Vaping and caries risk.

Introduction:
This text summarizes four studies related to oral health risks associated with vaping, smoking, and furcation involvement, as well as the promotion of e-cigarettes on social media. a reader will learn about the impact of these factors on dental and periodontal health, and the implications for dental practice and public policy.

Key Points:

1. a cross-sectional study of 13,098 patients found that vaping is associated with a higher risk of developing caries, with 79.1% of vaping patients in the high caries risk category.
2. a study of 80 smokers who underwent non-surgical periodontal therapy found that heavy smokers experienced attachment loss and had only a 50% reduction in the number of sites with moderate periodontitis.
3. a focus group study of 82 pre-adolescents and adolescents found that e-cigarette advertising on social media is perceived as glamorizing vaping and targeting youth, with flavored products viewed as particularly appealing.
4. a retrospective cohort study of 381,450 subjects found that furcation involvement has a significant impact on molar loss, with adjusted risk ratios of 1.67 and 3.30 for degree 2 and 3 involvement, respectively.
5. The cross-sectional study used patient records from a dental school clinic from January 2019 to January 2022.
6. The smoking cessation study included 80 smokers with periodontitis who were offered individualized smoking cessation and followed for 12 months.
7. The focus group study consisted of 20 focus groups with pre-adolescents and adolescents aged 11-16 years old in Scotland.
8. The retrospective cohort study identified subjects with and without furcation involvement in a nationwide registry in Sweden and followed them for ten years.

Main Message:
These studies highlight the importance of addressing oral health risks associated with vaping, smoking, and furcation involvement in dental practice and public policy. Dental professionals should be aware of the increased caries risk associated with vaping and the impact of smoking on periodontal therapy outcomes. additionally, there is a need for policies to restrict the marketing of e-cigarettes on social media, particularly targeted at youth. The impact of furcation involvement on molar loss emphasizes the need for early detection and intervention in periodontal disease management. Overall, dental professionals and policymakers must consider these risk factors to promote optimal oral health outcomes.

Wadia R. Vaping and caries risk. British dental journal. 2022;233(12):1020. doi:10.1038/s41415-022-5365-5