Education Archives - Urban Smiles Victoria

The Dangers of Vaping and Your Teeth: What Your Victoria Dentist Says

Most of us recognize cigarette smoking tobacco is bad for our teeth and mouths. Smoking is known to substantially boost your threat for oral cancer, create extra plaque, persistent foul-smelling breath, as well as an enhanced opportunity of periodontal condition. But what about vaping? Many of our patients that visit Urban Smiles Victoria ask us if the new trend of vaping is safe for their smile. Unfortunately, the answer is no. New studies reveal vaping can be just as harmful to your teeth as traditional cigarettes.

Tobacco or not, vaping can lead to many of the same issues that smoking can, and is just as bad for your teeth, body, and mouth.

What is Vaping?

Understanding how vaping can be harmful starts with understanding what vaping is.

Unlike traditional cigarettes, vaping (e-cigarettes) does not produce tobacco smoke and instead they use a vapor to deliver nicotine to the lungs.

There is a common misconception that the vapor produced by these products are simply water vapor, but in fact they contain nicotine and other ultra-fine chemicals. Most of these chemicals with prolonged use can be connected to cancer, respiratory system illness, and cardiovascular disease.

While vaping hasn’t been around long, early studies of its impacts are worrying. Recent data reveals vaping:

Effects the health and wellness of your lungs
Rises your threat of heart disease
Damages your blood cells
Adversely impacts your immune system

Vaping and Your Smile

Vaping is bad for your overall health, but can also specifically be dangerous to your smile. Vaping can lead to a variety of dental issues such as:

Receding Gums

The nicotine works to reduce the blood flow which your gums need in order to get the oxygen and nutrients that they use to stay healthy. Vaping can cause gum recession due to the death of gum tissues.

Tooth Decay

Aside from gums, nicotine in vapes can also reduce the amount of saliva in your mouth. A low amount of saliva can lead to dry mouth, plaque build-up, and increased risk of cavities.

Bruxism

Acting as a muscle stimulant, the nicotine you inhale through vaping can trigger you to grind your teeth.

Gum Disease

Studies recommend vaping additionally raises your risk of gum tissue conditions. The nicotine from vaping causes gum tissue swelling. Inflamed gum tissues integrated with completely dry mouth and enhanced bacteria are a recipe for periodontal illness.

If you vape, watch for these usual signs of gum tissue illness:

Recurring foul breath (halitosis)
Red, irritated, or bleeding gums
Tender gums
Loose teeth
Receding gums

So, is vaping bad for your teeth?

The short answer: Yes. E-cigarettes and vaping pose threats similar to smoking traditional cigarettes. If you are a cigarette smoker or a vaper, at Urban Smiles we recommend that you pay extra close attention to your dental health and schedule routine dental checkups at our downtown Victoria office.

What’s in your Toothpaste?

Have you ever wondered what are the ingredients of your toothpaste? You likely check your food ingredients, but not your toothpaste. We seem to rely on brands rather than the ingredients.

Fortunately, you’re in luck! Today we’ll be covering the main ingredients found in toothpastes and their respective purposes. Toothpastes are composed of several ingredients like fluoride, foaming agents, abrasives, colourants, and many more.

The Canadian Dental Association recommends toothpaste by brands such as Colgate, Crest, and Sensodyne.

Fluoride is the key ingredient of toothpaste. It is found in the ingredient list as Sodium Fluoride, Stannic Fluoride, or Sodium Monofluorophosphate. It can prevent further development of small spot decay and reverse it through the process called remineralization.

Children ages 3-6 years old should brush their teeth at least twice a day with a smear layer of toothpaste containing 1000ppm of fluoride. Adults should brush their teeth at least twice a day with pea-sized amount of toothpaste containing 1350-1500ppm of fluoride.

Abrasives –such as Hydrated Silica, Dicalcium Phosphate Dihydrate, Calcium Carbonate, and Aluminum Hydroxide – are another important ingredient that give the toothpaste its cleaning power. Any toothpaste with two or more abrasives listed should be avoided as it can be too abrasive for the teeth.

Surfactant like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate serves as the foaming agent of toothpaste. Most people like toothpaste that lathers like a soap because it gives them more of a cleaning effect. Organic toothpastes exclude surfactants due to its adverse effects on some people; thus, organic toothpastes aren’t foamy.

Other minor ingredients like binding agents, thickeners, preservatives, sweeteners, colouring agents, and vitamins are also added in toothpaste.

Binding agents like Glycerin, Sorbitol, and Water makes sure the toothpaste remains mixed and not dry.

Thickeners like Cellulose Gums, Xanthan Gum, and Carrageenan create the thick texture of toothpaste.

Preservatives like Methylparaben, Propylparaben, and Sodium Benzoate prevents growth of microorganisms.

Sweeteners like Sorbitol and Sodium Saccharin give the sweet minty taste of toothpastes. But too much sweetener can be counterproductive!

Colouring Agents are also added to toothpastes to achieve that tri-colour pastes or red-coloured toothpaste. You may find it in the ingredient list as Titanium Oxide or codes like CI 733660.

Vitamins like Vitamin B3 and Vitamine E are also added to give your teeth an extra boost.

We know it’s too much to remember all of this when selecting your new toothpaste, but it’s helpful to know what’s going inside your mouth, including toothpaste. At the end of the day, everyone has different preferences… whether you like minty or tasteless toothpastes, it all depends on you!

Follow and connect with Urban Smiles Victoria on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated with tips and news. To book an appointment, phone 250.381.9876 or contact us today.

Preventing Dry Mouth in the Winter

Dry mouth is one of the most common dental problems experienced during the winter season. It is often caused by decreased saliva production of salivary glands, medications, and certain medical conditions. However, during the winter, most of us stay indoors as much as possible with the heat on, which draws out moisture in the air. We also tend to breathe through the mouth during winter, particularly if our we’re coping with a cold and have a stuffy, runny nose.

Saliva plays an important role in our mouth by helping to cleanse our mouth to prevent bacterial growth. Thus, dry mouth increases your risk for tooth decay and other dental infections.

Signs of Dry Mouth

Difficulty in swallowing or talking
Burning sensation, especially on the tongue
Cracked lips or sores in the corners of the lips
Hoarseness
Bad breath

A few tips to manage winter dry mouth

Stay Hydrated

Drink lots of water to keep your well-hydrated and your mouth moist. Also, water helps in flushing away toxins and food particles stuck in between teeth.

Chew Sugar-Free Gum

Chewing gum can increase saliva production. But don’t forget to buy sugar-free or xylitol gum to prevent tooth decay!

Use Humidifiers

It is advisable to have a room humidifier during the winter to increase the amount of moisture, especially at night. The drier the environment, the more you tend to breathe through your mouth which can cause your mouth to dry.

Stop Smoking

Toxins found in cigarettes can cause dry mouth. As a result, it is advisable for you to stop smoking not just to prevent dry mouth, but also to have a healthier lifestyle.

Avoid Mouth Breathing

As much as possible, minimize breathing through your mouth to prevent your mouth from drying.

Even more, you should keep up with good oral hygiene to prevent decay from developing. Remember, it is faster and easier for bacteria to grow and damage your teeth with dry mouth. If symptoms of dry mouth persist, drop by your dentist to further examine what might be causing it.