E-cigarettes and Oral Health

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States. Concomitantly, many studies show that there is an increase in the risk of death from all cancers for anyone who smokes.

Aside from these obvious statistics, cigarette smoking can cause significant changes in your oral health. The most frequent side effect from smoking is stained yellow-brown teeth. Lesser known effects are bad breath, dry mouth, gum disease, tooth loss and increased incidence of oral cancer.

Looking for a substitute, one may immediately go to e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco. Instead they contain nicotine in a chemical solution that is heated and vaporized so that you can inhale it.

The good news is that it won’t stain your teeth yellow-brown, but that may be the only advantage.

Studies show that e-cigarettes are just as harmful as conventional cigarettes and perhaps even more detrimental. This is because they contain solvents and flavorings that are highly carcinogenic.

Even though these e-cigarettes contain no nicotine, the substitute chemical flavorings added, exacerbate the damage that was previously caused by nicotine. Menthol flavored vapor is considered the most toxic.

While some e-cigarette manufacturers advertise that these e-cigarettes can help you quit regular cigarettes, this has not been proven.

Replacing one toxic habit with another toxic habit is not a solution. The best way to avoid smoking is to never start. Electronic cigarettes are not the solution if you want to quit smoking. There are other choices. It is paramount to speak to your health care professional for further advice.