Using e-cigarettes may alter oral microbiome, increase gum disease risk: Study

Vaping may alter the community of different species of bacteria living in the mouth, making users more prone to inflammation and infection, according to a study that may lead to stronger interventions against e-cigarette use.

The study, published in the journal iScience, noted that the mouth harbours many microbial species (microbiome) that colonise our respiratory and digestive tracts, and said smoking raises the risk of gum disease by fostering an environment conducive for infection-causing bacteria to flourish.

"Given the popularity of vaping, it is critical that we learn more about the effects of e-cigarette aerosols on the oral microbiome and host inflammatory responses in order to better understand the impact of vaping on human health," said Xin Li, study co-author from New York University (NYU) in the US.

"The oral microbiome is of interest to us because research shows that changes in its microbial community as a result of environmental and host factors contribute to a range of