Do you know that a significant portion of smokers in the United States are American Indians? Yes, it’s true. The picture below gives an overview of smoking statistics in united states according to ethnicity.
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Tobacco is harmful to our health. Smoking causes cancer. We all know that. Right! Then what’s new about smoking? This is why many of us think of vaping instead of using conventional cigarettes.
Table of Contents
What is vaping?
Vaping is a habit of inhaling aerosols from e-cigarettes. Oh my god! Then what are e-cigarettes? E-cigarettes are electronic innovations containing a battery-powered heater and a liquid chamber. They simulate a large fountain pen in shape and size. The fluid chamber contains liquid nicotine mixed with other ingredients.
People who are addicted to cigarette smoking tend to use e-cigarettes as a part of habit breaking. During this, the battery-powered heater evaporates the liquid nicotine into aerosols which are inhaled by the smoker.
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Vaping became more common in young adults in the united states. Above all, in a study conducted by “morning consult”, more than 80% of students between 18-29 years of age admit the use of vaping. These results show the depth of penetration of vaping into these young minds.
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But recent studies show vaping to be as dangerous as traditional smoking and has shown harmful effects on teeth.
The market for cigarettes is expected to grow by a massive 2% CAGR between 2019 to 2023. Over the past few years, the sales of e-cigars have taken a peak look. Vaping appears to be a healthy alternative to conventional smoking. But the effect of vaping is disastrous.
Vaping and health
Vaping appears to be more harmful to the oral cavity. The aerosols in vaping contain a pure form of nicotine vapour admixed with toxic chemicals and heavy metals. Many chemicals in vaping cause oral cancer and respiratory diseases. https://www.centeronaddiction.org/e-cigarettes/recreational-vaping/what-vaping
Nicotine is the chemical ingredient evident in tobacco, which is the cured leaf of nicotina tobaccum. Earlier the crude form of nicotine admixed with fine dust and smoke was thought to be the primary culprit for oral cancer. But recent studies have shown that the volatile products, formaldehyde and flavouring chemicals in e-cigarettes play a crucial role in the development of lung diseases. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6114529/
These aerosols induce oxidative stress, glutathione depletion and increase inflammatory cytokine production in airway epithelial cells. It further impairs anti-bacterial and anti-viral activity in the lungs. As a result, the patient becomes more susceptible to influenza infections. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25658421/
Recent studies revealed impaired DNA repair of human bronchial epithelial cells resulting in the development of oral cancer. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29378943/.
Vaping and oral health
vaping and oral health are inter-related. Here are the top 5 interesting facts of vaping and its effect on oral health.
- Vaping causes cough, nausea, vomiting, breathing trouble, fatigue, fever and weight loss. Few cases of cancer are reported in various regions of the body.
- Nicotine is a known causative agent for xerostomia. Nicotine causes fibrosis of salivary gland tissue resulting in decreased salivary flow. Increased cases of oral dryness have been reported in recent years with vaping.
- The nicotine aerosols tend to decrease vascular supply in the exposed areas on the gums. It results in less oxygenation of tissues causing gum recession.
- These recessions, in turn, aid in food lodgement compromising the periodontal health of the person. As a result, patients complain of bad breath and bleeding gums.
- The pure form of nicotine aerosols acts as CNS stimulants activating the muscular activity of masticatory muscles. This aids in a significant relationship between heavy smoking and bruxism, as a study reported a double-fold increase in smoking in bruxers. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2878730/
New trends in vaping
In recent years JUUL vaping or JUULing is becoming more popular in younger students. On the other hand, the compact size of this machine makes it invisible to others while the person enjoys vaping. As a result, the conventional nicotine vaping transformed into more dangerous marijuana vaping.
Conclusion
Although vaping do not contain tobacco, it has a profound impact on oral health. Yes! vaping and oral health are inter-related. The pure form of nicotine can become an addiction. The volatile carcinogenic products in vaping are prone to be potential agents for oral cancer. Strict rules on educating people about the harmful effects of vaping have to be imposed on teaching institutions.
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