The Smile Daily

VAPING IS AS HARMFUL AS SMOKINGWhile e-cigarettes (electronic cigarettes) are marketed as a safer alternative to regular cigarettes, the chemicals in e-cigarette vapors have been found to be just as damaging (sometimes more damaging) as tobacco to gums. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 16% of high school students reported using the devices in 2015, up from only 1.5%  in 2011. While e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco, they do include nicotine and other chemicals such as flavoring agents. These battery-operated devices house a heating element that vaporizes the liquid in the cartridge, producing a vapor that is inhaled. “Vaping” was found to kill cells in the gums and mouth after just a few days, with menthol-flavored vapor posing the most harm.

Since smoking either tobacco products or e-cigarettes destroys the defensive barrier in the mouth that staves off infection and inflammation, gum disease and oral cancer are more likely to develop.

Nicotine reduces the amount of blood that can flow through your veins. Without sufficient blood flow, the gums do not get the oxygen and nutrients they need to stay healthy. Nicotine chokes tissues in the mouth from the blood it needs to survive, causing death of the gum tissues. We do our best to ensure our patients can get the gum disease care they need in one convenient location. To schedule a consultation, please call your Williamsburg dentist, NORGE DENTAL CENTER at 757-564-0804 or click here.