Plus, Does Vaping Damage Your Teeth?
Health & Wellbeing
A dentist can tell usually tell what your diet is like from looking in your mouth. So, they can probably tell whether you vape. Smoking is known to cause oral health issues, so naturally people will have associated this with vaping. The purpose of this blog is to go through how vaping impacts your teeth and gums and show why it is still the best alternative to smoking.
Is Vaping Bad For Your Teeth?
If you are a vaper your dentist may have told you that vaping is bad for your teeth. However the studies are still not clear on this. Smoking can cause a number of issues including stained teeth, bad breath, gum disease and even oral cancer. There are studies that link smoking to gum damage and point to nicotine as the cause. However, there are other chemicals in cigarettes that can cause this. So, the evidence isn’t clear whether nicotine is the root cause. Plus, there are not enough studies carried out with e-liquid to conclude that vaping has the same effect. Plus, e-liquid doesn’t contain the other toxins found in cigarettes.
If you are a regular vaper it is common knowledge it can cause you to be more dehydrated than normal as it dries up your mouth. Having a dry mouth has been linked to gum damage as saliva in the mouth is what naturally washes your gums.
Studies that have been carried out on vaping such as ‘Recent updates on electronic cigarette aerosol and inhaled nicotine effects on periodontal and pulmonary tissues’[1] Published back in 2017 point towards vaping causing gum damage. However, this study is a limited form of evidence as it doesn’t provide evidence that it will have the same effect on cells in the human body.
A study carried out ‘Crosstalk between oral and general health status in e-smokers’[2] looked at oral health of actual vapers and provided more positive data. This study summarised that switching from smoking to vaping resulted in better oral health.
Does vaping stain your teeth?
The reason your teeth stain is due to the pores absorbing the things you consume including food and drink. When smoking your teeth will absorb the harmful chemicals and cause them to go darker. There are far fewer chemicals in e-liquid so the effects on your teeth is much less than from smoking.
Is there anything an individual can do to prevent teeth and gum damage whilst vaping?
Unfortunately, there is no clear science to say that vaping is good for your teeth. But like any dentist would say with fizzy drinks and sweets, it is about taking care of your teeth making sure you brush and floss regularly to limit the damage to your teeth and gums.
Remember to stay hydrated. Vaping can cause you to be more dehydrated than usual. So, make sure you keep drinking water while you are vaping. Plus, using a higher strength e-liquid means you will need to vape less frequently.
It is also important to avoid e-liquid that contains sugar as this can cause the same damage to your teeth as consuming sugary food and drink. Sugary vape juice is also notorious for being a coil killer so stay clear. At the Electronic Cigarette Company our e-liquid contains no sugar. This makes it a great choice for vapers who want to avoid sugary vape juice that can cause damage to their teeth.
Like What You’ve Read?
If you enjoyed reading this article, why not share it with your vaping friends?
References
[1] Javed, F., Kellesarian, S.V., Sundar, I.K., Romanos, G.E. and Rahman, I. (2017). Recent updates on electronic cigarette aerosol and inhaled nicotine effects on periodontal and pulmonary tissues. Oral Diseases, [online] 23(8), pp.1052–1057. Available at: //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28168771
[2] Tatullo, M., Gentile, S., Paduano, F., Santacroce, L. and Marrelli, M. (2016). Crosstalk between oral and general health status in e-smokers. Medicine, [online] 95(49), p.e5589. Available at: //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5266049/
I’m going to get my teeth cleaned in two days and I’m really stressed.
I’m worried that my dentist will be able to tell that I vape. I’m under age, I know it’s a bad habit but I usually only do it every two weeks for fun. I’m not addicted and could go cold turkey righht now if I wanted to.
Will he be able to notice and if so, will he tell my parents? I’ve been doing it October last year, but again, not everyday.