LYING back in the dentist’s chair, gran Emma Parsons-Reid braces herself for the excruciating pain.
The 58-year-old was having her gums cleaned after nine years of vaping had wrecked her teeth — and left her gnashers at risk of falling out.
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Emma has also had repair work to her top front tooth, where the gums were receding due to vaping, and numerous fillings.
So far, she has spent around £5,000 on dental treatments to repair the damage and she has been diagnosed with gum disease.
“My gums were in a terrible state,” admits Emma, a retired civil servant from Cardiff.
“Even with numbing injections [at the dentist’s]the pain was unbearable. They wouldn’t stop bleeding. It was absolute agony — and all down to the vapes.
“I had no idea that they would cause so much damage to my mouth.”
But Emma is not alone. The actress Lily James recently revealed she had to have her first filling after vaping had left her with a cavity.
The Mamma Mia! and Downton Abbey star, 36, who was spotted smoking e-cigarettes on the set of latest movie Swiped, says she needs dental work because the flavoured vapes she smokes are “full of sugar”.
“I prided myself that I’d never had a filling,” Lily says.
“I did just recently get one – I was so upset. Apparently, it’s from flavoured vapes, which are full of sugar. They f**cked my teeth.”
More than 5.6 million people in the UK are thought to be using e-cigarettes, according to the public health charity Ash.
They are an aid for stopping smoking, recommended by the NHS for those looking to quit.
But the risk is that people who have never smoked, including kids, are getting hooked.
And it could be a gateway to other habits. In August, a University of York study found children who vape are three times more likely to smoke — both cigarettes and weed — and binge-drink.
One in ten vapers are thought to be high-schoolers between the ages of 11 and 15.
Seven per cent of 11 to 17-year-olds vape — around 400,000 young people, with an estimated 40 per cent vaping daily.
‘Timebomb of dental health issues‘
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Children’s brains and lungs are still developing, meaning they may be more sensitive to the harms of vaping, the NHS warns.
Dentists, meanwhile, fear a timebomb of dental-health issues, with vaping known to contribute to tooth decay, staining and gum disease.
Emma is speaking out now in a bid to urge young people to drop the habit.
“I switched to vaping when they first came out, mainly as it was cheaper than smoking,” she says.
“But they are full of sweeteners that destroy teeth. A vape was constantly in my hand or hanging around my neck and I ended up vaping more than I smoked. It’s so addictive.”
It was constantly in my hand or hanging around my neck and I ended up vaping more than I smoked. It’s so addictive
Emma Parsons-Reid
The first thing Emma noticed was the gum receding on her top front tooth where the vape rested in her mouth.
The area became painful and inflamed.
When she attended her six-monthly hygienist appointment, she was warned it was due to vaping.
Emma reveals: “The dentist said she’d seen it in other patients and that the sugary substance in the vapes had caused my gums to recede.
“I’m paying the price now for my habit as the treatment has been so expensive.”
Dr Sam Jethwa, a leading dentist and president of The British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, said the sticky, sugary content of vaping liquids sticks to the teeth, damaging enamel.
It also changes the microbiome of the mouth, making it more hospitable to bacteria.
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This causes tooth decay, including in areas where it doesn’t usually occur, such as the bottom edges of front teeth, Dr Jethwa says.
He adds: “The sweet flavours in vapes usually come from artificial sweeteners or vegetable glycerin, which can withstand the heat of vaping.
“Even though vapes don’t contain natural sugar, they can create conditions that harm your oral health.
“A dentist can tell when a patient vapes. The first sign is a dry mouth, with saliva thicker than normal. Patients may also have inflamed gums and chapped lips.
“A dry mouth is a known cause for cavities. Saliva helps to neutralise acid that can decay tooth enamel. The artificial sweetener can also encourage plaque build-up.”
Dr Jethwa warns that young people may be even more vulnerable because their mouths are still developing.
But the good news is, damage can sometimes be reversed.
