Scientists reveal how e-cigarettes damage teeth

In 2021, specialists from 2GIS and Yandex.Business" calculated that in two years the number of outlets selling electronic cigarettes has doubled. Today there are probably more of them - fashionable "vapes" can be seen in the hands of many passers-by. At the same time, no one knows exactly how inhaling aromatic vapor with nicotine affects people's health. A few years ago, there was an outbreak of EVALI in the United States, which was accompanied by cough, chest pain, difficulty breathing and other severe symptoms. One of the patients even had to transplant a lung - the disease of vapers was so terrible. In the case of EVALI, the cause of the disease was the use of liquids with banned substances. It would seem that the root of the problems was found, but you should not relax. Recently, scientists have found signs that vaping is damaging teeth, and their treatment can be very expensive.

Scientists have named another harmful property of electronic cigarettes

Electronic cigarettes - a new cause of tooth decay

According to the head of scientific work KarinaIrus (Karina Irusa), every year there is more research on the effect of electronic cigarettes on human health. For example, scientists already know why vape liquids are dangerous - they can harm both the respiratory system and the immune system. Also, experts believe that people with addiction to vapes may develop gum disease more often, as well as damage the enamel - the outer shell of the teeth. With all this, the relationship between vaping and caries has not yet been studied. Karina Irusa and her colleagues decided to fill this gap.

Is vape smoke bad for your teeth?

In the course of research, researchers have studiedquestionnaires of more than 13,000 people over 16 who treated their teeth in one of the dental clinics from 2019 to 2022. The vast majority of people have not been addicted to e-cigarettes. However, those who had such a bad habit were assigned to a group with a 79% chance of developing caries. People in the control group had a 60% risk of tooth decay, which is noticeably lower.

It is important to understand that this is preliminary data. This is not a 100% conclusion, but people should know what kind of relationship we have found,” said Karina Irusa.

To be sure that it is vapesprovoke the development of caries, scientists need to do more research. In particular, they need to study people's saliva after smoking e-cigarettes. It is quite possible that some components of vape liquids create ideal conditions in the oral cavity for the reproduction of bacteria. But it is they, as we said earlier, that lead to tooth decay - during the life of microbes, the sugars contained in food turn into acids. And the acid, in turn, destroys the enamel.

See also: How much money do smokers spend on cigarettes?

How vaping damages teeth

The reason why vaping damages your teeth may bebe the sugar content of liquids and their viscosity. In a 2018 study, another group of scientists compared "vape liquids" to gummies and sodas. When ingested, substances contained in e-liquids can adhere to the surface of the teeth. Vaping has been shown to alter the oral microbiome, making it more habitable for carious bacteria.

Moreover, there is evidence that vaping provokes the development of tooth decay in places where it usually does not occur - for example, on the lower edges of the front teeth.

Vape vapor makes your mouth the best place for bacteria to live

The authors of the scientific work called on dentistsbe more interested in whether their patients have a habit of smoking electronic cigarettes. And this question should be asked not only by adults - according to statistics, 7.6% of middle and high school students in the United States know firsthand about vaping.

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New requirements for oral hygiene

People who use electroniccigarettes, the researchers advised more careful oral hygiene. In addition to brushing your teeth twice a day, you can use rinses. They are advised to visit the dentist more than twice a year - it is possible that due to vaping, some people will suddenly develop caries. The sooner you start treating him, the less money it will take.

Vape lovers are advised to carefully monitor oral hygiene

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It is better, of course, to quit smoking altogether.Sometimes people buy vapes just to give up regular cigarettes. But the harsh reality is that after this, people cannot get rid of addiction to vapes. We talked about how many people change one evil for another in this material.