26 September 2023

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The use of e-cigarettes also threatens oral health

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The habit of smoking cigarettes has been associated with health problems for some time now, especially with regards to the link with diseases related to the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems, but at the same time it also affects other areas of the body such as the oral cavity. In fact, smokers have more gum disease, greater tooth loss and are more exposed to the development of oral cancer.

It is also known that gum disease can also play a negative role on systemic health, for example by exposing one to a higher risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases and inflammatory bowel diseases. In parallel, in recent times a new luxury habit has also developed through the use of electronic cigarettes, whose effects on the body have been underestimated for some time. E-cigarette smoking carries as much of a risk of developing damage to the lungs and heart, but also to other organs as traditional cigarette smoking, and the same also applies to oral health risks.

Research evidence shows a clear connection between e-cigarette use and progression to poor oral health.

While traditional smokers are more aware of the risks that smoking poses to human health in general, e-cigarette smokers are often misled by the fact that the e-cigarette may have a lower risk, if not even be safe for health.

One of the negative factors common to both electronic and traditional cigarettes is nicotine, as it involves a reduction in blood flow to the gums. Other harmful chemical compounds contained in e-cigarettes include formaldehyde, benzene and propylene glycol which could increase oral damage, starting with progressive destruction of the periodontium and tooth-supporting tissue. Unfortunately, the number of e-cigarette smokers is growing rapidly globally, especially among young people and people who had never smoked before, leading them to habits that are dangerous for their health.

The damage caused to the gums and the tissues that support the tooth often degenerates towards a state of irreversibility, this damage includes permanent resorption of the gums and alveolar bone, because treatments for these problems are often difficult and expensive: this is what which supports the president of the scientific affairs committee of the EFP (European Federation of Periodontology) Andreas Stavropoulos (in the photo) and is a probable adverse effect of e-cigarette smoking.

For these reasons, the EFP suggests that smokers of traditional cigarettes not to use the electronic cigarette as a means to achieve total cessation of smoking, but instead it would be more appropriate to make the immediate cessation of smoking a priority for every type of smoker and try to provide to the patient information on the probable harmful impact on the gums and oral health.

E-cigarette smoke can cause damage in various ways, including poor breathing, mouth and throat irritation, tracheal edema, laryngitis, black tongue, tobacco stomatitis, hairy tongue, toothache, tooth discolouration, tooth decay, dentin sensitivity, tooth loss, an increase in tooth decay, a decrease in the hardness of the enamel and an increased risk of oral cancer. It is therefore important to promote the importance of oral and periodontal health at a global level, encouraging healthy lifestyles and discouraging harmful practices such as those linked to smoking. The EFP is committed in this direction, whose guiding vision is "Periodontal health for a better life" and through its professionals organizes events and campaigns on periodontology and oral health, it has also established the gum "day" which occurs every May 12th, as well as organizing projects that also involve other areas of medicine such as the correlations between disease periodontal disease and diabetes, involvement with cardiovascular diseases and issues on pregnancy and periodontal health.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00220345211002116?rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed&url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org