The nation’s dentists back vaping law changes that would end over-the-counter-sales of non-prescription vapes.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler announced a major crackdown on flavoured vapes in May.
The Australian Dental Association (ADA) said one in four people aged 18 to 24 and one in six aged 14 to 17 had vaped, and some schools were installing vape detectors in bathrooms.
“Apart from the effects on general health, the use of vapes is setting the next generation up for a raft of oral health issues,” ADA president Stephen Liew said, “some of which are shown to be more detrimental to mouth health than years of smoking.”
He said effects on oral health included an increased level of carcinogens in the saliva of e-cig users, as well as concerning oral lesions, and increased risk of dental decay and gum disease.
Vaping and its effects on oral health will be a key topic at the ADA-hosted international World Dental Congress this September.
The American Dental Association’s spokesperson on vaping, Purnima Kumar, has done extensive research into vaping harms and will be presenting her research to the congress.
“Vaping for six months has the equivalent effect on a user as a smoker who has been smoking for five years,” she said.
“Compared to smoking, vaping is the greater of the two evils as changes occur quicker and cause more damage to the mouth.”
