Vaping HAS SAME EffecTS On Teeth As Cigarette Smoking

Health (8/27, O'Neill) discusses the effects vaping may have on the teeth, featuring information from American Dental Association spokesperson Dr. Matthew Messina. Vaping adds “heat in the mouth,” Dr. Messina says, which “changes the bacterial presence in the mouth. It dries the mouth out.” Dr. Messina adds, “[The] rate of tooth decay increases, sometimes dramatically, if we dry the mouth out.” In addition, vaping can lead to tooth discoloration because of the presence of nicotine, inflamed gum tissue, and bone loss, he says. “It’s important to stress the fact that while vaping is new and is being actively studied, we have to consider vaping and cigarette smoking relatively the same, as far as the effects on the teeth and gum tissues,” says Dr. Messina.

Last week, the New York Times (8/23, Richtel, Kaplan) reported that public health officials announced the first vaping-related death. In a media statement, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the “death in Illinois reinforces the serious risks associated with e-cigarette products.”