How to Hide the Fact That You Vape from a Dentist

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Tips for keeping your vaping habits under wraps at the dentist’s office
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Your dentist only cares about your dental health and well-being, so don’t freak out if you’re a vaper and you’ve got a dentist appointment coming up. While they may be able to tell that you vape if you’ve been using nicotine for a long time, there are still plenty of ways you can either write the symptoms off or cover them up. We’ll cover all of that and more.

Things You Should Know

  • Stop vaping before your dentist appointment and brush and floss twice a day.
  • Rinse your mouth with mouthwash for 1-2 minutes before you see the dentist.
  • Explain away any questions about vaping by saying that you drink a lot of coffee.
Section 1 of 3:

Hiding Your Vaping

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  1. You’re not going to get rid of nicotine stains, but at least you’ll clear up that bad breath and dry mouth. This will also give you a little bit of time to scrub your teeth clean without adding any more vape juice or residue. [1]
    • Brush and floss your teeth twice a day the same way you normally should.
    • Don’t brush your teeth hard to try and “scrub off” any nicotine stains. You’re more likely to wear your tooth enamel down than remove the stains.
    • You can also try a teeth whitening treatment a day or two before the appointment. [2]
  2. This won’t get rid of any of the bigger signs if you’ve been vaping for a while, but it will give you the good breath dentists don’t normally see on smokers. This may help sell the idea you don’t vape. [3]
    • If you have a choice of mouthwashes, use one that contains alcohol. The alcohol should do a better job of neutralizing your vape breath. [4]
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  3. Coffee is notorious for staining your teeth, so casually drop the fact that you drink coffee into the conversation with your dentist when you walk in. This may plant the seed in your dentist’s head that any stains aren’t from nicotine. [5]
    • You might apologize in advance for bad breath ahead of time by mentioning you just had coffee an hour ago.
    • Alternatively, you can yawn as you walk in and take a seat and say, “Sorry about that. I didn’t have my coffee this morning.”
  4. Your dentist really just wants you to be happy and healthy. They’ve seen chain smokers, people who don’t brush, folks who chug coffee, tobacco chewers, and more. However gross you think your mouth is, they’ve seen way worse. If they didn’t care then, they don’t care now. [6]
    • In fact, your dentist may be able to offer you special advice or unique toothpastes and products if they know you vape.
    • Doctors are legally required to keep patient info to themselves, but that doesn’t apply to dentists in most states.
    • If you ask your dentist not to reveal the fact that you vape to anyone, they’ll likely honor the request. No good dentist keeps patients by revealing their secrets to others.
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Section 2 of 3:

Can a dentist tell if you vape?

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  1. If you don’t vape very often or you just picked the habit up, your dentist may not necessarily be able to tell. However, if you’ve been vaping for a while (think over a year or so), they’ll probably know something is up. [7]
    • The evidence won’t come from the vapor, but the nicotine. Nicotine stains your teeth and gums, which will be the most obvious sign you’re a vape user.
    • Vaping also causes a dry mouth, so the dentist may spot your teeth and gums drying out quickly during the exam.
    • Lastly, vaping can contribute to basically every dental issue out there, like bad breath and cavities, so your dentist may notice all of the signs and put everything together. [8]
Section 3 of 3:

What does vaping do to your teeth?

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  1. Vape juice contains propylene glycol (that’s the main ingredient, actually). It’s not dangerous to inhale on its own, but it is an acid that breaks down the enamel on your teeth. Once the enamel wears down, there isn’t really anything protecting your teeth. [9]
  2. Without the enamel, all of the acid and bacteria entering your mouth from your vaping can begin wearing away the dental tissue. This will result in a rapid increase in tooth decay and increase the odds that you develop cavities. [11]
    • Most people will get a cavity at some point, but vaping will make any cavities worse than they already would be.
  3. Propylene glycol is a soft tissue irritant. Your gums happen to be made up entirely of soft tissue, so the longer you vape, the more you increase the odds of developing gum disease. All of that irritation will also inflame your gums. [12]
    • Inflamed gums will be especially sensitive and occasionally painful.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-teeth-and-gums/how-to-keep-your-teeth-clean/
      2. ↑ https://www.ada.org/en/resources/research/science-and-research-institute/oral-health-topics/whitening
      3. ↑ https://www.ada.org/en/resources/research/science-and-research-institute/oral-health-topics/mouthrinse-mouthwash
      4. ↑ https://avalondentalcare.net/alcohol-vs-alcohol-free-mouthwash/
      5. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9683888/
      6. ↑ https://www.drbrite.com/blogs/news/how-to-smoke-without-ruining-your-teeth
      7. ↑ https://www.oakdental.co.uk/newsletter/can-dentists-tell-if-i-vape
      8. ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32043402/
      9. ↑ https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/smoking-and-oral-health
      1. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6151498/
      2. ↑ https://now.tufts.edu/2022/11/23/using-vapes-may-set-stage-dental-decay
      3. ↑ https://www.ndspecialists.uk/news/can-vaping-cause-gum-disease-and-other-oral-health-issues

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