Is Vaping Worse for Oral Health than Smoking?
It is an indisputable fact that smoking is harmful to human health. However, did you know that electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, have the same detrimental effects on oral health as traditional cigarettes, particularly on the gums and teeth?
Because vaping doesn't involve tobacco, it's sometimes seen as a healthier option, but it also poses a number of risks to your gums and dental implants, which can be detrimental to your oral health.
But is vaping less dangerous or safer than smoking, or is vaping worse for oral health than smoking?
How Does Vaping Affect Your Oral Health?
Electronic cigarettes are devices that heat and vaporize a liquid solution, usually containing nicotine, and make the vapor inhalable. They are often used to produce an aerosol of nicotine, flavorings and other chemicals and emit inhalable nicotine vapor.
Dry Mouth; smoking negatively affects the salivary glands and reduces the quantity and quality of saliva and causes dry mouth, which can lead to mouth sores, bad breath and tooth decay.
Does Vaping Cause Gum Disease?
The fact that smoking increases the risk of gum disease is one of the main ways it is wrong for oral health. Plaque and tartar buildup in the gums causes gingivitis. One of the worst behaviors that encourages tartar and plaque buildup is smoking. Although tobacco-free, electronic cigarettes contain nicotine, which is terrible for your teeth.
Dry mouth caused by vaping can interfere with the body's natural bacterial elimination process. The overgrowth of bacteria caused by dry mouth can increase the risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and other dental problems, as well as cause mouth sores and bad breath.
Does Vaping Affect Your Teeth?
Dry mouth caused by e-cigarette use causes bacterial overgrowth. This situation increases other dental disease problems, especially tooth decay.
When you use a flavored e-cigarette that contains sugar, you are more susceptible to tooth decay because the sugar-rich vapor gives the bacteria in your mouth the ability to produce acid, exposing your teeth to decay.
Also vaping can stain your teeth, and the vapor from artificial flavors and chemicals can negatively affect the appearance of your teeth.
Does Vaping Affect Your Teeth Implant?
The process of an implant integrating nicely with the jawbone determines the success of dental implants. The state of the gums and bone in the region where the implant will be positioned is one of the key variables influencing this procedure. Particularly in cases where the patient has a robust jaw structure and enough bone density, the gums should be in good health and free of conditions like periodontitis.
In this context, by restricting blood flow to the gums, nicotine can negatively reduce the healing of the gums and affect dental implants. Although cigarette smoke does not enter the mouth, a vapor containing nicotine and other chemicals can be inhaled. This can cause dry mouth and irritation. These factors do not contribute positively to the healing process after dental implant treatments such as All On 4 dental implant, All On 6 dental implant, and can have the opposite effect.
What Causes Popcorn Lung?
Vapor from electronic cigarettes can contain chemicals that can damage the lungs. This can lead to respiratory problems, asthma and lung diseases and lung damage, especially with long-term use.
A chemical called diacetyl, found in some e-cigarette flavors, is one of the causes of this condition. This can cause breathing problems, coughing and shortness of breath in the lungs called "popcorn lung". It is a rare condition among some vapers.
Other Health Risks of Vaping
Heart Health: Some research suggests that vaping can harm heart health. Nicotine can affect heart health by causing arteriosclerosis.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: The effects of vaping on women during pregnancy and breastfeeding are not fully understood as they require long-term research. Nevertheless, it is therefore recommended to avoid vaping during these periods.
Batteries carry the risk of overheating and explosion: Although not very common, it is noted that explosions and burns can occur, usually due to misuse or improper maintenance of the device.
Smoking vs. Vaping: Which is More Harmful for Your Oral Health?
While vaping is generally considered a safer option than smoking, oral and dental health issues can arise with both types of use. It is also impossible to say that electronic cigarettes are harmless and there is no definitive and comprehensive information on their long-term effects, and more research and time is still needed at this point.
However, it is now clear that vaping brings with it known health problems. The best decision is to stop smoking and vaping. If you are addicted to smoking or nicotine, you can get help and support to quit smoking by contacting health professionals or your dentist.