Have you bought into the myth that e-cigs are less damaging the cigarettes? New research shows that e-cigarettes are on par with cigarettes for oral health.
Are you a smoker? Perhaps you were, and you managed to kick that habit by moving over to e-cigarettes. They were, after all, the healthy alternative to smoking.
Right?
Would it surprise you to learn that there are just as many oral health risks behind e-cigarettes as there are the regular kind?
Sure, they may not stain your teeth that classy leather colour, but let's take a look at how e-cigarettes are still on par with the regular ones when it comes to your oral health.
E-Cigs Healthy Alternative or On Par With Tobacco?
While e-cigarettes may not have tobacco in them, they do stil contain nicotine. Nicotine alone has been shown to be a contributing factor to gum disease in many smokers.
While nicotine levels in e-cigarettes might not be on par with those of tobacco cigarettes, the mere presence is enough to debunk the myth that there is nothing unhealthy about vaping.
Would You Smoke Antifreeze?
While this is recognized as being 'generally recognized as safe", studies have shown that when the vapours from your e-cigarette burn, they promote the body to produce inflammatory proteins, which aggravate the cells in your gums and can promote a number of different oral complaints.
The liquid contained within the cigarettes - e-liquid - is also not exactly made from natural materials. Usually this is approx 90% propylene glycol or another glycerine variant. This is more commonly known as antifreeze.
If you wouldn't drink it, why would you vape it?
Chemical burns are no Joke
With the rise in e-cigarette sales, dentists and oral specialists have also seen a rise in the number of chemical burns and Stomatosis in the mouths out of their patients, particular around the tongue and gums.
When you use e-cigs to vape, you are taking the chemical vapour into your mother at its hottest. If you do this too often, these chemicals can burn your mouth, leaving you blistered and in pain.
Inhaling E-cig Vapor can Damage your Lungs
Vaping is all about the exhalation. It has become somewhat of an internet art form. But what about when you inhale the vapour? The chemicals in the fluid can irritate the bronchioles, leaving you with a nasty cough that can be hard to shake. As long as you don't step away from the vape.
Studies from the British Lung Association have suggested that server damage can be caused from just thirty minutes of vaping.
Stop Smoking but Not at the Expense of You Oral Health
While the concept behind e-cigarettes are good, and the removal of tobacco-based carcinogens is to be applauded, there is more to the e-cig story that is not being told.
Stop smoking, just don't use e-cigs, as the possible oral damage is on par with that of cigarettes, and that risk just isn't worth it.
There are plenty of alternative options available to you. Ones that will not result in you unintentionally damaging your mouth in the process.
If you are using an e-cigarette, or have experienced any oral hygiene problems, we can help you. All you need to do is take the first step.