E Cigarettes; Long Term Dental Issues?

24 / 05 / 2023

E Cigarettes; Long Term Dental Issues?

New legislation has just been passed regarding e liquids and e- Cigarettes with the aim to make them safer for those using the products. These items are now registered with the Medicines and Healthcare agency.

There are now an estimated 2.9 million Brits using e-cigarettes regularly. Whilst “vaping” (as it is called) is almost certainly better than smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products, there is no information as to what vaping is doing to oral health.

Quitting smoking is of course beneficial to patients, and we are all aware of the oral health problems caused by smoking;
Mouth Cancer
Gum Disease
Tooth Loss
Bad Breath

However E -Cigarettes do contain nicotine and this is incredibly addictive. Overall, that in itself it is a very unhealthy situation & the combustion creates a lot of the carcinogens that are present in cigarette smoke.

E -Cigarettes still expose the user to a large dose of nicotine which is recognised as a significant risk factor for the development and progression of periodontal (gum) disease. Periodontal disease has also been proven to be closely linked to other serious health issues including heart disease, diabetes, strokes and dementia.

So the jury is still out. E-cigarettes can help people to quit smoking but we do not know the full long term impact and therefore recommend our patients only use them for a short period of time.

At every Dental Health Assessment at Absolute, your dentist will carry out a mouth cancer check, and if they have any concerns, they will highlight this to you and refer you to a colleague who can assess you further. We look at the whole mouth, not just your teeth and gums.