New Study Highlights the Impact of E-Cigarettes on Oral Health

Study says vapors from an e-cigarette can cause cells to release inflammatory proteins.

Various types of e-cigarettes Image: ecigclick.co.uk

(SALEM, Ore.) - Over recent years there have been a vast number of news stories and medical reports coming out that show the importance of good oral health.

The health of your teeth, gums, and mouth, can be linked to everything from diabetes to heart attack, making it more essential than ever that people focus on how to keep their mouths healthy.

A new report is showing a potentially detrimental impact of something becoming increasingly common on the health of the mouth.

University of Rochester

According to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Rochester, lab experiments showed battery-operated devices might not necessarily be an entirely healthy alternative to smoking cigarettes.

In laboratory experiments, researchers exposed the gum tissue of nonsmokers’ to vapors from e-cigarettes, which are becoming popular as they’re touted as a healthy alternative to smoking cigarettes.

One of the leaders of the study, Irfan Rahman, told media outlets with the release of research results that vapors from an e-cigarette can cause cells to release inflammatory proteins. Those proteins and that inflammation then lead to stress within the cells that can lead to damage and it’s that damage that can ultimately result in disease.

Rahman serves as a professor of environmental medicine at the School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Rahman sent out a news release saying that how often and how much someone smokes e-cigarettes will play a role in the extent of the damage that may occur to the oral cavity and the gums. A co-author of the study, Fawad Javed, added that certain flavorings might exacerbate the cell damage even more.

Javed, a postdoctoral resident at the university’s Institute for Oral Health, pointed out that e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is a known contributor to gum disease.

Despite the survey results, Rahman also made the point that more research will be needed to fully understand the impact of so-called vaping and the use of e-cigarettes on oral health.

A survey from the Centers for Disease Control shows that 13 percent of the U.S. population has tried using an e-cigarette. Of that 13 percent, 3 percent are regular users of these devices, which accounts for over 10 million Americans.

Rahman said long-term and comparative studies will be needed to understand the effects of e-Cigarettes, and he urged manufacturers to be transparent in their disclosure of all of the chemicals and materials used to manufacture these products.

The study results were published in the Oncotarget journal.

The Link Between the Mouth and Overall Health

This study shows just one more instance of the importance of taking care of your mouth. It indicates that in addition to using a good quality toothbrush and maintaining excellent dental care habits, it’s important to avoid potential harmful activities that can lead not only to issues such as oral cancer but can potentially contribute to a range of other serious health problems throughout the body.

Researchers believe the mouth serves as a gateway for bacteria and harmful substances to enter the rest of the body, which is why there has been so much focus on oral health among the medical world and the media in recent years.

Source: Salem-News.com Special Features Dept.