So, is vaping bad for your teeth? There are still many questions left unanswered about the effects of this popular alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes—does vaping stain your teeth, or can it cause tooth loss? Despite the limited research, emerging studies suggest vaping can have a number of detrimental oral health effects.
The impact of vaping on teeth and gums—does vaping damage teeth?
Some of the biggest questions amongst vapers include: is vaping bad for your teeth and does vaping stain your teeth? Despite the limited number of studies on these subjects, the concerns the current research raises are hard to ignore. From them, we can determine that vaping is associated with a range of oral health issues. Let’s have a look at some of these effects a little more closely.
Dry mouth
Some e-cigarette base liquids, including propylene glycol, can cause mouth dryness. Nicotine can also dry up saliva—which is not only uncomfortable, but also very bad for your oral health as saliva helps protect against tooth decay and acid erosion. This mouth dryness, in turn, is associated with bad breath, mouth sores, plaque build-up and tooth decay.
Bad breath
As mentioned above, the reduction in saliva and dry mouth caused by vaping can, in turn, result in halitosis—or chronic bad breath. Bad breath is considered chronic when it doesn’t respond to mouthwash or breath fresheners.
Bruxism
Bruxism is the involuntary grinding, clenching or gnashing of the teeth, usually occurring at nighttime but can also occur during the day. Inhaled nicotine can act as a muscle stimulant, causing you to grind your teeth and potentially cause major tooth damage over time.
Excess bacteria in the mouth
Vaping is believed to deposit excess bacteria in the mouth, leading to a whole host of dental health issues. There is believed to be more bacteria in the pits and crevices of teeth in people that vape than those that don’t. Excess bacteria in the mouth is associated with gum disease, tooth decay, cavities, tonsil issues and even oral cancer.
Receding gums and inflammation
Nicotine restricts blood vessels which in turn reduces blood flow to your teeth and gums—limiting the oxygen and nutrients supply that your teeth and gums need to stay healthy. This can lead to the death of gum tissue, causing receding gums. This major oral health issue can go on to cause increased tooth sensitivity, cavities and even tooth loss.
Studies suggest that vaping may trigger an inflammatory response in the gums, causing tenderness, redness and swelling. This combined with dry mouth and excess bacteria in the mouth is a recipe for gum disease.
It is important to stay on top of regular check-ups at the dentist to stay informed about your oral health. If you are experiencing pain or believe you may be suffering from one of these oral health issues, seek professional dental care.
How Advanced Dental Artistry can help
At Advanced Dental Artistry, we provide professional cosmetic dentistry solutions designed to enhance oral health. If you’re experiencing any of these oral health concerns related to vaping—or simply wondering does vaping stain veneers?—we are here to give you our professional advice on which dental service is appropriate for your condition.
Porcelain veneers
Advanced Dental Artistry’s porcelain veneers are a fantastic stain-resistant solution to the discolouration, chips, or cracks that can be caused by long-term vaping. Giving your smile a uniform look, these high-quality veneers are designed to strengthen and restore function to your natural teeth.
Whether you’re suffering with teeth cracks due to bruxism or yellowing teeth from vaping, our high quality hand-crafted porcelain veneers help to restore your natural teeth, giving your smile a natural look and feel look for years to come.
You may now be wondering: does vaping stain veneers or can you vape with veneers at all? The simple answer that any dentist will give you is that you shouldn’t. Our porcelain veneers are stain-resistant and are even better than natural teeth at repelling stains, however they are still stainable. Also, vaping is associated with other oral health problems that veneers do not protect against, including gum disease. We recommend you to stop vaping or smoking prior to getting your cosmetic dental treatment, so you can experience the best results.
To read more: Do Porcelain Veneers Stain?
All-on-4
Offering a permanent solution to missing, cracked or loose teeth, our revolutionary all-on-4 dental implants are the best alternative to dentures. All-on-4 is considered the most effective means of giving you full dental functionality.
If you’ve got missing or terminal teeth because of the negative oral health issues associated with vaping, All-on-4 can restore your both the appearance of your smile and improve your dental functionality.
Full mouth reconstruction
Full mouth reconstruction uses a combination of dental implants and porcelain veneers to craft you an impressively restored smile. This highly tailored process is ideal for individuals that have existing teeth who do not require full teeth replacement.
If you are experiencing discolouration, chips and missing teeth due to vaping, the innovative full mouth reconstruction service at Advanced Dental Artistry can help restore your natural teeth and seamlessly tie your whole smile together.
Ready to love your smile?
At Advanced Dental Artistry, we believe no one should have to live with life-impacting oral health issues. Our Perth cosmetic dentist team understands how important a healthy smile is. Reach out to our friendly team today to find out how we can help restore your smile.