It’s common knowledge that smoking cigarettes is bad for your dental health. We’ve talked about it a lot in the past.
Smoking cigarettes does more than stain your teeth. It destroys your gums and erodes your enamel. A lot of people are switching to e-cigarettes as a “healthier” alternative to smoking.
E-cigarette companies boast that vaping is a more dental friendly way to receive your nicotine. They advertise that their no tar and odorless nicotine vapor is better for your smile and overall dental hygiene.
Today, we’re going to take a little time to talk about the dental health consequences of vaping.
What is Vaping?
E-cigs are battery operated devices that turn liquid nicotine into a vapor that you inhale. E-cigs don’t require fire, ash, or smoke. There are 3 parts to an e-cig: a lithium battery, cartridge, and vaporization chamber.
When you inhale an e-cig, it actives the “atomizer,” which heats up the liquid in the cartridge and transports the vapor into the mouthpiece, and then your lungs.
Not to mention, they don’t have carbon monoxide or tar, the two damaging chemicals in traditional cigarettes. They’ve been advertised to help reduce the negative effects of smoke, like coughing and sinus issues.
While vaping is growing more and more popular everyday, studies are showing there are a lot of hidden risk of e-cigs.
Vapor might not cause the same bad breath and staining as a pack of Marlboros, but it’s not all rainbows and butterflies.
Are E-Cigarettes Good For Your Dental Health?
You might vape or smoke an e-cigarette without even knowing what’s in it. It’s easy to take it at face value, assuming that vapor is a healthy substitute to smoke. There’s nothing being combusted, so your lungs aren’t feeling the negative effects of nicotine tar.
E-cigarettes might seem too good to be true. Sure, yellow teeth and good breath might seem like an excellent substitute to what happens from smoking cigs. However, just because you “vape” doesn’t mean your smile isn’t being impacted.
Even though you’re delivering vapor to your mouth and lungs instead of smoke, you’ll still suffer from the negative effects of nicotine. E-cigs have a smaller dose of nicotine than regular cigarettes, but it still damages your oral health.
E-cigarettes can cause gum recession, and a slew of other dental health issues. Studies show that nicotine, no matter the dosage, harms your gums, mouth, and tongue.
However, its biggest impact is on your gums. Nicotine can exacerbate gum disease, leading to periodontitis, which causes even more dental health pangs.
Nicotine slows your blood flow, reducing the amount of blood in your veins. When your blood flow is weak, your gums aren’t able to get the proper amount of nutrients and oxygen. As nicotine starves your gums of blood, the tissues aren’t able to adequately defend themselves from bacteria.
It’s not uncommon for people who vape to suffer from gum recession. Bad breath is another offhanded side effect of gum disease.
Nicotine is also a stimulant, which causes your facial muscles to become more active. Thus, if you suffer from bruxism, nicotine can make your problems even worse. Even if you don’t typically grind your teeth, vaping can ignite this new problem.
So, while vaping might be a healthier solution to cigarettes, it’s not as great for your oral health as you think. If you decide to vape instead of smoke, keep an eye on your gum health. Your best bet for optimal dental health is nipping your nicotine dependence in the bud.
