Illness Preparation: Vaping adversely affects oral health-Lifestyle-Jackson Newspaper-Ripley, West Virginia

Warnings on vaping (e-vapors) tend to focus on potential dangers to the heart and lungs.

But more and more research shows that the chemicals in e-cigarettes begin to do damage as soon as they enter the body: your mouth.

Electronic cigarettes are a recent phenomenon, so Dr. Crystal Stinson, assistant professor at the Texas A & M School of Dentistry in Dallas, said: “Studies on its effects are really new. But now there is solid evidence of an association between electronic cigarettes and poor oral hygiene.”

Nicotine, whether smoked or steamed, limits blood flow to the gingiva and can cause periodontal disease. E-cigarette liquids contain propylene glycol, benzene, formaldehyde and other chemicals, which only increase risk.

A study published earlier this year in iScience showed that 43% of people using e-cigarettes had periodontal disease and oral infections. The numbers were higher among smokers-73%-only 28% among those who smoked or never smoked.

“The oral cavity is a really elastic tissue that heals faster than the rest of the body,” Stinson said. “But if you repeatedly traumatize it, you will have irreversible problems.”

These problems range from inflammation and dental caries to loss of bone that holds the teeth in the jaw, called periodontitis, and oral cancer, she added.

Another study, published in May at Science Advances, found that the oral microbiome (a vast collection of friendly oral bacteria, viruses, and other microbes) in e-cigarette users without periodontal disease It was concluded that it closely resembles the microbiome of people with periodontitis.

“It’s absolutely horrible,” said Dr. Purnima Mar, professor of dentistry at Ohio State University and lead author of the study. “E-cigarettes stress the live bacterial communities in your mouth and they get wrapped in mucus. So they are no longer good bacteria and the inflammatory response passes through the roof. Is walking around thinking he is healthy, but is only ready for the disease.”

Oral health is an important element of general health. Two preliminary studies, presented at the International Stroke Conference of the American Stroke Association in February, linked gingival disease to severe stroke and severe arterial occlusion due to hardening of the aorta in the brain. A 2018 study in the Hypertension, a journal of the American Heart Association, found that gingival disorders seemed to exacerbate hypertension and interfere with drug therapy to treat hypertension.

Last December, the American Dental Association issued a statement promoting the quitting of electronic cigarettes that have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and further strengthened research into the effects of vaping on oral health.

“We just scratched the surface,” Kumar said. “We know it’s harmful. What chemicals in the arc actually cause this, why it causes it, how long it takes to start, and how long it takes to recover from the end You need to consider how long it will take.”

According to Stinson, not enough time has passed since vaping became widely used to assess long-term risks. “Unfortunately, everyone is experimenting so far.”

But Stinson doesn’t have to wait for more research to be convinced of the dangers of vaping. A glance at the vapor’s mouth usually tells the story.

“Periodontal disease is usually an adult disease and we see it in young people,” she said. “If you have more complaints of dry mouth, periodontal disease, or mouth ulcers, because young people usually have more saliva than they need to, the next question is: Are you vomiting?” All these symptoms , Related to electronic cigarette components. “

She also notices more caries in young vape patients, which she believes may be due to the acidity of the components of her vape liquid and the increase in bacteria that cause caries. ..

Stinson attributed the high rate of nicotine dependence to a sweet flavor that helped attract adolescents to e-cigarettes. In February, the FDA banned many flavored e-cigarettes in hopes of reducing the increase in vaping among adolescents, but medical professionals said that many are already crazy about nicotine. I’m afraid

“Reducing the taste gradually would help, but we still have a population that is struggling to let go of the habit,” she said.

Both Stinson and Kumar are involved in education and smoking cessation programs aimed at helping young people to persuade young people not to start derailing and to help stop them.

First lesson: Don’t be fooled into thinking that what looks like steam is a safe alternative to cigarette smoke.

“I hear steam, I think it’s a steam facial or tea kettle,” Kumar said. “It’s not steam. It’s something you use to kill aerosols like hairspray, or kill ants and cockroaches. When I teach a young child, I take a small can of hairspray and spray it on my mouth.” I want you to.”
“They say,’Yes, no. So I say,’Why do you breathe then?”