When electronic cigarettes and personal vaporizers hit the market in the early 2000s, they were celebrated as healthy alternatives to tobacco. People used the nicotine products to help them quit smoking or replaced traditional cigarettes with them. However, vaping has been proven to affect oral health in many of the same ways as its tobacco counterparts. Here’s what dentists want you to know about vaping and its effects on your body.

How Vaping Works

E-cigarettes, pens, and vaporizers contain heating elements that heat e-juice, or e-liquid, which the user inhales into the lungs. The liquid typically contains nicotine, water, glycerin, flavorings, and propylene glycol.

Many pens and similar products require users to press buttons to heat the liquids; however, some activate simply through inhalation. A user inhales and blows out the vapor in the same way they would cigarette smoke.

How It Differs From Smoking Cigarettes

Vaping does not produce tar or carcinogens when used, unlike cigarettes. Like tobacco, it typically contains nicotine, an addictive substance linked to a variety of health problems.

However, vaping allows the user to control the amount of nicotine they inhale, something traditional cigarettes do not offer. Overall, more research is needed to determine how much better—or not—vaping is for oral and general health.

How Vaping Affects Your Mouth

While vaping may not expose the mouth to tar and carcinogens, its propylene glycol content causes dry mouth that increases the risk of cavities, gum disease, mouth sores, and bad breath. The chemical content is also linked to gum tenderness, swelling, redness, and disease, as well as mouth and throat irritation. Nicotine decreases blood flow in the gums, while vegetable glycerin affects enamel hardness. There’s also evidence of carcinogens in sweet e-juices.

Studies also show that aerosols from vaping inflict DNA damage that destroys mouth cells, further increasing the risk of dry mouth, tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth and jawbone loss. Dentists also warn against vaping due to e-cigarette explosions that seriously injure the mouth, gums, and teeth.

Discuss vaping with C.R. Sfeir D.D.S., General Dentistry. The family dentist has served Lorain, OH, and the surrounding areas since 1995, and always puts patient needs first. Call (440) 960-5200 to ask about appointment availability, and visit the dentist online to explore their services.