Is vaping really better than smoking for our oral health?

is vaping better for our oral health than smoking?Vaping is making a lot of the headlines recently. Simran Bains looks into what the effects could be on our oral health.

Presently around three million Britons use e-cigarettes. Scientists have urgently called for Public Health England (PHE) to stop recommending vaping.

Since 2015 PHE encouraged smokers to switch to vaping. It claims e-cigarettes are ‘at least 95%’ less harmful than cigarettes and there are substantial health benefits for those who quit smoking to vape. However, research shows the vaping industry is funding the studies advising vaping is safe for the user.

What is an electronic cigarette?

It is an electronic device that produces an aerosol by heating the e-liquid with metal coils. This is inhaled by the user.

Vaping still contains a solution of toxic and non-toxic chemicals.

Toxic chemicals

  • Benzene: an organic compound found in car exhausts and linked with leukemia and bone marrow disease. A known human carcinogen, high levels form in vapours in the device when operated at high temperatures
  • Heavy metals: combination of lead, nickel, chromium and manganese all present in e-liquid. These are toxic when inhaled a 2018 study shows. PHE however, disagrees. It states in its 2018 review that there are low levels of metal. And these do not give rise to any safety concerns. In fact manufacturing changes could further improve the levels
  • Nicotine: an addictive stimulant, a potent parasympathomimetic alkaloid and correlates to an increase risk of cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal disorders. There is decreases in immune response and it also poses ill impacts on the reproductive health. EU regulations caps nicotine content in e-liquids at 20mg/ml
  • Diacetyl: is an…

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