Is Vaping Bad for My Teeth?

Whereas it’s common knowledge that smoking can cause a plethora of oral health problems (as well as countless other health concerns), vaping is often advertised as being much less harmful. This argument is usually backed by claims that inhaling the vapor present in e-cigarettes causes less damage than consuming burnt tobacco. Contrary to such reports, nicotine can pose serious harm to your oral health in any form. In fact, vaping can be just as detrimental to your oral health as smoking – if not more so. 

The nicotine-based vapor in e-cigarettes is sometimes flavored, which means its makeup is laced with artificial chemicals and sugar. Fruity, candy-reminiscent flavors like pineapple and cotton candy take the harshness away from the nicotine’s taste, causing consumers to crave even more of it. While this phenomenon is certainly helpful to the manufacturers, excessive inhalation of nicotine, sugar, and dubious chemical substances can cause buildups of bacteria to stick to the teeth and other dental problems.

As a result, those who use e-cigarettes run the risk of developing: 

• Cavities from the sugar in the vape flavoring.
• Periodontal disease from the nicotine.
• Gum recession from the nicotine.
• Tooth discoloration from the nicotine.
• Gum inflammation from the nicotine.
• Dry mouth from the e-liquid chemical propylene glycol.
• Poor bone density from the carcinogens.
• Halitosis (bad breath) as vaping encourages harmful bacteria to grow in the mouth.
• Bruxism as the stimulant nicotine promotes tooth-grinding and jaw-clenching.

Scarier yet, recent studies have linked the use of e-cigarettes to oral cancer as the chemicals in the vapor can alter or damage the oral cells.

For those whose oral health has been affected by vaping, our experienced cosmetic dentist can utilize several general dentistry strategies. Preventive care treatments such as scaling and root planing, fillings, and even just a thorough deep cleaning may be necessary to rid your mouth of the bacteria. We encourage you to contact us today to schedule an appointment with our team.