Abstract:

Periodontal disease affects the tooth and tooth-supporting tissues. Smoking is a risk factor for periodontal diseases. Electronic cigarettes give a smoking-like experience, which increases their popularity and use every day. This study investigated the damage caused by the electronic cigarette to the epithelial cells that constitutes the top layer of the gums. For this purpose, the cytotoxic effect of electronic cigarette fluid on oral epithelial cells and its effect on matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) release were investigated. In this study, electronic cigarette fluids containing nicotine at concentrations of 0.01, 0.5, or 1.0 mg/mL were used without fragrance-containing flavors. Epithelial cells were exposed to electronic cigarette fluid for 48 hours. The cell culture fluids obtained were examined using tetrazolium (MTT) cytotoxic assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that the cytotoxic effect increased due to nicotine concentration (p<0.05) and increased the release of MMP-1 involved in tissue destruction of epithelial cells (p<0.05). Although its long-term negative consequences have not been studied as much as traditional cigarettes, this study shows that electronic cigarettes is an important risk factor for periodontal diseases.