E-Cigarette effects on oral health: A molecular perspective

Ganapathy V 1 , Jaganathan R 2 , Chinnaiyan M 3 , Chengizkhan G 3 , Sadhasivam B 4 , Manyanga J 3 Show all authors , Ramachandran I 5 , Queimado L 6

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA. Electronic address: Vengatesh-Ganapathy@ouhsc.edu
  • 2 Preclinical Department, Royal College of Medicine Perak, Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL-RCMP), Ipoh, Perak, 30450, Malaysia
  • 3 Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
  • 4 Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
  • 5 Department of Endocrinology, Dr. ALM Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani Campus, Chennai, 600113, Tamil Nadu, India
  • 6 Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA; Department of Cell Biology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA; TSET Health Promotion Research Center, Stephenson Cancer Center, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA. Electronic address: Lurdes-Queimado@ouhsc.edu
Food Chem Toxicol, 2025 Feb;196:115216.
PMID: 39736445 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2024.115216

Abstract

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have emerged as a potential alternative to traditional smoking and may aid in tobacco harm reduction and smoking cessation. E-cigarette use has notably increased, especially among young non-tobacco users, raising concerns due to the unknown long-term health effects. The oral cavity is the first and one of the most crucial anatomical sites for the deposition of e-cigarette aerosols. E-cigarette aerosols contain nicotine, flavors, volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, carcinogens, and other hazardous substances. These aerosols impact the oral cavity, disrupting host-microbial interactions and triggering gingivitis and systemic diseases. Furthermore, oral inflammation and periodontitis can be caused by proinflammatory cytokines induced by e-cigarette aerosols. The toxic components of e-cigarette aerosols increase the cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, reduce antioxidant capacity, increase DNA damage, and disrupt repair processes, which may further contribute to harmful effects on oral epithelum, leading to inflammatory and pre-malignant oral epithelial lesions. In this review, we analyze the toxicological properties of compounds in e-cigarette aerosols, exploring their cytotoxic, genotoxic, and inflammatory effects on oral health and delving into the underlying molecular mechanisms. Further research is essential to understand the impact of e-cigarettes on oral health and make informed regulatory decisions based on reliable scientific evidence.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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