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“The hot vapour and nicotine from a vape can be harmful to your oral health,” says Amanda Sheehan, a dental hygienist, and clinical support specialist at TePe. “Nicotine, whether smoked or vaped, reduces blood flow to the gums, increasing the risks of gum disease and tooth loss.”
“It goes without saying that smoking is bad for your health, but something that is less commonly spoken about – or understood – is the impact that vaping has on oral health,” says Amanda Sheehan, a dental hygienist, and clinical support specialist at TePe. “The hot vapour and nicotine from a vape can be harmful to your oral health because nicotine – whether smoked or vaped – reduces blood flow to the gums, increasing the risks of gum disease and tooth loss. So, vaping puts you at a higher risk of developing gum disease than if you don’t vape at all.
“Studies are currently ongoing as to whether vaping is as damaging to your gums as smoking, but anything that exposes your gums directly to heat and nicotine will make you more likely to develop gum disease and lose your teeth.”
Sheehan also points out that if your chosen vape flavour contains sugars, you’ll be at a higher risk of developing cavities and tooth erosion. Your mouth also becomes dry when you vape, meaning your mouth’s natural protector, saliva, will be unable to do its job and leave your teeth more vulnerable to decay.
It’s important to note here that the full risks associated with vaping are yet to be fully determined and, as Sheehan mentioned, are currently being investigated. Smoking tobacco has been subject to almost 60 years of scientific research, while vaping was only invented in 2003. Juul – a popular brand of e-cigarette – appeared in 2015, and arguably kickstarted the trend which have seen companies like Elf Bar follow suit.
“Vaping is thought to be a safer alternative to smoking, but vapes haven’t been around long enough to ascertain the long term risks,” says Abbas Kanani, a pharmacist at Chemist Click. “The main known risk with all nicotine-containing substances is that they raise your heart rate and blood pressure. This can increase the chances of a heart attack. The unknown risk lies within the ingredients such as the flavouring, and their unknown effects on the lungs long term.”
I’m certainly more conscious of how many vapes I’ve been buying, and I’m in the mindset of trying to cut down because of the concerns of gum disease and tooth decay. But it’s as though vaping has become more socially acceptable than smoking.
When I’m in the smoking area on a night out at uni, there’s a pretty even split between vapes and cigarettes. The difference is, if someone says: “Do you want a drag on my cigarette?”, the unanimous response is that of disgust. But sharing vapes has become as habitual as sharing TikToks. And due to the addictive nature of nicotine, I wouldn’t be surprised if smoking areas are renamed in favour of their sweeter counterparts.
If you are concerned about your vaping habits, it’s always recommended to book an appointment with your GP to discuss diagnosis and treatment. You can find your local GP here.