How many of us have been given inaccurate information about vaping from Dental professionals?
I know I have – I was praised for giving up smoking but was also told vaping would cause damage too and that I must stop. This was within the past 6 months by a Hygienist!
A lot of Dental websites have also been slagging off vaping – which has bugged me.
Even mainstream media got in on the act in February 2023 with this bull…
Also The Times created a bombshell article about Elf Bars which suggested that vaping leads to gum disease.
A wonderful “Mic Drop” moment came when Dr Richard Holliday (Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in Restorative Dentistry, Specialist in Periodontics) and Professor Elaine McColl (Professor of Health Service Research at Newcastle University) sent a letter to the newspaper to inform that their article was inaccurate.
“Sir, The article “Elf bars and me: I’m a vaping addict, so will I get gum disease?” (Times June 8th) suggests that the use of e-cigarettes (and specifically nicotine) leads to Gum disease, but this does not represent the scientific evidence in this field. Tobacco smoking is a major cause of oral diseases including Periodontal (Gum) disease. Smoke and not Nicotine is responsible for these harms, although this often gets confused.
Indeed oral nicotine, such as Gum, has been used without concern for decades. Nicotine use does not lead to Gum disease. In the case of bleeding gums, it is normal for smokers to get this when they quit; if this happens those affected should see their dental team for a full examination.
Finally smokers who are thinking about switching to an e-cigarette should bear in mind that this is a great move for their general and oral health”
The NCSCT (National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training) have produced a guide for Dental Professionals to broach the subject of quitting smoking and their advice is clear that Vaping is a great Harm Reduction tool.
What Is New?
Well the Dentistry.co.uk website has published an updated guide titled “Vaping and oral health – an update for the dental team“. I am a bit late to the party here as this was published in August 2022! But still worth a read and a share!
Guess who wrote it? Yep the same Richard Holliday and Elaine McColl who wrote that excellent letter to The Times!
“Over the last few months there has been a flurry of media stories about vaping and oral health – some even made the national newspapers and their letter pages. These articles have made several claims such as vaping causes ‘your gums falling off and teeth dropping out’. Some have even implied that users are better going back to tobacco smoking.
In this article we plan to give you a brief overview of the evidence base on this topic. This is not intended to be a comprehensive systematic review. Rather it is designed as an easy-to-read summary of the current position with reflections on where we go next and how you can get involved.”
The article cites many relevant studies and is written from a harm reduction perspective. It compares the damage to oral health from smoking to the much smaller risks that may come from vaping.
The conclusion states…
“In summary, e-cigarettes have good evidence to support them as an effective smoking cessation aid for tobacco smokers. Smokers can expect to see substantial improvements in their oral health if they fully switch to an e-cigarette.”
So if you get nagged at for vaping by your Dental team – perhaps point them in the direction of the article!
Vaping and oral health – an update for the dental team;
As headlines concerning e-cigarettes continue to dominate the news, @DrRichHolliday & @PhDProf1 talk through the impact of vaping on the oral health of patients ⬇️ https://t.co/DAgb61lSre#oralhealth #vaping #ecigarettes pic.twitter.com/Ef5a7ZUHOb
— Dentistry (@Dentistry) August 22, 2022
Vaping and oral health – an update for the dental team – Dentistry https://t.co/OKymyn9JLF
— Louise (@grannylouisa) April 7, 2023
It’s a good week when you have a second publication that’s freighted with common sense and good evidence #dentistry #vaping
Vaping and oral health – an update for the dental team – Dentistry https://t.co/OKymyn9JLF
— Louise (@grannylouisa) August 23, 2022
“In summary, e-cigarettes have good evidence to support them as an effective smoking cessation aid for tobacco smokers. Smokers can expect to see substantial improvements in their oral health if they fully switch to an e-cigarette”https://t.co/5vSckKAKLg
— European Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (@europethra) August 23, 2022
“E-cigarettes have good evidence to support them as an effective smoking cessation aid for tobacco smokers. Smokers can expect to see substantial improvements in their oral health if they fully switch to an e-cigarette.” https://t.co/hvaQmV9NEH
— NNAlliance (@NNAlliance) August 24, 2022
As headlines concerning #ecigarettes continue to dominate the news, @DrRichHolliday and Professor Elaine McColl talk through the impact of #vaping on the oral health of patients: https://t.co/pFgMubCgJK pic.twitter.com/cLwGGWJHIe
— IBVTA (@TheIBVTA) August 24, 2022
“Any negative oral health impacts from e-cigarette use are likely to be small and of relatively minor consequence to the substantial beneficial oral health changes from stopping smoking.”https://t.co/8idhGvzKZF
— Michael Redfearn (@RedfearnMike) February 10, 2023
