New research published in the Journal of the American Dental Association suggests that vaping can increase an individual’s risk of forming cavities. This is due to the sugary sweeteners added to the liquid in e-cigarettes. While research on the impact of vaping on oral health is still relatively new, the effects seem prominent, especially on the young generation that tends to use e-cigarettes very frequently.
But understanding the dangers that this product can have on the look and feel of their smiles can encourage dental patients to reconsider this habit. Read on to learn more about the negative effects that vaping can have on your dental health.
Sugar Notoriously Harms Your Teeth
Famously, you have heard dentists agree that sugar poses a threat to your dental health. This is because sugar, when it reacts with saliva, becomes acidic. Then this acid eats away at your tooth enamel, creating vulnerable spots in the teeth where bacteria can create cavities and tooth decay.
Once enamel is gone, it does not regrow, so you will need dental intervention to help keep your teeth safe from cavities or other dental dangers. A dentist can treat a cavity with a dental filling. But ideally, you should preserve your natural dental structure for as long as you can.
So to avoid this dental damage, dentists recommend limiting sugary and acidic foods in your diet. This advice extends to avoiding e-cigarettes and the sweet additives they possess. The sugary residue will cling to your teeth and hurt your smile in irreversible ways.
Other Impacts of Vaping on Your Smile
The sugar within many types of e-cigarettes will harm your dental health, but vaping can have other negative effects on your smile. For instance, nicotine in tobacco will pose a serious threat to your smile. Some e-cigarettes claim to be tobacco-free but will still contain trace amounts of nicotine that can impact your health.
Nicotine will contribute to overall inflammation, triggering the body’s inflammatory response, a reaction in which the body works to repair damaged cells, resulting in swelling and other irritations. This can make other areas of inflammation, such as gum disease, an infection of the gum tissue, worse. About half of American adults have gum disease, so this issue is quite prevalent.
You can see increased bleeding, soreness, and swelling in the gums, heightening your risk of complications from this disease. However, research related to vaping and oral health is still developing, so these side effects are not totally conclusive yet.
Preventative Care Advice for Your Oral Health
As mentioned, your dentist will recommend avoiding vaping to best protect your oral health. You can reduce your risk of cavities, gum disease, and other dental dangers this way.
You should also practice good oral hygiene to keep your smile healthy. These efforts will clean plaque and other harmful residues, like lingering film from e-cigarettes, from your teeth. Proper oral hygiene will also include attending regular teeth cleanings at your dentist’s office.