Vaping is Putting You at Risk for Periodontal Disease

Though it’s trendy, there’s a mounting body of evidence that suggests vaping isn’t a good habit to have. It’s bad for your lungs and heart, and can be as addictive as smoking thanks to the nicotine. Recent studies have also found that vaping could be ruining your oral health, there is a strong link between vaping and periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease causes the gums to become inflamed and causes bone loss about the supporting structures of your teeth, which could result in bleeding gums, bad breath, tooth loss and more. And while the findings are still preliminary to long-term studies, they signal a call to action for vapers to quit for the sake of their oral health (among other reasons).

Tobacco vs. vaping vs. non-smokers

While vaping may not be as bad for your oral health as traditional smoking, users are still prone to issues like gum disease.  No matter what you’re inhaling, it’s sure to have long-term effects on your body.  Certain risks are still present, even when you aren’t vaping nicotine.  Not smoking is the best way to avoid oral issues and other health problems.

According to a 2020 peer-reviewed study concerning the oral microbiome of electronic cigarette users, vapers show less risk of periodontal diseases than traditional smokers. However, they’re still significantly more likely to suffer from periodontal disease than their non-smoker counterparts.

• ~73% of smokers show signs of gum disease
• ~43% of vapers show signs of gum disease
• ~28% among people who neither smoke nor vape present with gum disease

Why does vaping harm oral health?

Vaping contains chemicals that can cause major damage to your mouth, including propylene glycol, benzene and, potentially, formaldehyde.  Gum inflammation, infections and certain types of cancer could all result from consistent exposure to these substances.  Not only can vaping cause major damage to your gums, your tongue, teeth and even your saliva could be at risk – not to mention the bacteria (good and bad) that make up your oral microbiome.

• Vaping restricts blood flow to the gums
• Chemicals like propylene glycol (PG) can foster infection
• Atomized chemical exposure can kill off good oral bacteria
• Atomized nicotine exposure is harmful to soft gum tissue

Other vaping problems to consider

With some vape juices, it’s hard to tell exactly what chemicals are present.  If you’re looking to avoid bad breath and painful ulcers, it’s worth looking at what’s in the liquid you’re atomizing. Even seemingly normal substances can have different properties when atomized, which makes for a broad prospect of problems when you’re inhaling them into your mouth and lungs.  Some suspected complications include:

• Increased chance of mouth ulcers
• Loss of bone (tooth) density caused by nicotine
• Increased halitosis caused by bacterial imbalance
• Increased risk of cavities and tooth infection
• Staining of teeth

Consider vaping’s effect on your mouth

If you want to protect your teeth, gums and the rest of your mouth, it’s best to avoid inhaling chemicals altogether.  While some of the oral problems caused by vaping might not seem like a big deal compared to traditional smoking, it’s important to remember that there are still no long-term studies to qualify vaping’s effect on the mouth, lungs or body.  If you’re already seeing negative effects on your oral health, see a dentist right away.  And, of course, stop vaping.