Does vaping damage teeth? What the science says
Only got a minute?
- The NHS is clear that vaping is not risk-free, and that includes your mouth. The 2021 review in the Journal of Dental Research led by Richard Holliday of Newcastle University found that studies reveal potential oral health harms.
- The best-documented effects are dry mouth and gum irritation. The Journal of Dental Research review reports that epidemiological studies highlight concerns over oral dryness, irritation and gum disease. A dentist can spot these early.
- The NHS states that vapour contains no tar. Staining from vaping is still reported by users, so it is not stain-proof, and only a dentist can say what a stain on your own teeth is from.
- Tell your dentist you vape. NHS guidance is that your dentist sets your recall interval; knowing what you use changes what they look for.
- Most research is short-term. Nobody can yet tell you what twenty years of vaping does to teeth. If you have a concern about your own mouth, your dentist is the person to ask.
What’s in vapour, and why it matters to your mouth
Every e-liquid sold legally in the UK is built from the same four ingredients. NHS Better Health describes them as propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerine (VG), flavourings and, in most cases, nicotine. The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 cap nicotine at 20mg/ml and limit nicotine-containing bottles to 10ml, which is why 10ml bottles stop at 20mg/ml while larger shortfills are sold nicotine-free (our shortfill vs 10ml guide explains the formats and the UK vape law guide covers the limits).
Your mouth is the first thing vapour touches. PG is a humectant, meaning it draws moisture towards itself, and nicotine has its own effects on the gums, covered in the next section. Our post on what named bodies say about nicotine covers nicotine in more detail.
Propylene glycol
Carries flavour and throat hit. A humectant that draws moisture. Higher in 50/50 10ml liquids than in VG-heavy shortfills.
Nicotine
The Journal of Dental Research review discusses its effect of narrowing blood vessels in the gums. Absent from 0mg liquids. See how nicotine strengths are labelled for what the numbers on a bottle mean.
Flavourings and VG
VG is sweet and thick. Darker liquids are the ones users most often report as staining.
Where the dental research stands
There is a lot of research on vaping and oral health, but very little of it is long-term. The 2021 review in the Journal of Dental Research led by Richard Holliday of Newcastle University (Holliday, Chaffee, Jakubovics, Kist and Preshaw) concluded that studies reveal potential oral health harms and that future research following cohorts of users over time is needed to understand the clinical significance of the biological changes observed. That is a fair summary of the whole field, and it is worth keeping in mind whenever you see a confident headline in either direction. Our post on vaping myths and facts takes the same approach.
Dry mouth (xerostomia). This is the most consistently reported finding. The Journal of Dental Research review states that epidemiological studies highlight concerns over oral dryness and irritation. NHS guidance on dry mouth notes that saliva helps protect the teeth and mouth, and lists a persistently dry mouth as something to raise with a dentist or GP.
Gum irritation and the mouth’s bacteria. Research from NYU College of Dentistry published in the journal iScience in 2020 compared the bacteria living below the gumline in vapers, smokers and non-users, and found that vapers’ gum bacteria differed from those of people who had never used either product, with more of the species associated with gum disease. Laboratory work from the University of Rochester Medical Center has reported that e-liquid vapour can trigger inflammatory responses in gum cells. Both are early-stage findings: they show a mechanism, not a proven outcome in a large population over many years.
Cavities. The evidence here is weaker. The Journal of Dental Research review describes the findings on decay as early and mostly laboratory-based rather than confirmed clinical rates of decay in vapers. We are not going to give you a percentage for this, because there is no single well-established figure to give.
The hidden-bleeding problem. The Journal of Dental Research review notes that because nicotine narrows blood vessels, inflamed gums may bleed less than they otherwise would. Bleeding when you brush is the classic early warning sign of gum disease, so this matters: a vaper can have early gum disease and see fewer of the signs that would normally send them to the dentist.
Does vaping stain teeth?
Staining is reported by vapers, and the NHS states that vapour does not contain the tar found in cigarette smoke. Darkly coloured e-liquids, especially those with added colouring, are the ones users most often report as staining.
Whether a stain on your own teeth is from vaping, coffee, tea or something else is a question only a dentist can answer by looking, and a hygienist appointment is the place to ask about removing it.
