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Vaping and Your Smile: The Impact on Oral Health

Smoking and vaping; a brief history of the marketing

Can you believe cigarettes were once promoted for their “health benefits”? Tobacco companies used lots of different strategies to encourage consumers to smoke, from sponsoring sports teams, to paying celebrities, athletes, even doctors and dentists to endorse their products! These days it’s hard to imagine a harmful product like tobacco being marketed as something to bring joy and satisfaction, approved by both your doctor and dentist. If you want to see some evidence of how much our attitudes to smoking have changed, type “vintage cigarette ad” into Google and prepare to be shocked!

After a global anti-smoking movement, over time, cigarette sales declined. However, in the early 2000s, vaping, marketed as a less harmful alternative to tobacco smoking, started to grow in popularity. The American Heart Association (n.d.) states that many people think vaping is safer than smoking, but if vintage cigarette ads from the 1950s and 60s can teach us anything, it’s to consider the sources of information, particularly when it comes to our health.
Because vaping is still relatively new, there are not many long-term studies or research to draw on when we want definitive answers about the side effects, however, a growing body of evidence shows that vaping does affect our teeth and gums.

While the long-term effects of vaping are not yet known, research suggests that it can be harmful to your oral health, especially if your vape also contains nicotine. While, for many, vaping has been a useful tool to stop smoking cigarettes, we are seeing an increase in young people, who have never smoked, taking up vaping. If you vape it’s important that you know the potential impacts. Let’s look at some of the ways that vaping may affect oral health, and what we can do about it.

Vaping and oral health: What are some of the side effects?

Damage to tooth enamel

We all know the risks of sticky, sweet food for our tooth enamel. For most of us, childhood memories of birthday parties or trick or treating at Halloween are also punctuated with earnest advice from parents and caregivers about the importance of brushing and flossing, to protect teeth from the effects of sugar. Something less commonly known is that vape juice is generally thick and sticky in consistency, often containing sweetened ingredients. When heated, vape juice can be acidic. Because of this combination of sweet, sticky and acidic ingredients, vaping can potentially damage tooth enamel, as well as the gums and soft tissues of the mouth.

Bad breath

While we might think of tobacco cigarettes when it comes to bad breath, vaping can also create an environment in your mouth which promotes bacteria and plaque, causing bad breath.

Dry mouth

Dry mouth is a common side effect of vaping, reducing the protective effects of saliva for teeth and gums and allowing harmful bacteria to thrive.

Stained teeth

Both the nicotine in vapes, which is yellow, and the flavourings added to vape juice to make it more palatable, may discolour your teeth and leave telltale stains on your smile.

How can I protect my oral health?

Remember that vintage cigarette advertising? When it comes to your health, make sure you’re getting your information from credible sources. If you vape regularly, consider maintaining a routine of brushing and flossing your teeth, and if you are concerned, speak with your dentist.

Disclaimer:
All information is general and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Lillybrook Dental can consult with you regarding your individual health needs.

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