Woman who never smoked warns of 'black teeth' vaping side effect caused by £17,000 habit
The dark realities of vaping continue to leak out of the smoking community.
And this time, we're looking at the story of 41-year-old Stacey Gardiner, whose nine-year vape habit has amassed £17,200 in expenses and irreversible damage to her teeth.
Astonishingly, before 2017, she'd never smoked a single cigarette, but when E-cig shops began taking over her local Swansea high street, she couldn't resist their multi-flavoured allure.
Almost a decade on from that fateful beginning, Stacey has been left with two black front teeth that need hiding by clip-on veneers.
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"It was about four years ago a bit of black started at the top of one tooth," she recalled. "It didn't occur to me what was causing it.
"The vapes cost £8 each and I was going through them, around four to five vapes per week.
"I always cleaned my teeth twice a day, I don't eat sweets and at first I wasn't aware what was causing it.
"I'm on a waiting list here in Wales, but the chances of getting an NHS dentist are slim. It's noticeable for people to mention it, and I have been asked in the past 'are they crowns on your teeth?'" the blogger continued.
"I've been told the vapes leave residue around the top of your teeth and gumline. That's what causes the damage. The Instasmile veneers mean I've finally got my smile back."
Despite spotting the blackness five years ago, it wasn't until 2025 when she mentioned the change to a dentist, who was emergency-removing two of her molars at the time.
The dentist linked it to vaping, and so she went 'cold turkey' on the vapes and shelled out £200 for her new smile-protectors.
The effect of vaping on oral health
Not only is nictotine being introduced to the body when someone vapes, but also the vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol that is present in them. This can create a sticky, viscous substance that changes the bacterial makeup of the mouth.
Bupa UK explains how vaping can:
- Create excess bacteria in the mouth, which can result in tooth decay, gum disease and gum recession.
- Inhibit the flow of blood to the gums, which can mean poor gum healing and failure or gum (periodontal) treatment and dental implants.
- Cause a dry mouth, which can lead to oral sores, tooth decay, bad breath and a reduction of your teeth’s natural bacterial buffer.
- Cause teeth grinding - also known as bruxism, vaping and smoking may stimulate muscular activity which can cause teeth grinding and the associated complications and discomfort associated with it.
After getting her 'smile back', Stacey doesn't believe there's enough awareness surrounding the damage vapes can cause to teeth and wants 'young people' to know about the potential dangers.
"I don't think vapes causing damage to teeth, there is enough awareness about that," she said.
"They start vaping younger now. If it was a 15-year-old they could be in the same position I'm in by the age of 20, and I don't think there is enough awareness, like how dangerous the sweetness and residue leaves on teeth."
This comes after a groundbreaking investigation found that vaping likely causes cancer, too.
Experiments raised concern about the carcinogenicity of vape liquids, and while long-term data is not yet available, researchers don't want the world to repeat history after it took more than 100 years to establish the link between smoking and lung cancer.
Dan Seddon