More people are now preferring to smoke e-cigarettes as opposed to the traditional cigarettes. This is so because traditional cigarettes are known to have negative effects on oral health. The tobacco in the cigarettes is known to affect the teeth as well as gums. It reduces the ability of a person to smell or taste foods, causes stains on the teeth and results in gum disease.
Smoking of tobacco has also been associated with high cases of oral cancer. With the introduction of vaporizer pens, many questions abound on the safety of vaping and its effect on oral health. Below are ways that vaping seems to be better than smoking in terms of its impact on oral health:
- The chances of having stained teeth are lower with vaping
Smoking causes teeth to get yellow staining particularly from the tar and nicotine that is present in tobacco. The staining does affect the tooth enamel despite the fact that it has an extremely hard enamel. Though the teeth enamel is really hard, it has tiny pores. The tar from tobacco sticks in these small holes and build up. After some time to tar and nicotine build up on the enamel, the teeth become discolored, becoming brownish or yellowish in color.
If a person smokes heavily for years, the staining becomes nearly impossible to remove. Vaping usually does not result to teeth staining. Unlike traditional cigarettes, the e-liquid contained in vape pens only gets heated as opposed to getting burned. As a result, they do not produce the kind of brown sticky tar that is common with smoking traditional cigarettes. This means with vaping, there are lower chances of ending up with stained teeth, which is some great news.
- Vaping does not result in bad breath
It is common knowledge that people who smoke traditional cigarettes end up having bad breath. This is because the chemicals and particles found in tobacco remain in their mouths as well as lungs longer. Also, the hot gas that smokers inhale during smoking causes their mouths to dry up. This creates a conducive environment for oral bacteria called halitosis to reproduce.
On the other hand, vaping does not produce any particulates. This means that is does not result in bad breath. Though it does cause dryness of the mouth and does produce hot gases, people who opt for vaping are able to mitigate these problems by staying hydrated.
- Vaping lowers the risk of developing gum disease
Gum disease is a serious ailment and smokers are at high risk of developing it. This is because smoking tobacco weakens the immune system which reduces the ability of their bodies to fight infections. For people who smoke, the accumulation of calculus on the base of their teeth provides a conducive environment for bacteria to breed. This results to the spread of bacteria which cause gum disease, commonly known as periodontal. Once this happens, gum tissues take a long time to recover, which slows down the body’s ability to heal itself. When done responsibly, vaping e-cigarettes does not damage tissues nor does it reduce the process of regenerating gum tissues because calculus does not accumulate on the base of teeth. This reduces the risk of developing gum disease.
- The risk of developing mouth cancer is lower
Though it is not yet clear whether vaporizing can result in mouth cancer, it is a fact that most of the chemicals found in traditional cigarettes are not present in vaporizers. It is almost certain that vaping will at least lessen the risk of developing mouth cancer compared to smoking. Smoking traditional cigarettes causes damage to DNA including the main genes that are responsible for providing protection against cancer. More than 70 chemicals that are found in cigarettes worsen the situation.
For instance, a chemical known as chromium causes poisons to hold strongly on DNA, which increases chances of severe damage. With majority of these chemicals being absent from e-cigarettes, there is a significant reduction in the damage to a person’s DNA. The chemical levels have been found to be so low to the extent that UK’s Public Health estimates the safety of e-cigars to be up to 95% compared to traditional cigarettes.
Conclusion
Typically, vaping exposes users to significantly lower amounts of nicotine than persons who smoke ordinary cigarettes. This reduces their risk of developing oral problems. While actual scientific details on the effect of vaping are not yet available, it is a fact that in terms of, bad breath, staining teeth and gum disease, vaping is much better than smoking ordinary cigarettes.
Even so, it is not 100% safe and vapors need to be vigilant in detecting oral problems through frequent screening and always being considerate of the quantity of nicotine they ingest at all times. Efforts should be redirected to maintaining good oral hygiene, flossing daily and brushing teeth on a regular basis. While vaping may not be considered the best option, for those who are trying to quit smoking so they can take good care of their bodies, it is a step that brings them closer to their goal.
