Smokers everywhere are excited about the development of e-cigarettes. Touted as a healthier alternative to tobacco use, e-cigarettes use a water vapor to deliver a dosage of nicotine, in a similar manner that smoking tobacco does.

However, using an e-cigarette can affect your chances of developing gum disease. Here's more information.

The Nicotine Causes Gum Recession

While e-cigarettes are undoubtedly better than smoking tobacco in its traditional form, the vapor in e-cigarettes still contains nicotine, which is derived from tobacco. Nicotine has a number of effects, including constricting your blood vessels.

Constricted blood vessels deliver less blood-in the case of your gums, less blood flow means the gum tissue is not getting the nutrients it needs, and in response it will begin to shrink and pull back from your teeth.

E-Cigarettes Can Hide The Warning Signs Of Gum Disease

Because the flow of blood to your gums is reduced, and because bleeding gums is one of the key warning signs of gum disease, using an e-cigarette can have the unintended consequence of hiding the warning flags you would normally see when you are developing gum disease. This in turn means you may not take the precautions you otherwise would take, and the disease can progress further than it otherwise would.

Nicotine Reduces Salivary Output

Another effect of nicotine is a reduced salivary output. Your mouth doesn't produce as much saliva. Saliva, normally, helps to wash out your mouth, rinsing away bacteria and the acids they produce. Less saliva means more bacteria and thus more of a chance of gum disease.

While e-cigarettes are a step forward from smoking tobacco, for the sake of your gum health it may be best to stop smoking-of any kind-altogether. Contact our office if you have any questions, and they'll be glad to help you out.