02 Feb Three Reasons Why Vaping Is Bad for Your Teeth
Did you know that vaping is just as bad for your teeth as smoking cigarettes? Just like smoking, vaping can stain your teeth, cause dry mouth, and trigger gum disease. Plus, vape juice contains several ingredients that are harmful to your dental health. Here’s how vaping affects your teeth and gums, and why you should make “quit vaping” one of your New Year’s resolutions.
1: Nicotine Causes Stains
Have your teeth started turning yellow? Nicotine is notorious for staining teeth, no matter what form it’s in. Vaping won’t stain your teeth as quickly as smoking cigarettes, but it will still turn them yellow. It can even stain dental restorations like fillings and crowns. If you want white teeth and a bright smile, or if you recently had a whitening treatment, it’s time to quit vaping.
2: Aldehyde Causes Inflammation
The aldehyde that gives e-cigs their flavors also triggers an inflammatory response in your gum tissue every time you vape. The more often you vape, the worse the inflammation becomes. But since nicotine inhibits blood flow, vaping makes it difficult for your inflamed gums to heal. This results in a state of constant inflammation that leaves your gums vulnerable to infections. In fact, vaping is one of the main risk factors for gum disease in teens and young adults.
3: Propylene Glycol Causes Dry Mouth
Nicotine dries out your mouth and stains your teeth, but it’s not the only culprit here. Vape juice also contains propylene glycol, a humectant that sucks up moisture and causes a chronically dry mouth. Because it’s so much easier for plaque to build up in a dry mouth, vaping increases your risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth loss. So if you want to keep your smile intact, it’s time to give up vaping.
Did You Resolve to Quit Vaping in 2024?
Nicotine is a difficult habit to break, but it’s never too late to quit. The sooner you do, the better. Vaping is just as dangerous for your dental health as smoking. Besides causing gum disease, dry mouth, and stains, it has even been linked to oral cancer.
If you’re trying to quit smoking or vaping, we’re here to support you! We will develop a personal care plan to protect your teeth and gums. We can help you repair the damage with whitening treatments, gum disease treatments, and more. Make an appointment for a cleaning and consultation today, so you can smile brighter in 2024.
Photo by Elsa Donald on Unsplash used with permission under the Creative Commons license for commercial use 1/30/2024.