Relationship Between the Use of Vapes and Their Impact on Oral Health: A Bibliometric Study

The rapid global adoption of electronic cigarettes (vapes), particularly among younger populations, has raised significant concerns regarding their health impacts. Despite perceived lower risks compared with traditional smoking, these devices contain nicotine and toxins linked to respiratory and carcinogenic diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the current scientific landscape regarding the relationship between vaping and oral health, identifying primary research trends, leading contributors (countries, journals, and authors), and existing knowledge gaps.

A systematic bibliometric analysis was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO databases, encompassing all relevant literature from database inception through May 31, 2024. The search utilized comprehensive strings targeting "vaping" and "oral health." Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines, 160 publications were selected using Rayyan® for screening and duplicate removal. Data synthesis and science mapping were performed using Microsoft Excel 2024 and VOSviewer (v1.6.20) to analyze publication counts, keyword co-occurrence, and citation networks.

Analysis of the 160 included articles revealed a predominance of cross-sectional studies (31.2%, n = 50), followed by literature reviews (18.8%, n = 30) and in vitro studies (14.4%, n = 23). Cohort and longitudinal studies were less frequent, representing 6.2% and 5.6%, respectively. The most productive journals were the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (6.87%), Evidence-Based Dentistry (5.62%), and the Journal of the American Dental Association (5%). Research output was primarily concentrated in the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. Leading authors by publication count included Fawad Javed (8 publications), whereas Issac K. Sundar was identified as the most co-cited researcher (98 co-citations). The most frequent keywords were "electronic cigarette" (n = 37), "smoking" (n = 35), and "oral health" (n = 30).

The field of vaping and oral health research is currently dominated by descriptive, cross-sectional data from high-income countries. While current evidence highlights potential risks, including inflammatory responses and oral microbiota disruption, the lack of longitudinal data limits the ability to establish definitive causality or long-term outcomes. Future research should prioritize prospective longitudinal studies to further clarify the specific clinical impacts of e-cigarette use on oral tissues.