Smoking vs vaping: what dentists compare
This table describes what the NHS and the named studies say about each product. It is not a scorecard, and it makes no claim about either product beyond what the named sources say.
| Effect | Cigarettes | Vaping |
|---|---|---|
| Tar | Present | Not present |
| Nicotine | Present | Present only in nicotine liquids (up to 20mg/ml); absent in 0mg liquids |
| Heat and combustion | Burning tobacco; carbon monoxide | Heated liquid; no combustion, no carbon monoxide (NHS) |
| Dry mouth | Reported | Reported; see the dry mouth section above |
| Gum bacteria | Well-established link to gum disease | Altered bacterial profile found (NYU, iScience 2020); long-term outcome not yet known |
| Long-term data | Decades of evidence | Mostly short-term studies; Journal of Dental Research review calls for long-term cohort studies |
Sources: NHS Better Health (vaping page); Holliday R, Chaffee BW, Jakubovics NS, Kist R, Preshaw PM, Electronic Cigarettes and Oral Health, Journal of Dental Research, 2021; NYU College of Dentistry study in iScience (2020). This table is not medical advice.
How to look after your teeth if you vape
None of this is vaping-specific magic. It is standard NHS dental advice.
- 1
Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. The NHS advises brushing last thing at night and once more during the day, then spitting rather than rinsing so the fluoride stays on your teeth.
- 2
Drink water through the day. The NHS recommends water as the best drink for teeth. Chain vaping is one of the habits covered in our list of common vaping mistakes.
- 3
Clean between your teeth daily. Interdental brushes or floss, as the NHS recommends. Gum disease starts in the gaps a toothbrush cannot reach.
- 4
Keep your check-ups. NHS guidance is that your dentist sets your recall interval, anywhere from three months to two years. Regular appointments are where the quieter signs of gum trouble get picked up.
- 5
Know what you use. Strength, liquid type and how often you vape are the details a dentist will ask about, so have them ready. No change of product is a substitute for the steps above or for a check-up.
When to see a dentist
Do not wait for pain. NHS dental guidance lists these as reasons to book an appointment rather than watch and wait:
Gums
Bleeding when brushing, redness, swelling, gums pulling back from the teeth, or bad breath that does not clear with brushing.
Mouth
Dry mouth that does not improve with water, ulcers that last more than three weeks, or any lump, patch or sore you cannot explain.
Teeth
New sensitivity to hot, cold or sweet things, staining you cannot brush off, or a chip or rough edge that was not there before.
If you do not have a dentist, the NHS website has a find-a-dentist service, and NHS 111 can advise on urgent dental problems. If you have a general health question about nicotine or vaping, or you want to stop using nicotine altogether, your GP, pharmacist or local NHS stop smoking service is the right place to take it; our guide to stopping smoking lists the routes the NHS discusses, and our vaping and medication guide explains why to mention any medicines you take. We sell vaping products; we are not the people to diagnose your gums.
Further reading
Related guides for adult vapers
These guides are information for adults who already vape. Our delivery and returns and rewards pages cover how the shop works.
Quick answers
Does vaping stain your teeth like smoking?
Staining is reported by vapers, particularly with dark liquids, so vaping is not stain-free. A dentist can tell you what a stain on your own teeth is from.
Why is my mouth so dry when I vape?
Propylene glycol is a humectant and draws moisture, which is why dry mouth is the most consistently reported finding. Drink more water and mention it to your dentist if it persists.
Can vaping cause gum disease?
Research from NYU College of Dentistry found that vapers’ gum bacteria differ from non-users’, and the Journal of Dental Research review notes that nicotine can mask the bleeding that warns of gum disease. Whether vaping causes gum disease over the long term is not yet settled.
Does nicotine-free e-liquid still affect teeth?
It removes the nicotine, but the PG and flavourings remain, and dry mouth relates to the liquid, not just the nicotine. A 0mg liquid is not a free pass for your dentist; our post on nicotine-free e-liquid explains what is and isn’t in it.
Should I tell my dentist I vape?
Yes. It changes what they look for, particularly around the gums, and it helps them set the right recall interval for you.
Is there a vape that is good for teeth?
No. No vaping product is a dental health product, and we do not sell any as one. If your mouth is bothering you, the answer is a dentist, not a different product.
