E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products impact on dental color parameters
Shipra Gupta,
Vaibhav Sahni,
Rosalia Emma,
Stefan Gospodaru,
Gheorghe Bordeniuc,
Valeriu Fala,
Amaliya Amaliya,
Giusy Rita Maria La Rosa,
Sebastiano Antonio Pacino,
Salvatore Urso,
Hasan Guney Yilmaz,
Giovanni Zucchelli,
Riccardo Polosa
Affiliations
Shipra Gupta
Unit of Periodontics, Oral Health Sciences Centre, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India
Vaibhav Sahni
Unit of Periodontics, Oral Health Sciences Centre, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India
Rosalia Emma
Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Italy
Stefan Gospodaru
Faladental, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova
Gheorghe Bordeniuc
Faladental, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova; “Nicolae Testemiţanu” State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Chişinău, Republic of Moldova
Valeriu Fala
Faladental, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova; “Nicolae Testemiţanu” State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Chişinău, Republic of Moldova
Amaliya Amaliya
Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Padjadjaran, West Java, Indonesia
Giusy Rita Maria La Rosa
ECLAT Srl, Spin-off of the University of Catania, Catania, Italy
Sebastiano Antonio Pacino
ECLAT Srl, Spin-off of the University of Catania, Catania, Italy; Addendo Srl, Dental Clinic, Catania, Italy
Salvatore Urso
Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
Hasan Guney Yilmaz
Near East University, Faculty of Dentistry. Department of Periodontology. Nicosia, Mersin10, Turkey
Giovanni Zucchelli
Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Riccardo Polosa
ECLAT Srl, Spin-off of the University of Catania, Catania, Italy; Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of HArm Reduction (CoEHAR), University of Catania, Italy; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy; Centre for the Prevention and Treatment of Tobacco Addiction (CPCT), Teaching Hospital, Catania, Italy; Policlinico Universitario - V. Emanuele'', University of Catania, Catania, Italy; Corresponding author. ECLAT Srl, Spin-off of the University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Objectives: Abstaining from tobacco smoking may not only improve general health, but also reduce teeth staining and restore teeth whiteness. Compared with conventional cigarettes, E-cigarettes (ECs) and heated tobacco products (HTPs) may offer substantial reduction in exposure to pigmented tar-like compounds of cigarette smoke. It is possible that improvements in dental color indices may be observed in those who have stopped smoking combustible cigarettes by switching to tar-free nicotine delivery products. Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated and compared dental color parameters by digital spectrophotometry among five different groups: individuals who currently smoke ; individuals who used to smoke but have quit ; individuals who have never smoked ; exclusive users of electronic cigarettes (former smokers) ; and exclusive users of heated tobacco products (former smokers) . Results: Dental whiteness in current cigarette smokers was notably worse compared with never and former smokers, (13.38 Whiteness Index for Dentistry (WID) units vs. 19.96 and 16.79 WID units). Remarkably high WID values (i.e., whiter teeth) were also observed in ECs (16.72 WID units) and HTPs users (17.82 WID units). Compared to current smokers, difference in dental whiteness for ECs and HTPs users was visually noticeable (ΔWID difference being on average > 2.90 units). The colour differences measured as delta E*(ΔE*) were all visually detectable except for the comparison between ex-smokers and ECs users for which no perceptible color difference was observed (0.415). Conclusion: Exclusive use of ECs and HTPs is associated with better dental color measurements than current smoking, suggesting that tar-free nicotine delivery technologies are unlikely to have negative effects on dental appearance. Clinical significance: Use of alternative nicotine delivery systems may be associated with cosmetic benefits with important implications for those smokers perceiving dental aesthetics as a significant problem. For these an oral-based narrative may be a much more significant reason to refrain from smoking than the fear of developing smoking-related diseases in future.
