CDA Position
Statement:
Considered a work-in-progress that will continue to be reviewed as more products continue to emerge.
CDA Recommendations:
·
Discussion with dentist
regarding patient’s use of vaping or water pipes and consumption of nicotine-,
tobacco or cannabis- based products.
·
Discussion by the dentist –
current known and potential risks of exposure and consumption of nicotine-,
tobacco or cannabis- based and vaping products.
·
Dentists recommend the patient
regarding cessation to reduce harm caused by these substances.
·
There is emerging evidence for
greater risk of disease when using combination of any of these products.
Smoking:
Smoking affects every organ of the body
detrimentally. It is a risk factor for many systemic diseases, contributes to
poor general and oral health, and may consequently lead to premature death.
Devices such as waterpipe/hookah smoking do not reduce the associated risks. By-products
of cigarette smoke damage blood vessels, which in turn causes inflammation.
It may
predispose a person to:
·
Lung
and oral cancer
·
Cardiovascular
disease.
·
Higher
rates of tooth decay,
·
Oral
mucosal lesions,
·
Periodontal
disease (i.e., receding gums, bone damage, tooth loss, jawbone loss)
·
Oral
health problems.
Nicotine:
Nicotine is
present in all tobacco products.
·
It
is an extremely addictive drug
·
It
stimulates the central nervous system and raises blood pressure, respiration
and heart rate.
·
It
is harmful for everyone, particularly youth and pregnant women.
·
It
can be harmful to developing fetuses.
·
It
can harm the brain development of children and young adults <20 years of
age.
·
Some
vaping liquids have higher dose of nicotine than tobacco and can be dangerous.
Cannabis:
Cannabis
contains 500 compounds, 66 of which are cannabinoids—chemicals that interact
with receptors in the brain. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), causes the
psychoactive effects.
·
Leukoplakias
·
Periodontal
complications
·
Xerostomia
(dry mouth)
·
Increased
risk of oral cancers
·
Increased appetite for cariogenic snack
foods
Vaping:
According
to current evidence vaping is a gateway to conventional cigarette smoking.
·
May
increase the risk of heart damage and stroke in similar ways to cigarette
smoking.
·
Vaping
has also been linked to cases of acute lung disease, some of which have been
fatal, were diagnosed in the United States and Canada
·
Vaping
products containing nicotine were legalized in Canada with the passage of Bill
S-5 in 2018, partly because black market readily supplied these devices prior
to this time.
·
Canadian
teenagers who vaped in the last month grew
by 74%, from 8.4% to 14.6% according to a 2019 study.
·
Vaping-liquid flavourings are cytotoxins
that cause damage to cells.
Smokeless Tobacco:
Products also known as spit tobacco,
snuff and chewing tobacco contain Nicotine and are known risk factors for
periodontal diseases and a possible risk factor for oral cancer.
