Smoking electronic cigarettes can be harmful to dental health: Dentist

Smoking electronic cigarettes, or vaping, can cause a decline in oral and dental health, a dental health practitioner, Drg Amalia Rahmaniar Indrati, cautioned.

“Nowadays, e-cigarettes, or vaping, has become a lifestyle, but bear in mind that vaping can have an impact on health,” Indrati said here on Tuesday.

Indrati, a dental health practitioner at the Banjarnegara Islamic Hospital, said some research indicated that smoking electronic cigarettes had negative impacts on lung, dental, and oral health.

According to the dentist, oral disorders caused by smoking e-cigarettes, or vaping, may include gum infections, dry mouth, cavities, and yellow teeth.

“Nicotine in electronic cigarettes can result in side effects characterized by stains on teeth or (known as) discoloration,” she stated.

Teeth discoloration can be caused by the liquid contained in electronic cigarettes whose remnants are found on the teeth due to nicotine oxidation, she further explained.

Indrati noted that vaping can also trigger gum inflammation with symptoms, such as swelling, pain, and bleeding in gums.

Apart from triggering inflammation, the heat in the mouth caused by smoking electronic cigarettes can spawn dry mouth, resulting in the growth of harmful bacteria.

“However, it should be borne in mind that the habit of smoking both conventional and electric cigarettes have deteriorating risks on oral and dental health. Hence, it is better to stop smoking,” Indrati affirmed.

The dentist advised those regularly smoking electronic cigarettes to reduce their dependence on them and trying quitting.

Furthermore, Indrati advised that during the process of lowering dependence on electric cigarettes, people should always maintain dental and oral hygiene, drink more water, and check their oral and dental health by visiting the dentist.

 

Source: Antara News