Once you quit, saliva production will improve, reducing risk of cavities and infection.
Dr Sahil Patel, of London’s Marylebone Smile Clinic, warns that vaping may also increase risk of cancer.
“It’s still too early to know the full long-term effects of vaping but the initial data is worrying
The 4 horrifying things that can happen to your body after vaping
VAPES were once hailed as miracle devices to help adults ditch cigarettes.
But while the devices don’t carry the same risks as tobacco, experts have warned that vaping might not be so harmless after all.
Here are five ways vaping could damage young users bodies:
1. It could slow down brain development
Vaping nicotine can permanently affect brain development in people under the age of 25, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
It said that nicotine consumed during teenage years can harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control, as well as increase the risk of addiction.
2. It could lead to tooth decay
Dr Michael Heffernan, a dentist at The Wessex Dental Specialist Care, said most vapes contain dangerous chemical that can harm your teeth and lead to decay.
Puffing on the devices could also lead to mouth dryness, creating an environment in which harmful bacteria can grow.
3. It could damage heart health
However, some of the chemicals found in vapes can be damaging to the heart, with the American Heart Association (AHA) stating that vaping is “as harmful to the body’s cardiovascular systems as cigarettes”.
4. It could cause lung disease
Vaping from a young age could leave children with breathing difficulties, with paediatric respiratory consultant Dr Mike McKean saying he’d seen reports of people developing lung disease related to vaping.
Researchers from the US also found that young people who vape are more at risk of bronchitis, inflammation of the airways, and shortness of breath.
Read more on how vaping can affect your health here.
Toxic substances
“The chemicals used appear to cause similar levels of lung damage to traditional tobacco — and while a direct link with mouth or lung cancer hasn’t yet been proven, the risks can’t be ignored.”
A 2022 Government-commissioned reviewled by academics at King’s College London, found “vaping poses a small fraction of the risks of smoking” in the short and medium-term.
But there have not been enough studies that look at long-term risks the review said.
Vapes do emit a number of potentially toxic substances, though, that have been linked to cancer, heart and lung damage.
Emma gave up vaping more than two years ago and is warning others to kick the habit.
She says: “I’ve been trying to right the wrongs, to try and improve the appearance of my mouth. It really got me down. It happened at a time when I was ageing anyway and was beginning to feel bad about how I looked.
“My sister is older than me but looks younger, probably because she has never vaped.
“I feel ashamed that I vaped for so long. I’m incredibly proud of myself for giving up.
“I know how hard it is, but if you don’t act now, you will cause a lifetime of problems.
”I was lucky I had the money to fix it but if you haven’t, you’ll just have to live with your teeth falling out.”
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Smoking vs. vaping
VAPING has been touted as an effective tool to help people quit smoking.
Though vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking, the habit isn’t completely harmless and comes with its own set of risks.
The NHS only recommends it for adult smokers, to support quitting smoking.
GP and author Dr Philippa Kaye explained to The Sun that the differences between vaping and smoking – and whether one is better than the other – is “complicated”.
“In a nutshell, vaping is better than smoking, but breathing air is better than vaping at all.”
Vaping exposes users to far fewer toxins – and at lower levels – than smoking cigarettes.
Switching to vaping significantly reduces your exposure to toxins that can cause cancer, lung disease, and diseases of the heart and circulation like heart attack and stroke.
These diseases are not caused by nicotine, which is relatively harmless to health. But research has still linked vaping to a higher risk of failure and lung disease.
Health risks of cigarettes
- Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer
- Smokers are at greater risk for diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels
- Smoking can cause lung disease by damaging your airways and the small air sacs
- Smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body
- It affects overall health too, such as your mouth, eyes, immune system and fertility
Health risks of vaping
- They can cause side effects such as throat and mouth irritation, headache, cough and feeling sick
- They could lead to tooth decay
- They could damage heart health
- They could cause lung disease
- They could slow brain development
Read more on how vaping can affect your health here.
Sources: NHS, CDC
