E-Cigarette May Be Damaging Your Health

There are currently many topics about e-smoking that get discussed time and time again. For instance, you can find out various benefits of switching to e-cigs by simply doing a quick Google search: no second-hand smoke, no tar, and no odor –just rich flavored e-juice and pure vapor. And you may have also heard how e-cigs are the perfect travel partner, giving you the freedom to smoke almost anywhere you want, and at a lower cost than traditional smoking.

We keep reading that e-cigarettes do not produce smoke, they produce vapor.  The vapor that we inhale when smoking an e-cig does not contain any of the harmful chemicals contained in a traditional cigarette. E-cigs use a liquid mix of nicotine, distilled water, flavoring ingredients, and a few other chemicals that turn into vapor when inhaled. 

These liquid ingredients will not cause any teeth discoloration, plaque build-up, or bad breath. One harmful effect is that nicotine inhalation inhibits your ability to produce saliva, which can leave you susceptible to bacteria build-up, dry mouth, and tooth decay. However, you can choose how much nicotine you want in your e-cig, so lower levels are better for oral health.

The truth is, this a twist to the old story, E-Cigs Still Contain Nicotine;

Nicotine is a “vasoconstrictor” that restricts blood flow, inhibiting our mouth’s natural cleaning and disease-fighting functions. Nicotine also reduces our body’s ability to heal and create new healthy tissues and cells. E-cigs contain vaporized nicotine, derived from tobacco. And when a person uses nicotine, gum disease is more likely to thrive.  E-cigs can also contain MANY other chemical substances. A recent independent study found 3 out of 10 e-cigs contain hazardous chemicals like formaldehyde and diethyl glycol.

Technology doesn't Change everything; E-cigarettes are being marketed as a cleaner, healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes. And while it’s true that a few unpleasant side effects aren't present (like smoke and stained fingers) e-cigs still pose health risks to your teeth and body.

The manufacturers and retailers of e-cigarettes claim that the product is a cleaner and healthier therapeutic alternative to help smokers kick the habit. In the absence of any proven scientific study to back this argument, it is always ideal to avoid smoking or vaping altogether. Regardless of whether it poses less harmful effects to one’s health than conventional cigarettes, experts agree that they are by no means any safer. Nicotine inhalation puts the dental health and overall well-being of a person at risk.

Since e-cigarettes are a recent invention, they are still mostly unregulated, so there’s no way to predict how much nicotine you’re getting, or even what chemicals are present from brand to brand.  Also, they haven’t been around long enough for serious long-term studies to be applied.  

If you are a smoker trying to quit, e-cigarettes shouldn't be a transitional help in an addiction recovery strategy.  If you don’t smoke, don’t get lured in by this trend.  Nicotine addiction in ANY form is dangerous.