Vaping – Does It Affect Your Teeth?

Q: Should I vape or smoke?

We highly recommend you do neither, as both are harmful to your health.

Excerpt: Vaping has been around for years now, and it’s probably not going to go away anytime soon...

Posted on: May 30, 2022

Summary

More research needs to be done on vaping to be completely confident of its effects on health. However, not vaping will always be the healthier option. If you do vape or smoke, you should consider quitting to better your overall health.

Vaping has been around for years now, and it’s probably not going to go away anytime soon. Is it better for teeth than cigarettes’ or does it have any effect at all?

Is Vaping Bad For Your Teeth?

Vaping is still a fairly young invention, and there has not been enough research on vaping to fully understand its effect on your teeth, however, there has been some research to show that it has negative impacts on your teeth. Vaping appears to have fewer impacts on your teeth, but this should not be a reason to start vaping, you shouldn’t vape or smoke tobacco as both are harmful in a number of ways.

There are issues that have come up in regard to dental health and vaping.

Increased Amounts Of Bacteria

This 2018 study found an excess of bacteria to those that use e-cigarettes’ to those who don’t. The difference was greater in the pits and the crevices of the teeth. Bacteria causes plaque to form on your teeth which will eventually harden into tartar (calculus), if your teeth are not cleaned properly. Eventually, your teeth could experience decay, and you may have gingivitis.

Dry Mouth

Saliva is a critical component in the health of your teeth and gums, as well as food digestion. The vapor can dry out your mouth. This is due to a number of reasons, mainly, the propylene glycol, and the heat of the vapor. Lack of saliva can cause your bacteria to build up faster which will lead to decay.

Inflamed Gums

Nicotine has been known to cause vasoconstriction, which means your gums will have a sub-optimal blood flow. This will cause a decrease in nutrients to your gums and may make them prone to infection which will promote gum disease.

Tooth Staining

Vaping can cause stains on your teeth because of the nicotine in the pen. Nicotine has been known to have a negative impact on the whiteness of your teeth. In this study, it was found that smokers have a higher prevalence of tooth stains, as well as severe tooth stains when compared to those that did not smoke.

Bruxism

This study shows that nicotine is a muscle stimulant that can cause you to grind your teeth. This is true for smoking as well as vaping since they both are meant to deliver nicotine to your system.

Vaping May Kill Cells In The Body

It’s been documented that vaping can affect your lung health, it can kill cells that are vital to your lungs which will cause numerous health issues. There is “moderate evidence” that vaping can cause youth to have an increased risk of coughing and wheezing.

Oxygen is vital to the health of the human body, if it has negative impacts on your ability to breathe, then you may not be getting an optimal level of oxygen.

Vaping Causes Sores In the Mouth

The inflammation caused by vaping can lead to sores in the mouth, these sores can even be bloody, which can be very alarming. You may also find your throat hurting from vaping which is an indication that it is causing harm to your airways as well.

Can The Dentist Tell If You Vape?

A dentist will be able to tell if you vape, however, they also may assume you smoke since the effects are similar. Vaping is less toxic to your oral health than smoking, but the effects are still noticeable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does vaping contain dangerous chemicals?

Vaping can contain a number of dangerous chemicals, including, nicotine, acrolein, propylene glycol and, vegetable glycerin. All these chemicals can have adverse effects on the health of your cells, and you should stay away from inhaling them.