Electronic cigarette use vs Traditional (conventional) cigarette smokers: Plaque index / periodontal health (relative harm vs conventional smoking)
E-cigarette users tend to have a lower plaque index and less periodontal harm than traditional cigarette smokers, although still worse than non-smokers (narrative synthesis; ungraded).
What each review found
Current versions only| Finding | Effect | Studies | GRADE certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
E-cigarette use (electronic nicotine delivery systems / vaping) vs Traditional (conventional) cigarette smokers Plaque index / periodontal health (relative harm vs conventional smoking) · Adult e-cigarette (ENDS) users (general oral health) · Oral health / dental care E-cigarette users tend to have a lower plaque index and less periodontal harm than traditional cigarette smokers, although still worse than non-smokers (narrative synthesis; ungraded). An Umbrella Review of E-Cigarettes' Impact on Oral Microbiota and Biofilm Buildup. (2025) All outcomes | Narrative synthesis: plaque accumulation and periodontal harm were less pronounced in e-cigarette users than in traditional cigarette smokers; cigarette smokers had a significantly higher plaque index than e-cigarette… | 4 studies | GRADE not reported |
Findings are shown side by side, never pooled across reviews.
The reviews
| Review | Searched up to | Included studies | AMSTAR 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| An Umbrella Review of E-Cigarettes' Impact on Oral Microbiota and Biofilm Buildup. 2025 All outcomes | 12 March 2025 | 10 | 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.