A lot of people who smoke are turning to vaping as a safer alternative. While vaping may be safer in certain ways, it is still not safe for your health. Vaping is very similar to smoking, and the liquid used in vaping still contains nicotine. If you currently use a vape, you should also understand the risks involved in terms of your oral health. Vaping can result in oral health problems, and most of the problems it causes are from the nicotine it contains. Here are several things to understand about the effects nicotine has on your oral health.

Nicotine restricts blood flow

The first effect nicotine has on your body is the restriction of blood flow. When you put nicotine in your body, it will slowly reduce the blood flow in your body, and this will directly affect your mouth. For your gums to be healthy, they need an ample amount of blood flow, as blood flow provides the oxygen your gums need. Due to the way nicotine restricts blood flow, your gums will be affected by the use of a vape. As the blood flow is restricted, your gums will not be able to generate new tissue, and this will eventually lead to the development of gum disease. Gum disease destroys your gums and causes teeth to loosen, and it is not something that is easy to treat or eliminate.

Nicotine reduces the flow of saliva

Secondly, nicotine reduces the flow of saliva in your mouth. While this might not seem like a big deal, it really is, as saliva is essential for keeping your teeth clean. Your saliva is always at work rinsing bacteria and food particles from your teeth, but this can only happen when your mouth produces enough salive. A second problem with a lack of saliva is that you will experience dry mouth syndrome, which can be very uncomfortable. Dry mouth syndrome also leads to bad breath.

Nicotine increases jaw tension

Finally, it's important to understand how nicotine affects the jaw. When you vape, the nicotine in the vape causes stimulation in your jaw muscles. When this happens, it may cause you to grind your teeth more or clench your jaw, and both of these habits are destructive to your teeth and jaw.

While there may be some benefits of switching from cigarettes to a vape, there are still a lot of risks involved with vaping. If you have questions about this or your oral health, contact a dentist or periodontist today.

Share