E-cigarette aerosol / e-liquid exposure (flavored and unflavored; nicotine and non-nicotine) vs Unexposed controls / unflavored e-liquid / conventional cigarette smoke: Enamel/dental hard-tissue changes and e-liquid cariogenic properties (demineralization, colour change, pH, sugar content, metals)
In vitro evidence suggests e-liquids are often acidic and sugar-containing and can alter enamel/dentin colour and properties, supporting a plausible cariogenic effect, but findings are heterogeneous and not pooled (ungraded, narrative).
What each review found
Include earlier review versions| Finding | Effect | Studies | GRADE certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
E-cigarette aerosol / e-liquid exposure (flavored and unflavored; nicotine and non-nicotine) vs Unexposed controls / unflavored e-liquid / conventional cigarette smoke Enamel/dental hard-tissue changes and e-liquid cariogenic properties (demineralization, colour change, pH, sugar content, metals) · Oral bacteria (streptococci), dental hard tissue (enamel/dentin) and e-liquids studied in vitro/ex vivo (with a few… · Laboratory (in vitro/ex vivo) studies of oral bacteria and dental hard tissue, plus a few clinical oral-microbiome studies In vitro evidence suggests e-liquids are often acidic and sugar-containing and can alter enamel/dentin colour and properties, supporting a plausible cariogenic effect, but findings are heterogeneous and not pooled (ungraded, narrative). The effects of electronic smoking on dental caries and proinflammatory markers: a systematic review and… (2025) All outcomes | Narrative synthesis. In vitro studies showed e-liquids can be acidic (Fairchild 2021: 84% of vapes pH<5.5) and contain sugars (Fagan 2018 sucrose ~125 ug/ml; Kubica 2014 sucrose 0.76-72.93 ug/g), and e-cigarette… | Not reported | GRADE not reported |
Findings are shown side by side, never pooled across reviews.
The reviews
| Review | Searched up to | Included studies | AMSTAR 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The effects of electronic smoking on dental caries and proinflammatory markers: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2025 All outcomes | September 2024 (initial search April 2024, updated September 2024) | 41 | Not applicable |
Studies behind the findings
None of these reviews ties its included studies to this outcome in the data here. Cochrane reviews and reviews with headline outcomes only do not list their studies yet.
How reviews are matched to this question
Reviews word the same question differently. Four decision models (TypeSafe's Jev, Liquid AI's d1-ultra, SubQ Snap and Baseten's Elephant) judged each wording of the population, intervention, comparator and outcome against the others; two wordings count as the same when at least three of them agree and none clearly disagrees, and findings count as this question only when all four elements match. Timing, setting and subgroup never split a question: they are shown on each finding.