Does Vaping Stain Teeth? Learn the Truth About Vapes and E-Cigarettes

Does vaping stain your teeth? Most people are aware of the harmful consequences of smoking on their teeth and overall dental health, but how much do you know about vaping, or e-cigarettes? And, is there any way to whiten teeth once they’ve been stained by vaping?

More individuals are substituting regular cigarettes with electronic cigarettes, often known as vaping. One of the key reasons for this shift is that vaping may help people quit smoking.

Inhaling a vapour formed when a liquid or other substance is vaporized in an e-cigarette is how vaping works.

So, what are the effects of vaping on your dental health?

Although it does not stain or yellow your teeth as much as smoking does, it still causes stains over time and has other negative consequences for your dental health. In this article, you’ll find out more about the most significant concerns regarding vaping and oral health, including:

• What are the vaping ingredients and are they hazardous for your teeth?
• Does vaping, juuling, and e-cigarette smoking stain your teeth?
• What are the best teeth whitening methods if you already have yellow teeth from vaping and e-cigarettes?

Keep reading to learn how vaping can stain your teeth and what you can do about it.

What is vaping?

Inhaling vapour from electronic cigarettes is known as vaping. These portable devices turn e-liquids into vapours with varying levels of nicotine using heat supplied by the battery.

Modern vaping devices look like pens and are often advertised with appealing flavours, making them especially attractive to youth. The main components of both e-cigarettes and vapes are the same: a battery, an atomizer, a chamber, and a mouthpiece.

When you push the power button, the battery powers the atomizer, which heats waxes, herbs, or oils in the chamber to certain temperatures. Then, when you inhale through the mouthpiece, you inhale vapours that are less harmful than regular cigarettes’ components.

Juul is perhaps the most popular brand of vape, so much so that “juuling” has become a verb. Juuls are small sleek-looking devices that can be recharged using a USB. They have become popular with teenagers as they can be more easily hidden from parents.

Does vaping stain teeth?

Vaping can stain your teeth, but not nearly as much as smoking does. Brown nicotine particles from e-liquids are absorbed quickly by your naturally porous teeth, resulting in yellow teeth.

Most doctors reluctantly recognise that vaping isn’t as harmful as smoking cigarettes. Meanwhile, they continue to warn about the hazards of vaping, and new evidence backs up their concerns.

Flavoured e-cigarettes and vaping devices, according to studies, include dangerous substances that may harm your oral health. Some of the primary ingredients in e-cigarettes that might affect your teeth and mouth are as follows:

Vegetable glycerin (VG)

Vegetable glycerin (VG), one of the most prevalent e-cigarette constituents, is a transparent liquid made from coconut or soybean. Although VG does not directly lead to tooth decay or dental caries, when coupled with flavouring substances in e-liquid, it becomes hazardous.

Compared to plain vapes, flavoured vapes may double the growth of dental plaque and diminish enamel hardness by 27%. Dental plaque and reduced enamel can lead to stains on your teeth.

Propylene glycol (PG)

Propylene glycol (PG) is an odourless, colourless, and somewhat sweet-tasting synthetic carrier substance. The tissue in our mouths is good at absorbing PG, which may lead to irreparable damage to the enamel and gums. Teeth may get discoloured and stained as a result of this.

Furthermore, PG absorbs moisture due to its hygroscopic chemical structure, which is why many vapers suffer from dry mouth.

Nicotine

Nicotine is an addictive substance that is well-known for causing tooth decay and making your teeth yellow. Even though the intensity of nicotine in vapes is much lower, it nevertheless causes tooth discolouration.

When nicotine comes into contact with oxygen, it turns brown almost instantaneously. Because staining pigments are readily absorbed by the porous structure of human tooth enamel, vaping will stain your teeth over time, unless, of course, you choose nicotine-free vaping.

Nicotine reduces blood flow in the mouth, making it more difficult for the body to fight infection. It also lowers saliva flow, resulting in a dry mouth, among several other issues.

Reduced saliva flow might cause staining on your teeth because substances stick to your teeth more easily.

Watch the video below for a summary of why vaping is bad for you:

Vaping is on the rise, but are they harmful to your teeth? Discover more with Bupa Dentist, Dr Ian Kelly and Bupa Health. Find out more: www.bupa.co.uk/dental #bupahealth #dentalcare #vaping The content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.

How can you whiten teeth that have been stained by vaping?

Based on the intensity of the brown or yellow streaks, professional teeth whitening with your dentist may be necessary, or you may attempt home remedies like baking soda. Check out your options below.

Teeth whitening kits

Buying a teeth whitening kit may be your best choice if you want to see results, but don’t want to pay the high cost of professional whitening. These can be whitening strips, gels, or LED whitening kits.

Professional teeth whitening

Getting a professional teeth whitening treatment at your local dentist will be the quickest way to remove the stains from your teeth.

UV light, bleaching agents, or argon lasers are highly effective procedures to get rid of stains caused by vaping, e-cigarettes, and juuls.

Home remedies

Try one of these home remedies if you don’t want to spend the money on professional teeth whitening or a whitening kit. This will probably take more time and effort, and the outcome may not be as good.

• Oil pulling
• Activated charcoal
• Baking soda

Conclusion

If you are still wondering whether vaping makes your teeth yellow, the answer is yes. Even though it is less harmful than smoking, vaping will stain your teeth over time.

It may be a good aid to quitting smoking, but we wouldn’t recommend using e-cigarettes, juuls, or vapours for a long time because of how harmful they can be for your teeth and oral health in general.

However, if you still need to use a vapouriser, consider not using any flavours for the previously mentioned reasons.

FAQ

Does vaping make your teeth yellow?

Vaping or juuling is an alternative to smoking, but vaping has been found in recent research to increase plaque and diminish enamel, resulting in yellow teeth and stains.

Does nicotine stain your teeth?

Nicotine may stain your teeth rather quickly. The enamel (the tooth’s hard outer coating) is porous. Nicotine is readily absorbed through these pores. Your teeth may become yellow-brown over time.

Do electronic cigarettes stain your teeth?

E-cigarettes may be healthier than traditional cigarettes. However, if your e-cig contains nicotine it will still stain your teeth. And some ingredients can cause a dry mouth and tooth decay.