Oral Manifestations in E-Cigarette Users at the Iberoamerican University

Objectives: The objective of the study was to determine the oral manifestations in a student population of electronic cigarette (EC) users at the Iberoamerican University (UNIBE), Dominican Republic.
Methods: The study population consisted of 60 subjects, divided between 30 EC users (U) and 30 non-users (NU) as the control group. A questionnaire was administered to obtain all the data on vaping consumption and an intraoral clinical examination was performed to evaluate the associated oral manifestations. Subjects with systemic conditions were excluded. All data was organized and protected using codes.
Results: The averages of oral mucosal manifestations between the group of U and NU were compared statistically using the student t-test, with a significance level of 5%. The hypothesis of equal average was rejected, as EC users showed a mean of 2 manifestations per subject, while NU had 0.60 manifestation per subject. A total of 79 oral mucosa manifestations were observed, with the most frequent being nicotine stomatitis (U=26.6%, NU=3.8%). Following this, erythematous areas of the mucosa (U=17.7%, NU=2.5%), and hypertrophy of the tongue papillae (U=15.2%, NU=2.5%). The only manifestation in the oral mucosa that showed a higher prevalence in NU was biofilm-associated gingivitis (U=5.1%, NU=8.9%).

The most common side effect reported by the U group was sore throat (33.3%), followed by the sensation of dry mouth (26.7%).
Conclusions: This study constitutes the first report in the literature on the oral mucosal manifestations of EC users in the Dominican Republic. Among the most noteworthy findings, it was observed that EC users presented an average of two manifestations in the oral mucosa, more than three times the number observed in NU participants. This underscores the critical need to conduct thorough research and disseminate information regarding the oral manifestations associated with the use of ECs.