E-cigarettes May Increase Rate of Caries in Youth
This article was originally published on www.todaysrdh.com on November 9, 2018
Vaping e-cigarettes are fast becoming a popular alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes. A recent study titled, “Cariogenic Potential of Sweet Flavors in Electronic-Cigarette Liquids,” examined how the different e-cigarette flavors may affect a patient’s oral health.
The Rise of Vaping E-cigarettes
E-cigarettes have various nicknames, including “e-cigs,” “vapes” and “vape pens.” E-cigarette devices come in many shapes and colors. Consumers can easily buy e-cigarettes that resemble USB flash drives, pens or regular cigarettes.
Each device has three major components: a rechargeable lithium battery, e-liquid (or flavor), and a vaporizing chamber. When activated, the lithium battery heats the flavor and makes
The first official e-cigarette was released in the early 2000s. Now, almost twenty years later, e-cigarettes have displaced cigarettes to become the most used tobacco product by children and young adults. According to recent data, the total number of high schoolers who used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days rose an estimated 75% in 2018. The US Food and Drug Administration reports that 81% of users under the age of 18 said they preferred to vape instead of smoke cigarettes due to the large variety of accessible flavors. Children and teenagers also gravitate towards e-cigarettes because they are easy to use and very discrete, which is helpful when they’re trying to hide the device from teachers and other adults.
Although e-cigarettes are becoming more popular, The Center for Disease Control warns that e-cigarettes may be potentially harmful to children, teens, and young adults because it contains nicotine. Nicotine is a highly toxic and addictive substance that can negatively impact the brain development of adolescents.
Besides nicotine, some e-liquids may contain cancer-causing substances and heavy metals. Meanwhile, other e-liquids have flavors that have been linked to “popcorn lung” and other serious lung diseases. The CDC also warns that e-cigarettes may be a “gateway” to other harmful vices.