How Unhealthy is Vaping for Your Oral Health?

Mar 1 • 2 minute read

Young male in a red hoodie vaping and blowing out a cloud of vape smoke.

We’re big when it comes to promoting tobacco cessation. Yesterday was the best day to quit using tobacco. The second-best day to quit is today. Consider making your plan to quit smoking this year!

Many people have quit tobacco in favor of vaping, and while early research does appear to support it as a less unhealthy habit in some ways, vaping still carries significant oral health risks. In this post, we’ll describe some of the oral health reasons that should make you strongly consider quitting your vaping habit.

Flavored Vape Liquid Can Be Especially Harmful to Teeth

Many vapes with sweet flavors (that often attract younger consumers) use a type of vegetable glycerin as an ingredient. When this ingredient gets vaporized, it creates a film that coats teeth. Some research suggests this film can drastically accelerate the growth of decay-causing bacteria, leading to cavities and other issues with gum health.

Vaping Can Soften Tooth Enamel

According to the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation, propylene glycol, one of the most common ingredients in vape liquid, turns into an acid in your mouth when you vape it. It breaks down soft gum tissue and can soften tooth enamel significantly.

Vape Products with Nicotine Increase the Risk of Serious Gum Disease

One of the most prominent health risks for smokers is gum disease. A leading cause of gum disease among smokers is the effect nicotine has when it enters your body. Nicotine constricts blood vessels, which reduces the blood flow to gums and other structural components in your mouth. This makes your mouth less resilient and less resistant to infections too.

Vaping Is Popular Among Teens

For many decades, dentists worried about kids picking up a smoking habit right around the time they entered high school. That’s when they’re most likely to try tobacco, and it’s when they’re most likely to adopt it as a lifelong habit. For the most part, it’s pretty easy for dentists to tell when one of their younger patients has started smoking.

Today, a lot less teens use tobacco than in the past, but vaping is the new scourge. Recent surveys indicate nearly 40% of high school seniors have vaped within the past year. The popularity of vaping among teens is another factor that makes it such a threat to oral health.