Your oral health not only impacts how your teeth look, but it also impacts the ability to speak and eat properly. Unfortunately, many people do not take their oral health too seriously. If you've recently switched to vaping or e-cigarettes, know that these are not exactly a better alternative for your oral health. While they don't use tobacco, they do have nicotine, which can cause many problems with your oral health. Here are some of the problems that can come from vaping that you should be aware of.

Dry Mouth

The chemicals found in the liquids used for vaping are known to cause dry mouth, which decreases the amount of saliva that your mouth produces . While this may not seem like an oral health problem, it actually is quite a big deal. If your mouth lacks that saliva, your mouth becomes an environment where bacteria is more likely to grow and cause harm to your overall health.

Saliva essentially cleanses your mouth by washing away bacteria and food debris that remains in it throughout the day. Without enough saliva production, all that bacteria will stay in your mouth and affect your gums and teeth. You'll end up having a higher risk of having cavities, tooth decay, and issues with gum disease.

Inflamed Gums

The effects of vaping can also have an impact on the gum tissue in your mouth. Due to having a dry mouth, all of that bacteria will collect on your gum tissue. This leads to inflamed gums over time, which results in swelling, soreness, and bleeding. As you continue to use vaping products, the inflammation will only become more severe. At some point, you will eventually get periodontal disease that results in discomfort and pain. In extreme situations, you can also have problems with your teeth losing the support they need to stay in your mouth.

The nicotine found in the vaping products will reduce how quickly your mouth is able to heal. Blood flow is decreased to that area of your mouth, and you'll have a hard time recovering from all of the oral health problems associated with vaping.

These are just a few of the problems that you can run into with your oral health if you continue to us vaping product. For more information on the overall effects of vaping related to your teeth and gums, ask your dentist during your next inspection. 

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