11
Oct
How Vaping Affects Your Dental Health
Strawberries, peaches, and ice cream – these delicious flavors are all available for e-liquids and e-cigarettes. In fact, you can get just about any flavor you want! In the U.S vaping an increasingly popular habit among millennials. Why? Many people believe that vaping is healthier than smoking cigarettes. Are they really healthier though? From your Boise dentists perspective, vaping can cause a wide variety of oral health risks. That’s why Summit Dental would like you to consider how vaping causes tooth decay and other dental issues.
Gum Health
Just like cigarettes, vape juice contains nicotine. People who vape need to understand that nicotine is a vasoconstrictor compound that causes blood vessels in your body to constrict. This, in turn, restricts important blood flow to the gums in your mouth. Healthy teeth require healthy gums. Because they support the natural structure of your teeth, your gums can recede without proper blood flow. When this happens, the exposed bone can also become affected. This can lead to gum disease, tooth sensitivity, and a wide variety of other oral health problems.
Dry Mouth
Propylene glycol is a common ingredient in vape base liquids. This ingredient has antifreeze water absorption properties. For those who vape, this means that when they inhale, the propylene glycol absorbs the moisture inside their mouth and throat. Why is this a concern? The saliva in your mouth plays a crucial role when it comes to preventing cavities. Saliva also helps your mouth to maintain a healthy pH level to prevent bacterial growth. When vaping dries out your mouth, this delicate balance is interrupted, making it easier to develop cavities and other oral health problems. It can also lead to sore gums and mouth sores. Last, but not least, a dry mouth causes bad breath.
Tooth Enamel
The outer shell of your tooth is called the enamel which is the strongest part of your body. However, it can easily be worn down and eaten away by the acids and sweeteners in vapes. As we’ve mentioned in previous blogs, tooth decay is the direct result of sugar and acids. When you vape, your teeth come in contact with both of these substances. The result weakens your tooth enamel, making it easy for bacteria to eat away at it.
Overall Health
As Boise dentists, we are particularly interested in your oral health. As doctors, however, we understand how your entire body is affected by vaping. Below is a list of other common ingredients in tasty vape juices.
- Formaldehyde
- Arsenic
- Lead
It’s no wonder that vape juice has fun flavor names. You wouldn’t want to inhale something with a title like “rat poison” or “embalming fluid”.
Cosmetic Issues
When it comes down to it, nicotine is still nicotine and it stains your teeth yellow. This yellowing chemical enters the pores of your teeth to a deep layer that cannot be brushed away. It also leads to swollen, bleeding gums. In short, vaping dulls your smile, even before more serious damage becomes apparent.
Boise Dentists
As you can see above, vaping causes a wide variety of oral health issues. If you vape and would like to have your teeth and gums evaluated, contact the Boise dentists at Summit Dental by filling out our online form or give us a call at (208) 314-2275 for an appointment. We are proud to offer compassionate, judgment-free dental care.