{"id":8148,"date":"2022-12-28T11:04:25","date_gmt":"2022-12-28T03:04:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/?p=8148"},"modified":"2022-12-28T11:04:26","modified_gmt":"2022-12-28T03:04:26","slug":"using-vapes-may-set-stage-for-dental-decay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/using-vapes-may-set-stage-for-dental-decay\/","title":{"rendered":"Using vapes may set stage for dental decay"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A vaping habit could end up leading to a tarnished smile, and more frequent visits to the dentist.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research by faculty from\u00a0Tufts University School of Dental Medicine\u00a0found patients who said they used vaping devices were more likely to have a higher risk of developing cavities. With CDC surveys reporting that 9.1 million American adults\u2014and 2 million teenagers\u2014use tobacco-based vaping products, that means a lot of vulnerable teeth. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The findings of this study on the association between vaping and risk of caries\u2014the dental term for cavities\u2014serve as an alert that this once seemingly harmless habit may be very detrimental, says\u00a0Karina Irusa, assistant professor of comprehensive care and lead author on the paper. The study was\u00a0published\u00a0in\u00a0The Journal of the American Dental Association<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the last few years, public awareness has increased about the dangers of vaping to systemic health\u2014particularly after the use of vaping devices was tied to lung disease. Some dental research has shown ties between e-cigarette use and increased markers for gum disease, and, separately, damage to the tooth\u2019s enamel, its outer shell. But relatively little emphasis has been placed on the intersection between e-cigarette use and oral health, even by dentists, says Irusa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Irusa says that the recent Tufts finding may be just a hint of the damage vaping causes to the mouth. \u201cThe extent of the effects on dental health, specifically on dental decay, are still relatively unknown,\u201d she says. \u201cAt this point, I\u2019m just trying to raise awareness,\u201d among both dentists and patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This study, Irusa says, is the first known specifically to investigate the association of vaping and e-cigarettes with the increased risk for getting cavities. She and her colleagues analyzed data from more than 13,000 patients older than 16 who were treated at Tufts dental clinics from 2019-2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the vast majority of the patients said they did not use vapes, there was a statistically significant difference in dental caries risk levels between the e-cigarette\/vaping group and the control group, Irusa found. Some 79% of the vaping patients were categorized as having high-caries risk, compared to just about 60% of the control group. The vaping patients were not asked whether they used devices that contained nicotine or THC, although nicotine is more common.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to understand this is preliminary data,\u201d Irusa says. \u201cThis is not 100% conclusive, but people do need to be aware of what we\u2019re seeing.\u201d Further studies need to be done, and Irusa wants to take a closer look at how vaping affects the microbiology of saliva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One reason why e-cigarette use could contribute to a high risk of cavities is the sugary content and viscosity of vaping liquid, which, when aerosolized and then inhaled through the mouth, sticks to the teeth.  (A 2018 study published in the journal PLOS One<\/em> likened the properties of sweet-flavored e-cigarettes to gummy candies and acidic drinks.) Vaping aerosols have been shown to change the oral microbiome making it more hospitable to decay-causing bacteria. It\u2019s also been observed that vaping seems to encourage decay in areas where it usually doesn\u2019t occur\u2014such as the bottom edges of front teeth. \u201cIt takes an esthetic toll,\u201d Irusa says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Tufts researchers recommend that dentists should routinely ask about e-cigarette use as part of a patient\u2019s medical history. That includes pediatric dentists who see adolescents\u2014according to the FDA\/CDC, 7.6% of middle- and high-school students said they used e-cigarettes in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researchers also suggest patients who use e-cigarettes should be considered for a \u201cmore rigorous caries management protocol,\u201d which could include prescription-strength fluoride toothpaste and fluoride rinse, in-office fluoride applications, and checkups more often than twice a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt takes a lot of investment of time and money to manage dental caries, depending on how bad it gets,\u201d Irusa says. \u201cOnce you\u2019ve started the habit, even if you get fillings, as long as you continue, you\u2019re still at risk of secondary caries. It\u2019s a vicious cycle that will not stop.\u201d
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Some 79% of the vaping patients were categorized as having high-caries risk, compared to just about 60% of the control group. The vaping patients were not asked whether they used devices that contained nicotine or THC, although nicotine is more common.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8149,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1662,854,40,786,898],"class_list":["post-8148","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsmakers","tag-anti-smoking","tag-quit-smoking","tag-smoking","tag-smoking-ban","tag-vaping"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8148","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8148"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8148\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8150,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8148\/revisions\/8150"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}