Cutting out the smoke

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  Posted by: Dental Design      4th December 2024

In the UK, 5.6 million adults, or 11% of the population, vape.[i] Those who vape or smoke have doubled in number over the past three years, and the proportion of vapers is now at its highest level, with more than half being former smokers.i This is both damaging to the environment, with two e-cigarettes thrown away every second, and potentially also to oral health.[ii]

As cigarette smoking impacts oral health and is the biggest preventable killer in the UK, it places a strain on the NHS. The new Labour government hopes to tackle this, having expressed interest in an outdoor smoking ban that would most notably impact areas like pubs, clubs and restaurants.[iii] However, vaping remains a divisive topic due to the conflict between recommending it as a smoking cessation tool and stopping younger generations from using vapes.

Waiting for research

Tobacco influences the oral cavity, which is one of the most diverse microbial communities in the human body, housing over 700 bacterial species.[iv] This can lead to dysbiosis and fatal health complications such as oral cancer.iv In contrast, vaping has a greater life expectancy because it doesn’t include the cancer-causing tobacco or toxic chemicals that cigarettes do, though harmful metals may still be found in an e-cigarette.i

Whilst vaping is considered a safer alternative for smokers, it is not risk-free. Because vaping is a more recent phenomenon, there are fewer long-term studies on its oral health impacts compared to smoking cigarettes. But a recent study tested the lungs of smokers, vapers and non-smokers and non-vapers, determining that vapers hold more oxygen than smokers (2.7 litres compared to 2.6 litres) but less than non-smokers (3.0 litres).[v] As such, vapers who exercise are likely to experience breathlessness, intense leg fatigue and high levels of lactic acid in their blood.v The strong link between lung disease medications and oral health may mean that vapers develop complications such as gingival diseases or thrush, prompting the need for maintaining both lung health and oral health.[vi]

Vaping may have the potential to cause xerostomia, periodontal disease, caries, oral lesions and even tooth movement. A drawback with knowing if vaping directly increases the risk of these complications is that many adult vapers are former smokers, meaning they already were at a high risk. Similarly, 14.3% of vapers switch to smoking after a year, and 25% switch after three years, limiting the ability to accurately assess the long-term oral health risks and emphasising a need to control vaping.[vii]

Regulating youth

The previous government passed a Bill that would ban those born after January 2009 from being able to buy cigarettes, promoting a smokefree generation. The current government aims to continue this as a way of phasing out smoking, but prevalence for vaping is growing in younger age groups, with 7.6% of 11–17-year-olds using e-cigarettes.[viii] Many teenagers now vape before they smoke, diminishing it as a tool for cessation and potentially turning it into a gateway for cigarettes.

The variety in colourful packaging, sweet flavours and enticing branding that vapes have is appealing to young demographics.i Regulations are therefore needed to calibrate youth vaping whilst supporting e-cigarettes as a quitting aid, ensuring that those who don’t smoke don’t vape.i The British Medical Association recently called on the government to control the widespread availability of vapes, limiting them to over-the-counter purchases only, and banning all non-tobacco vape flavours.ii Until these measures are enforced, it is essential that practitioners educate younger patients that vaping is not risk-free, with the ability to cause issues such as dry mouth.

Stepping in to help

Stopping smoking is currently the more immediate priority over vaping, owing to the extensive research on tobacco’s carcinogenic impact. But for smokers and vapers, encouraging a consistently effective oral hygiene routine that incorporates interdental cleaning will help reduce the risk of oral diseases.

For a reliable solution to clean the interdental spaces, consider the Cordless Advanced from water flosser brand WaterpikTM. Able to remove up to 99.99% of plaque,[ix] this innovative device is 50% more effective for improving gum health compared to string floss.[x] Featuring 4 tips, 3 pressure settings and a 360-degree tip rotation, the Cordless Advanced can be calibrated to the level of comfort required for a consistent oral hygiene routine. Easy to use and travel with, introducing the Cordless Advanced can stop harmful bacteria accumulating.

With smoking and vaping regulations continuing to prove a topic of debate, encouraging education around their effects is crucial for the betterment of oral health.

 

For more information on WaterpikTM Water Flosser products visit www.waterpik.co.uk. WaterpikTM products are available from Amazon, Costco UK, Argos, Boots and Tesco online and in stores across the UK and Ireland.

 

Author bio:

Susan graduated from Eastman Dental Institute School of Dental Hygiene in 1988 and now has over 30 years clinical experience working in Harley Street, specialist and orthodontic practices.

 

[i] Thomas, T. (2024). Number of UK adults who vape reaches record level, report finds. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/aug/12/number-of-uk-adults-who-vape-reaches-record-level-report-finds.

[ii] The British Medical Association is the trade union and professional body for doctors in the UK. (2018). The BMA urges Government to take action to stop a growing ‘epidemic’ of vaping – BMA media centre – BMA. [online] Available at: https://www.bma.org.uk/bma-media-centre/the-bma-urges-government-to-take-action-to-stop-a-growing-epidemic-of-vaping [Accessed 10 Sep. 2024].

[iii] Aikman, I. and Zeffman, H. (2024). Outdoor smoking ban at pubs being considered, says PM. [online] BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg79ym5mrzyo.

[iv] Chattopadhyay, S., Malayil, L., Chopyk, J., Smyth, E., Kulkarni, P., Raspanti, G., Thomas, S.B., Sapkota, A., Mongodin, E.F. and Sapkota, A.R. (2024). Oral microbiome dysbiosis among cigarette smokers and smokeless tobacco users compared to non-users. Scientific Reports, [online] 14(1), p.10394. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-60730-2.

[v] ERS – European Respiratory Society. (2024). Young vapers perform worse in exercise testing. [online] Available at: https://www.ersnet.org/news-releases/young-vapers-perform-worse-in-exercise-testing/ [Accessed 10 Sep. 2024].

[vi] www.colgate.com. (n.d.). How Lung Problems Affect Your Oral Health | Colgate®. [online] Available at: https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/respiratory-conditions/how-lung-problems-affect-your-oral-health#.

[vii] Parnham, J.C., Vrinten, C., Radó, M.K., Bottle, A., Filippidis, F.T. and Laverty, A.A. (2023). Multistate transition modelling of e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking among youth in the UK. Tobacco Control. [online] doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/tc-2022-057777.

[viii] Campbell, D. (2024). Vaping damages young people’s lungs as much as smoking, study suggests. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/sep/08/vaping-damages-young-peoples-lungs-as-much-as-smoking-study-suggests.

[ix] Gorur, A., Lyle, D.M., Schaudinn, C. and Costerton, J.W. (2009). Biofilm removal with a dental water jet. Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry (Jamesburg, N.J.: 1995), [online] 30 Spec No 1, pp.1–6. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19385349/.

[x] Mancinelli-Lyle, D., Qaqish, J.G., Goyal, C.R. and Schuller, R. (2023). Effectiveness of a Sonic-Flosser Toothbrush with a Different Size Brush Heads and Manual Toothbrush plus Dental Floss on Plaque, Gingival Bleeding and Inflammation in Adults with Naturally Occurring Gingivitis: A 4-Week Randomized Controlled Trial. International Journal of Dental Hygiene. [online] doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/idh.12675.

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