Vaping: What Parents Need To Know

As parents, there are always things that we need to discuss with our children. Some conversations are easier to have than others, but it is the parents’ job to make important conversations happen. A new topic that parents need to discuss with their children is the growing popularity of vaping.

Vaping is a popular habit that involves inhaling vapor from a vaporizer or electric cigarette. Vaping devices are commonly called vape pens and vape mods. Many teens and young people are looking for ways to appear “cool,” and vape pens are a growing trend. Recent studies show that one in five high school students now use tobacco products, with vaping devices increasing to 78% among young tobacco users. These are troubling statistics for a generation of parents who thoroughly understand the deadly and damaging effects of tobacco use.

It is unfortunate that society promotes bad habits to young people, yet that is the world that we all find ourselves in. Vaping companies have started adding flavoring products to the vaping liquids to entice younger generations to vape. According to a PATH study, 81% of current youth who regularly use vaping devices state that the appealing flavors are the primary reason they engage in vaping.

The dangerous fact of vaping is that it is promoted as a “safer alternative” to smoking. However, that is simply untrue. Ingredients known as propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin are incredibly dangerous to oral health. These ingredients foster tooth decay, gum infection and disease, and a decrease in saliva production. It is also crucial for parents to know that nicotine is also an ingredient in vaping liquids. Nicotine is a dangerous and highly addictive drug. One vape cartridge can equal the same nicotine amount of two to three packs of regular cigarettes.

There is no way around it – vaping is bad news. Dentists across the United States are trying to bring awareness to the dangerous effects of this bad habit on oral health. At Engineered Smiles, we care about the health of your mouth because we know that there is a direct link between your oral health and your overall health. Now is the time to have a conversation with your children about vaping.

Contact Engineered Smiles to learn more.