Do E-Cigarettes Really Help you Butt Out?

A multitude of smoking cessation products and therapies have arisen over the years. From pharmaceutical drugs, to hypnosis, to over the counter patches, lozenges and gum, we have yet to arrive at the holy grail to that helps smokers make the difficult decision to quit cold turkey.

As smokers, family members and health care providers continue to search for options, a lot of buzz has been generated surrounding e-cigarettes. To date, Health Canada has not yet permitted companies to market e- cigarettes as smoking cessation aids. Unfortunately, there remains a lack of solid research substantiating e-cigarettes claim as being a beneficial and safe health alternative. The question I am often asked is how e-cigarettes can be harmful to your mouth, if you only inhale water vapour? Current dental research suggests that the vapour released from e-cigarette vapour although devoid of the tar compounds present in regular cigarette smoke still contains chemicals coupled with high temperatures that have been proven harmful to our oral and respiratory tissues.

Exposure over time increases the risks of infection, inflammation and gum (periodontal) disease. The long term effects of e-cigarettes relative to the increased risk of developing oral cancers requires further investigation. What we do know is that e- cigarettes are not the silver bullet we were hoping for. Unquestionably, smokers who quit live longer than those who continue to smoke. My office provides a host of tools to help counsel our patients on effective strategies to effectively quit smoking. You will also be reassured to know that I routinely perform bi-annual oral cancer screening examinations for all our patients. Do consider visiting our office to learn more about how we look after more than just your teeth!