USE OF VAPES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON ORAL HEALTH

Abstract

The use of electronic cigarettes, known as vapes, has become popular, especially among young people, initially seen as a less harmful alternative to traditional smoking; however, the effects of this practice on oral health were still poorly understood, raising questions about its possible negative impacts. Given this scenario, the research question was: what are the impacts of electronic cigarette use on oral health and the aging process of oral tissues? The general objective was to analyze how vaping influenced oral health, considering alterations in salivary flow, wear and tear of soft and hard tissues, gingival inflammation, and changes in the oral microbiome, while the specific objectives involved identifying the main chemical components present in vape liquids, analyzing the association between their use and the emergence of pathological alterations, and exploring the biological mechanisms related to premature aging of oral tissues. The methodology used was based on a bibliographic review of the literature conducted in the SciELO, LILACS, PubMed, and Virtual Health Library (VHL) databases, considering publications between 2015 and 2025 in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. The results indicated that prolonged vaping use was associated with increased tooth sensitivity, predisposition to periodontal infections, and alterations in the oral mucosa. Furthermore, the chemical compounds present in the devices showed potential to accelerate cellular aging of oral tissues, reinforcing the importance of deepening scientific knowledge on the subject and supporting the work of health professionals in raising public awareness.