Is Vaping Really That Bad?
How does vaping affect my oral health?
Most people know smoking can damage their teeth and gums, but vaping often gets a free pass. Because it’s marketed as a “safer” alternative, many assume it doesn’t carry the same risks. The reality is more complicated. The chemicals in e-cigarettes can still affect your oral health in ways that matter.
Why Is Vaping Hard on Your Mouth?
While vapor products may lack tobacco, they still contain high levels of nicotine and other chemicals that can cause damage to the gum tissue and teeth. Here are some of the ways vaping is hard on your mouth.
One of the most common side effects of vaping is dry mouth. The main culprit: propylene glycol.
Propylene glycol plays a few roles in e-liquids, but its main job is to serve as a carrier liquid. Since it does a great job of absorbing water and maintaining moisture, it helps all the ingredients in a vape liquid heat up and be inhaled. It’s this same water-attracting property that causes dry mouth for vape and e-cigarette users. Dry mouth is such an issue because you need saliva to wash away food particles and neutralize acids produced by bacteria in the mouth. While saliva is important for protecting against decay and gum disease, reduced saliva, or dry mouth, can increase the risk of cavities and gum disease.
Vaping Chemicals Can Contribute to Gum Disease and Inflammation
The chemicals in e-cigarette vapor can irritate gum tissue, leading to inflammation, redness, and swelling. What enters your mouth when you vape isn’t just “water vapor” but an aerosol made up of a cocktail of solvents and chemicals like propylene glycol, glycerin, flavoring agents, and other compounds that lead to many issues.
Over time, this can cause or exacerbate gum disease (periodontal disease), characterized by receding gums, chronic bad breath, and even tooth loss if left untreated.
High Nicotine Intake Can Impact Blood Flow to Your Mouth
Blood flow and healthy circulation are important for maintaining your oral health. Healthy circulation delivers nutrients, oxygen, and immune cells to tissues and gums, helping them heal after irritation or treatment.
Over time, nicotine, a vasoconstrictor, can narrow blood vessels and reduce blood flow to the gums, making it harder for them to heal and stay healthy.
Source: https://aaoinfo.org/
High Heat Threat
When the liquid inside an e-cigarette cartridge heats up, more chemical compounds are formed.
The lithium-ion batteries in vape pens can heat the liquid inside vape cartridges to 400° F in seconds, a CDC resource shows. News reports have documented cases where people have been hurt by e-cigarettes exploding or causing fires inside their mouths.
Source: https://www.mouthhealthy.org/
Photo of 21 year old after vape pen exploded in his mouth. Read the full article below.
https://www.fox8live.com/2018/11/15/graphic-mother-warns-against-vape-pen-after-one-explodes-injures-sons-mouth/
About the Author:
Dr. Matt Jamison, DDS is the sole owner of Eastover Pediatric Dentistry in Charlotte, NC. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, followed by a pediatric residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He specializes in working with children of all ages including children and young adults with special needs.
