The risk of vaping devices causing problems in your mouth is much higher if they contain nicotine. The long-term effects of vaping are not fully known. Yet there is some evidence that vaping can cause inflammation in the mouth, which can lead to gum disease and other oral health problems.
Vaping and Gum Disease
With less saliva in your mouth because of the mouth drying effects of vaping, plaque bacteria can multiply and an infection below the gumline can occur. Left untreated, this infection can turn into gingivitis or periodontal disease.
One of the biggest ways that smoking damages your oral health is that you are very likely to develop gum disease. Vaping exposes your gums to both nicotine as well as hot and drying vapour which therefore, definitely puts users at a higher risk of gum disease.
Nicotine from vaping causes gum diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis. Early symptoms include bleeding gums and bad breath. Gum recession from infection may be hard to spot since nicotine can reduce blood flow to the area. The gums won't appear swollen, so it is hard to tell they are actually inflamed.
It's not clear whether vaping is as damaging to your gums as smoking, mainly because the full effects of vaping on your immune system is not yet known. However, anything that exposes your gums directly to heat and nicotine will make you more likely to develop gum disease and lose your teeth.
Your teen's dentist (and hygienist and orthodontist) will suspect vaping when they see yellow or brown stains on your teen's teeth because nicotine creates yellow or brown stains on teeth when it mixes with saliva. Those stains can be difficult (and expensive!) to remove and may eventually damage tooth enamel.
Make no mistake, vaping is not good for your teeth. The main problem is the nicotine, which can cause a whole host of problems. Nicotine reduces blood flow, restricting the supply of nutrients and oxygen to soft tissues in the mouth, which can cause gums to recede.
The long-term effects of vaping are not fully known. Yet there is some evidence that vaping can cause inflammation in the mouth, which can lead to gum disease and other oral health problems. Temporary loss of taste may happen in some people (also called vape tongue). Vaping may be seen as a way to quit smoking.
After vaping, wait for at least 20 minutes before brushing to prevent enamel erosion. Make sure to floss daily to keep your gums healthy. Check Your Mouth – If you notice dental problems, such as gum bleeding, soreness, persistent bad breath, consult your dentist immediately.
“Rinse the mouth with either mouthwash or water to reduce plaque building on the teeth and the accumulation of bacteria from the vaping liquid,” says Dr. Pushalkar. In addition, “a continuous and routine relationship with a dental professional is a major step in the right direction,” says Dr. Ebersol.
1: Vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it's still not safe. E-cigarettes heat nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings and other chemicals to create an aerosol that you inhale. Regular tobacco cigarettes contain 7,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic.
While vaping might seem like a great alternative to smoking for nicotine addicts, that isn't the case. That's because nicotine is the main cause of most oral health issues associated with smoking, so vaping with nicotine salts is still harmful to your teeth and gums.
The main danger is that your gums will slowly start to fade away. They recede further and further until they expose the roots of your teeth. This weakens the supporting structures of your teeth and makes you more prone to tooth loss. Thankfully, periodontal disease can be treated, and the effects can be reversed.
Only the first stage of gum disease, known as “gingivitis” can be reversed. After it progresses into the second stage (periodontitis), it's no longer possible to completely eliminate it.
Restoring a Healthy Microbiome
If your oral microbiome has been disrupted due to vaping, it is possible to restore your mouth to a healthy, functioning system once again. If you currently vape, deciding to quit is an important first step to restoration.
Are e-cigarettes less harmful than regular cigarettes? Yes—but that doesn't mean e-cigarettes are safe. E-cigarette aerosol generally contains fewer toxic chemicals than the deadly mix of 7,000 chemicals in smoke from regular cigarettes. However, e-cigarette aerosol is not harmless.
Vaping results in what is known as “vaper's tongue.” Vaping leads to dehydration and also dries your mouth, both of which can diminish your taste buds. Smoking or vaping can also cause a stuffy nose and negatively impact your ability to smell, and being able to smell goes hand in hand with your ability to taste.
The simple answer is, no. If your gums are damaged by, for example periodontitis, the most severe form of gum disease, it's not possible for receding gums to grow back. However, even though receding gums can't be reversed there are treatments that can help to stop the problem from getting worse.
The answer is yes. While some people switch from smoking to vaping because they may think vaping is a safer alternative to smoking, studies show that it is just bad for your teeth and gums. Vaping has the same adverse effects on your oral health as smoking and your dentist WILL be able to tell.
A dentist can't tell if you're vaping or not, but they can tell that you're consuming nicotine, whether through traditional cigarettes or electronic cigarettes. Nicotine leaves yellow and brown stains on teeth after it mixes with our saliva flow. It can also lead to cavities, bad breath, and serious gum damage.
Medical tests can detect nicotine in people's urine, blood, saliva, hair, and nails.
However, it typically takes years, even decades for those conditions to develop. But with vaping, we're seeing lung damage developing in much less time; often under a year.
Behavioural support and medications such as nicotine patches or gum increase the chances of [successfully] quitting, but even with this additional support long-term quit rates remain lower when compared to vapes/e-cigarettes.