NEW YORK: Researchers at New York University College of Dentistry recently found that e-cigarette users have a unique set of microorganisms in their mouths that worsen gum disease over time.
Smoking cigarettes is a known risk factor for developing gum disease. Still, less is known about the impact of e-cigarettes on oral health, especially the long-term consequences of vaping. Clinical attachment loss, measured by gum ligament and tissue detaching from a tooth's surface, causing the gum to recede and produce pockets, is a key symptom of gum disease. Bacteria thrive in these pockets, leading to more serious condition.
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Scott C. Thomas, the lead author of the research, and colleagues studied the oral health of eighty-four adults from 3 groups: cigarette smokers, non-smokers, e-cigarette users. Two dental exams, six months apart, were used, and plaque samples were taken to test the bacteria present to assess the gum disease.
At the outset of the trial, all individuals had some form of gum disease, with cigarette smokers having the most severe condition, followed by e-cigarette users. According to the study, gum disease had worsened in participants in each group, including some e-cigarette users, after six months.
The bacteria found in the plaque samples were then studied, and the researchers discovered that e-cigarette users have a different oral microbiome than smokers and non-smokers.
The researchers discovered that e-cigarette users' microbiomes were linked to clinical measurements of gum disease and changes in the host immunity. In particular, vaping was associated with different levels of cytokines (proteins that help regulate the immune system). Specific cytokines are linked to an imbalance in oral bacteria and can worsen gum disease by making people prone to inflammation and infection.
The study 'Electronic Cigarette Use Promotes a Unique Periodontal Microbiome' has recently been published in mBio.
