Weird question about the e-cig and teeth

[Kit]

Originally Posted by TheEmperorOfIceCream

My teeth are fine at the mo, but I am prone to blowing smoke rings down the pub, so they might get kicked out by an irate non-smoker...

That so Fxxxing funny emp he he

[bishybob]

I don't know if it has any effect on teeth. But if you're worried about it you could chew sugar free gum between e-smokes. I would if I just had thousands of dollars of work done on my teeth (which I do need, but can't afford).

[Pluto]

Ok I got an answer!

It turns out glycerin is in a lot of tooth products already, like toothpaste and tooth whitening products for consistency. However it doesn't sit on your teeth like the vapor does. The problem with glycerin isn't that it converts to sugars and cause cavities, but it does literally suck the moisture out of the enamel which in itself can leave the teeth more brittle and vulnerable to cavities.

So the plan of action is to chew sugar free gum throughout the day to get the saliva flowing. And also use a re-mineralizing mouthwash (not trying to sell anything but she did mention act restoring mouthwash because it's cheap and easy to find) after waking up, before going to bed, and once or twice in the middle of the day depending on how much and how long I've been smoking.

Just thought I'd share!

bishybob: I couldn't "afford" it myself, so I put my dental work on the credit card. I'm against debt on principal but I really needed the work done. I had two fractured teeth and my old fillings I got as a kid were breaking down. I had toothaches so bad I would take handfuls of over the counter painkillers, so much so that it was causing stomach problems. I could kick myself in the metaphorical nuts for waiting as long as I did, that's way too much work for someone my age (25). If I could go back I wouldn't have waited as long, and would have saved myself a lot of money. If there is any way you can swing it, please please do so.

[TropicalBob]

Do keep in mind that both glycerine AND propylene glycol are humectants. They break down to different byproducts, but they both attract moisture to themselves. And I hardly think I coat my teeth with glycerine from vapor. It's so transient as to be almost non-existant. Unless a dentist tells me this, I also find it hard to believe that vaporized glycerine sucks moisture from tooth enamel, and would thus promote brittle teeth.

My dentist wholeheartedly approves my use of snus, BTW. Moving a pouch around all day is like constant brushing of the teeth, he said. Just stay away from the ones that stain teeth. The Xylitol sweetener in some snus rang his bell, also. "That actually helps the teeth," he told me. Sadly, the XQs snus with Xylitol that I showed him is no longer made with tobacco.

[MNZ]

The BIG difference to all the cited cases mentioned is that we are inhaling a vapour of these products, not the actual products themselves. They would so far have only been tested for ingestion.

There is still a lot of testing to be done before we can even begin to assume that inhaling PG and nicotine in the way we do right now is even in the slightest bit OK for overall health.

I'm for one hoping it is A-No1 ok !!

[Lady Python]

I shouldn't have read this thread as I've got a whacking great abscess forming on a tooth that was rebuilt some 20 years ago

It needs to come out but I don't have a lot of teeth left. Last year I went to the dentist and asked him to take all my teeth out so I could get dentures. He flatly refused telling me I still had healthy teeth. I don't have ONE healthy tooth left. Most are crumbling away to nothing, two have fallen out themselves (right in the front) and now I've got a blooming abscess. The only saving grace on that is on that particular tooth there is no nerve so I'm not getting the excrutiating pain that would be the norm.

Going to the dentist is out, even on the NHS as we just don't have hundreds of pounds to pay for treatment. Going private is definitely out as the bill would run into a couple of thousand £££s

I'll just have to patiently wait until the thing drains itself

This has not been my week

[Pluto]

Originally Posted by TropicalBob

Do keep in mind that both glycerine AND propylene glycol are humectants. They break down to different byproducts, but they both attract moisture to themselves. And I hardly think I coat my teeth with glycerine from vapor. It's so transient as to be almost non-existant. Unless a dentist tells me this, I also find it hard to believe that vaporized glycerine sucks moisture from tooth enamel, and would thus promote brittle teeth.

Well the vapor has been giving people dry throats and sinuses, it's been known to suck moisture from those areas. I don't see why it would be that big of a stretch to think it wouldn't do the same to teeth. It's not going to be obvious and shrivel up like a raisin but all teeth are porous and get coated with whatever gets in the mouth, heck that's why they can get stained and why they can be bleached. Teeth can look healthy but not be (as I've learned from my very expensive lesson).

It's possible it may have no effect on the teeth, and that would be awesome. I just don't see the harm in taking a bit of precaution, some gum and mouthwash is inexpensive and sure as heck can't hurt anything. It might even prevent a problem.

I'm just the kind of person that believes everything has a catch. Call me a skeptic. While I absolutely believe e-smoking is healthier than cigarettes, I just can't think it's as harmless as drinking water. I hope the catch is something as easy as "might possibly dry out tooth enamel with prolonged exposure, use sugar free gum and a restoring mouthwash to prevent".

I have tried snus before. I just didn't take to it, and missed the actual act of smoking.

[bishybob]

Originally Posted by Pluto

bishybob: I couldn't "afford" it myself, so I put my dental work on the credit card. I'm against debt on principal but I really needed the work done. I had two fractured teeth and my old fillings I got as a kid were breaking down. I had toothaches so bad I would take handfuls of over the counter painkillers, so much so that it was causing stomach problems. I could kick myself in the metaphorical nuts for waiting as long as I did, that's way too much work for someone my age (25). If I could go back I wouldn't have waited as long, and would have saved myself a lot of money. If there is any way you can swing it, please please do so.

Thanks for the concern. I'm getting a little done at a time. The bad part is my two wisdom teeth that have broken in half. It's expensive to get them removed. My molar I can probably get removed for $50 US. The wisdom teeth are like $450 US or more.

Yep - About the only thing that helps is 6-10 200mg ibuprofen. Vicodin help too but not for very long and I can't get them too often.

I actually had really nice teeth until about 5 years ago. A medication I'm on causes bad teeth and leeches vitamins. The idiot doctor that prescribed it happend to leave out that I need to take multivitamin and calcium/magnesium/zinc supplements otherwise my teeth will fall apart. So I'm taking that stuff now and they don't seem to be getting worse, but i have three teeth that have to be pulled and two fillings that need put in. This is after the two teeth pulled recenlty and two fillings put in.

I'm hoping e-smoking will help my teeth too. I'm sure cigarettes can't be good for them.

[Lady Python]

Just a little warning here. Most toothpastes and mouthwashes contain Fluoride. Did you know that fluoride (apart from being a poison) rots the connecting tissues that attach the teeth and gums, causes pockets to form and the gums to recede? So, Fluoride protects the enamal of teeth OK but rots the gums

[Mr.Darcy]

my top tip for today is to use soot like the victorians did.