We’ve long understood the negative correlation between smoking and oral health, but did you know that vaping can cause similar, irreversible damage? Often seen as a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes, the damage caused by vaping can have significant impacts on your oral health.
How Does Vaping Impact Your Oral Health?
While vapor products may lack tobacco, they still contain high levels of nicotine and other chemicals that can cause severe damage to the gum tissue and teeth. Some of the primary consequences of vaping include:
- Gum Disease and Inflammation: The chemicals in e-cigarette vapor can irritate gum tissue, leading to inflammation, redness, and swelling. Over time, this can cause or exacerbate gum disease (periodontal disease), characterized by receding gums, chronic bad breath, and even tooth loss if left untreated.
- Dry Mouth: Many vape e-liquids contain propylene glycol, which can cause dry mouth. Saliva is essential for washing away food particles and neutralizing acids produced by bacteria in the mouth, which protects against decay and gum disease. A dry mouth, or a reduction in saliva, can increase the risk of cavities and gum disease.
- Tooth Decay: The sweet flavors added to e-cigarettes can contribute to tooth decay. Although they don’t contain sugar, the flavoring agents can still promote the growth of bacteria that produce acids that eat away at the tooth enamel. Combined with the dry mouth effect, this significantly increases the risk of cavities.
Can You Still Achieve Successful Orthodontic Treatment While Vaping?
While it’s possible to achieve successful orthodontic outcomes after vaping, the chemicals in e-cigarettes pose a considerable threat to the structures in your mouth. While e-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco like traditional cigarettes, they still reduce blood flow and can lead to the death of gum tissues and gum recession. It also may cause gum inflammation and swelling, tooth sensitivity, increased risk of cavities and, in some cases, loss of teeth.
The health of teeth and gums is the key factor in determining a good candidate for orthodontic treatment. A periodontal (gum) check-up with a periodontist or general dentist is imperative to ensure your mouth is a good candidate before beginning treatment. If there is existing gum or tooth damage, your dentist or periodontist should treat it before beginning active orthodontic treatment.
Additionally, the acceleration of gum damage caused by vaping reduces the ability of teeth and gums to respond to orthodontic treatment. There is also an added tendency for teeth to relapse into previous positions post-treatment due to an increased risk of gum disease ‘and the weakening of the support systems that help to hold teeth in place’ Because of these risk factors, your orthodontist will likely recommend reducing or stopping vaping during and after treatment for better results and improved oral health.
Vaping and Orthodontics: The Takeaway
E-cigarettes, while lacking the tobacco that is known to cause oral cancer, can still significantly damage your gums and teeth. Luckily, the harm vaping may cause is entirely preventable. If you’re considering orthodontic treatment, you’re considering investing a lot of time and effort in creating a healthy smile. Don’t risk damaging it. AAO recommends staying away from harmful e-cigarettes, both for successful orthodontic treatment and your overall oral health.
If you use e-cigarettes and are exploring your options for orthodontic treatment, we also recommend visiting a general dentist or periodontist before your consultation. They can examine your teeth and gums, identify potential oral health issues, and treat them before receiving orthodontic care.
Trust an AAO Orthodontist for a Beautiful, Healthy Smile
The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) is exclusively open to orthodontists who complete the necessary dental school and additional orthodontic residency programs. You can work with an AAO Orthodontist to achieve a healthy, beautiful smile at any age. Orthodontists are experts in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics – properly aligned teeth and jaws – and possess the skills and experience to give you your best smile. When ready to achieve a healthy, beautiful smile, find an AAO orthodontist near you.
