Vaping has become increasingly popular in social media, where it is advertised daily. Many celebrities promoted brands and were shown to vape in their music videos, Instagram and Tik Tok posts. These lead to many young adults being interested in vaping and using vape pens. According to a 2013–2014 survey, 81% of young e-cigarette users said that they vaped mostly because of many tasty flavours.

The most common device used to vape is a vape pen, or more commonly known as an e-cigarette. It is not a regular cigarette with paper and tobacco, nor is it a cigar with fillers and wrapping leaves. Then what are they?

What are vape pens?

They are battery-powered devices that heat up the liquid to form gas or vapour that a person could inhale. They could either have various nicotine levels (from 0% up to 5%) or cannabis. They also come in different flavours, such as tobacco, candy and various fruits.

They can also be made to look like real cigarettes, pipes or cigars! Some examples of nicotine vapes are e-cigarettes, pod vapes, and box mods. Some examples of cannabis vapes are CBD vape pen, THC oil pen, and portable dry herb vaporizers.

What is liquid in vape pens made up of?

Propylene glycol, glycerin, flavourings, water, and nicotine/THC oil.

What are popular features?

• No smoke, no ashes
• User-friendly → only need to change the liquid and charge it, like you would a phone or tablet
• Portable
• Variation in sizes and colours
• Low cost
• Can use indoors

Why do people vape?

• Recreational enjoyment
• Looks cool, smells and tastes good
• To quit smoking with regular cigarettes → liquids for vape pens have lower nicotine content than cigarettes do (1 vape cartridge = 2-3 packs of cigarettes)
• Thinking that it is less harmful than cigarettes
• Bypass the regulation of smoke-free areas

How did vape pens come to America?

Trevor Hirsch, also known as Hon Lik, created them as a cleaner and safer way to inhale nicotine, a highly addictive component. His invention soon gained worldwide popularity, wherein 2007, vape pens came to America.

Many cigarette companies acquired this invention and adapted them to fit their own brand. Vape pen sales have increased dramatically in the last few years. Few leading brands were established, with one of the most popular brands being Juul with Vuse coming in a close second.

What are some potential risks?

There also speculated risks to come from vaping, such as the higher risk of cancer, the higher chance of beginning to smoke, and vaping during pregnancy could harm the fetus. There are effects on general oral health too!

How does vaping affect your oral health?

1. Propylene glycol is a colourless, viscous additive in vape pen liquids, where it provides a slightly sweet taste. When the vape liquid is inhaled through the vapour, this compound is broken down into several acids. These acids are harmful to the tooth’s outer layer (enamel) and mouth’s inner tissue. Further down, this leads to dry mouth, which would, in turn, result in cavities/decays, gum disease and other issues.

1. Glycerin and flavourings are colourless, odourless, viscous other additives in vape pen liquids. They provide a strong sweet taste, where they are commonly used as a sweetener. From there, the tooth’s outer layer (enamel) weakens by at least 27%! Together they allow more bacteria that causes cavities to attach to weaker teeth, which could lead to more cavities.

1. Nicotine is the last additive to vape pen liquids. It restricts blood flow in gums inside the mouth, which limits the number of nutrients that the gums would get. It also reduces the function of immune cells, which leads to decreased immune system function and can lead to you getting sick more often. These all lead to much higher chances of having gum disease, which could further result in tooth loss.

1. More recently, lithium batteries in vape pens have overheated and exploded. The burns and facial and oral disfigurement are very serious! The most common reason is usually improper charging, such as using a different USB cord and charging it overnight. Another reason is a mechanical mod, a component of vape pens, which does not have internal safety and can also overheat and explode. There were estimated 2035 e-cigarette explosions and burn injuries between 2015 and 2017 in the US.

Ways to minimize the effects

• Drink water after vaping – this will reduce the dry mouth symptoms
• Limit the nicotine intake – this will reduce the negative effects of nicotine on your teeth and gums
• Brush and floss twice per day – this will remove plaque, which will improve oral health and reduce the possibility of getting cavities
• Visit your dentist regularly – this will ensure that the dentist will notice early conditions and provide the necessary treatment

In conclusion…

Overall effects of vaping on oral health are dry mouth, inflamed gums, a higher chance of gum disease, cavities and potentially burns and facial disfigurement.

Vaping does appear to have smaller oral and overall health risks and larger benefits than cigarettes, cigars or pipes do. These benefits and social media trends allowed vaping to become increasingly popular amongst Americans, especially young adults.

However, the research about vaping is still lagging behind this surge of popularity. More research needs to be done to know the short-term and long-term effects of vaping and the overall safety of vape pens.

Written by Lucent Dental Volunteer Yulia Selvanovskiy