Vaping Can Cause Gum Disease, Bad Breath, And Stain Teeth
There’s nothing cool about kissing someone with smelly breath and a bad smile, so don’t vape. That’s the message from oral health specialist Dr Sven Bohnstedt, who urges young people to think about the lifelong impacts of vaping on their appearance – as well as on their health. Dr Bohnstedt, a senior lecturer in dentistry at the University of Queensland, said when propylene glycol and vegetable glycerines were heated and consumed through a vape, they formed on a person’s teeth, causing staining and a reduced saliva flow. “Saliva is the one protective mechanism that the teeth have,” he said. “A reduced saliva flow can lead to changes in the bacteria and the enamel becoming more susceptible to decay.”
Sweet drinks compound vape effects
The effects are compounded if vapers consume sweetened drinks, such as flavoured milks, energy drinks or soft drinks. Dr Bohnstedt said dry mouth was also a common side effect of vaping, which could cause bad breath. “We all love to have a nice smile, and especially for young adults,” he said. “I think it’s clear that the vaping companies have recognised that young people are their … targeted audience because if you look at most of the vapes, they have things like: ‘We rock,’ and things like that on them, which encourage young people to see them as cool. “But when you’ve got an unhealthy smile, or you’ve got decay, or you’ve got bad halitosis … there’s nothing cool about kissing someone with smelly breath and a bad smile so please, just consider your future.”
Vaping a public health threat
Health experts are worried about the effects of vapes – with or without nicotine. Chief Health Officer John Gerrard warned about the emergence of vaping as a public health threat in his first Health of Queenslanders’ report released earlier this year.