A dentist is able to tell if you vape just by looking at your teeth. There has been a huge rise in the popularity of the small devices, used by many to transition away from smoking cigarettes.
However, as vapes are often sold in fruity flavours such as watermelon and strawberry, their popularity with younger generations is soaring. Now, supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsbury’s have revealed that they are removing certain brands or flavours from shelves after they were found to have at least 50% more than the legal limit for nicotine e-liquid.
But Dr Michael Heffernan, a dentist at The Wessex Dental Specialist Care, which is part of Bupa Dental Care, says that while not as bad as smoking or chewing tobacco, vaping will have an impact on your oral health.
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While not as obvious as smoking, Dr Heffernan says that a dentist can tell if you vape and that doing so comes with risks. “The heated ingredients in the aerosol make you more susceptible to oral health problems, such as dry mouth and gum disease”.
“I recommend that you tell your dentist or hygienist that you are vaping,” he says. “We are not here to judge and If we know you are vaping, we can check your mouth and inform you of harmful changes and advise on ways to take care of your health.”
Does vaping increase the risk of gum disease?
Most adults in the UK have gum disease to some degree and most people experience it at least once. If left untreated, gum disease can lead to abscesses, receding gums, loose teeth or even tooth loss.
Dr Heffernan says that while there has been less research into the effects of vaping on oral health, dentists do see an improvement in gum health in patients who have transitioned from smoking cigarettes to vaping. However, he adds, “when we look at non-smokers who try vaping, we see signs of greater gum disease on teeth and dental implants”.
“So, it seems that vaping is not as harmful as smoking but causes damage to gum health, which can be permanent,” he says.
Does vaping stain your teeth?
Most people can recognise the appearance of a smoker’s teeth, which can be yellow and brown from the tar in tobacco smoke. However, e-cigarettes don’t contain tar and as a result, the same degree of discolouration in the teeth of people who vape is less likely.
But Dr Heffernan says that vaping can still cause discolouration. “This is because e-cigarettes come in many different flavours, containing many chemicals that can negatively affect the appearance of your teeth, and the sticky residue left on the teeth from the vaping aerosol can trap the stains in the enamel.”
Does vaping cause bad breath?
The bad news for vapers is that it can cause bad breath. Because vaping dries out the mouth and reduces saliva production, unpleasant smells can stick around and linger on your breath.
Make sure to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, which disrupts bad smells and washes away plaque bacteria. If needs must, you can use sugar-free gum to help during the day.
Are flavoured vapes worse for you?
Vapes come in all manner of flavours, from fruits like watermelon and strawberry to cola and tobacco. While vapes don’t contain the sugar often associated with these flavours, Dr Heffernan says that they may fuel cravings for sweet things leading users to sugary food and drinks, having a knock-on effect that can lead to tooth decay, diabetes and obesity.
He adds: “Some fruit-flavoured vapes contain acidic ingredients to give them a sharp fruity taste. This acidity can erode the surface of the tooth enamel, meaning dentists may need to fix the damage if it progresses too far.”
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