmful habit. "Damage on the gums and the tissues supporting the teeth, often to an irreversible state, is a likely adverse effect of vaping," emphasizes Andreas Stavropoulos, the chair of the EFP's scientific affairs committee and the organization's immediate past president. The gums and bone that support and hold the teeth in place have suffered permanent resorption. Depending on the severity, treatment for these issues can be time-consuming and costly.
Additionally, vaping can negatively impact oral health in a number of other ways, such as bad breath, mouth and throat irritation, para-tracheal edema, laryngitis, black tongue, nicotine stomatitis, hairy tongue, toothache, tooth discoloration, caries, tooth sensitivity and loss, increased cariogenic, reduced enamel hardness, and an increased risk for cancer.
