E-Cigarettes are Proven to be as Harmful to Oral Health as Regular Cigarettes.

To many of us addicted to smoking, the e-cigarette was supposed to be the healthy alternative to the packs of rolled paper and tobacco. It was high-tech, with a sleek design. They didn’t contain those harmful additives that eventually killed you. You could smoke them anywhere and they made you the most interesting person at the party.

It was how the smokers of the 21^st century were supposed to look. They were the in-crowd, the movers and shakers, the ones who thought outside the box. E-cigarettes were clearly superior. They contained a battery, a heater, a liquid cartridge to hold the nicotine and various flavorings. The battery was used to power the heat cells which converted the liquid into vapor.

Suddenly, a pack of regular cigarettes seemed sad, pathetic and out of touch.         Seriously, don’t you know how bad those things are for your health?

Yes, the vapor people were the hit of the party.

Notice I said WERE.

You see just when everyone is having a good time, being hip and cool, who drops by but that perennial party-pooper, Science.

Yes, Science has found solid evidence that the flavorings used to replace those harmful additives in regular cigarettes do just as much damage to your teeth and gums as a good old pack of Marlboro.

Science has now proved that the chemicals from an e-cigarette, when heated into vapor, causes the oral cells to release inflammatory proteins, and inflammation is the most common cause of disease because they inhibit the formation of healthy cells needed to replace the damaged ones.

When creating the e-cigarette, what was overlooked was that nicotine, in any form, when ingested through the mouth, causes damage and contributes to gum disease. That was true with the standard cigarette as well as the new e-cigarettes.

And like their predecessors, the e-cigarette manufacturers do not disclose the chemicals of the “flavorings,” or what the liquid cartridges are made from.  Many plastics, when heated give off noxious fumes.

We here at Oral Breeze always try to remind our readers that a healthy mouth is your first line of defense against disease. The healthier your teeth and gums the less likely harmful bacteria can overcome your mouth’s natural defenses and enter your bloodstream. And one of the best ways to maintain a healthy mouth is to use an oral irrigator after every brushing.