Vaping dulls taste and can make your mouth sore. If every dish or beverage seems bland to you, you’ve a coated tongue, or your mouth feels dry after e-cig use, don’t worry—the ideal help guide is here. Vapers commonly report a temporary loss of taste, commonly referred to as vape tongue, plus dry mouth and tender gums. Although research is ongoing, there’s enough known today to enable you to keep your smile safe and feel like yourself again during meals.

What is “vape tongue”?

Vape tongue is not a doctor’s diagnosis. It’s a colloquial term for taste deprivation and flavor dampening that can occur after vaping for a long time. E-cigarette aerosol is not “just water vapor”; it might contain nicotine, ultrafine particles, and other chemicals of potential harm that come in contact with your oral tissues with every breath. That exposure is not without danger.

Why can’t you taste anything?

Two things usually step into the limelight:

• Dry mouth (xerostomia): Reduced saliva makes foods taste flat and increases the risk of cavities. Recent studies show repeated e-cigarette use is associated with higher chances of developing xerostomia.
• Microbiome disruption & biofilm buildup: Recent reviews associate vaping with oral microbiota disruptions that are favorable to plaque buildup and cariogenic bacteria, which result in gum inflammation and erosion of enamel with time.

What to improve in your routine to make a difference in your oral health

• Never compromise with your daily dose of 0hydration. Drink 12 to 16 cups of water daily to keep your mouth clean. It also helps in optimal salivary production. Saliva protects teeth, neutralizes acids, and carries flavor molecules to your taste receptors. 
• Break habits that parch your mouth. Antihistamines, caffeinated drinks, and alcohol-rich mouthrinses can worsen mouth dryness. You can replace your regular off-the-shelf mouthwashes with alcohol-free antimicrobial mouthrinses. If you’re unsure which one to pick, you can talk to a dentist in Lombard for assistance. 
• Clean biofilm. Brush with a fluoride toothpaste twice daily, floss or use interdental brushes once daily at night, and add a tongue cleaner. Control of biofilm mechanically aids taste rebound and reduces halitosis.
• Build up enamel. Ask about prescription-strength fluoride or remineralizing pastes if you’ve had sensitivity or white-spot lesions. These aid in enamel while you shape up bad habits.
• Consider a quit plan that fits you. The American Dental Association urges dentists to screen patients who vape and help them know about risks and cessation support.

When to call your dentist 

• Taste changes that persist for more than two to three weeks, even with a better level of hydration
• Sore mouth, bleeding gums, or increasing mouth sensitivity
• Dry, thick saliva or “cotton mouth” for the majority of the day

Those signs are suggestive of xerostomia or gum inflammation due to plaque that necessitates further evaluation. Dental science is undergoing nonstop changes, but current evidence shows that vaping can be one of the leading causes of dry mouth and dysbiosis—two diseases that can accelerate caries and periodontal inflammation if help is denied or ignored.

Schedule an appointment with Sanders Family Dental in Lombard for an oral exam, salivary-flow test, and a simple, effective home oral care regimen that fits your lifestyle.