College is a time in which we all spend hours upon hours socializing. This is why having good breath and nice teeth are two of our biggest concerns at this stage in our lives. In a previous article “Oral Health Risks Faced By Students In College,” it was revealed that smoking is one of the most common bad oral habits. So with that in mind, here are a few ways you can still get your nicotine, while keeping a lookout for your oral health and hygiene:
Patches
Nicotine Patches are probably the most popular alternative simply because they have been on the market the longest. It works by slowly releasing nicotine into your bloodstream as your skin absorbs them from the patch. It is advisable to only use one patch per day. Depending on your preference or smoking habits, you may choose to go with a 16-hour or a 24-hour patch. Sixteen-hour patches come in 10mg to 25mg of nicotine, while the 24-hour patches come in strengths ranging from 7mg to 21mg. The most recommended brand is NicoDerm CQ, followed by Habitrol.
Pouches
Nicotine pouches are smoke-free, vape-free and tobacco-free smoking alternatives. The single-use pouches are designed to be placed between your lip and your gum, giving you a more discreet way to get your nicotine fix. They also come in popular flavors like fresh mint, coffee and tangy berries — although you can get a flavorless option too. For those who want an even more low-key experience sans the lip-bulge, they come in mini pouches with varying strength. Pouch provider Prilla’s bestselling nicotine pouches tend to come in mini pouch options starting at 2mg up to 15mg content. This way you can still get the right strength according to your preference without the lip-bulge. There are many brands to choose from, with ZYN being the most popular pouches on the market, followed by VELO and ON.
Chewables: Gums and Lozenges
Nicotine Gums and Lozenges come in handy when you get cravings. When it comes to choosing between the two, it just boils down to preference. While chewing nicotine gum might keep your mouth occupied, nicotine lozenges are perfect for people who do not like or cannot chew gum. To dissolve the lozenge, simply move it around your mouth. Popular nicotine gum brand Nicorette comes in mint, fruit and cinnamon flavors with 2mg and 4mg strength. On the other hand, tobacco giant Reynolds rolled out nicotine lozenges that come in mint, dark mint, berry and crema.
Why not vaping?
Bright colored packaging, easy-to-use and they come in multiple available flavors from fruity to sweet candies: So what’s not to like? Disposable vapes are becoming even more popular. At first glance, vaping or smoking e-cigarettes might appear less dangerous than smoking traditional cigarettes. However, BBC News reports that it might not be the best for your oral health. Dentists report that some adverse effects include foul breath, ulcers, discomfort in some places, and a dry mouth. This could result in a lack of saliva and, as a result, tooth decay. Some people have also reported a temporary loss of taste, commonly referred to as “vape tongue.”
Tobacco is the biggest culprit of bad oral hygiene. Nicotine patches, pouches, gums and lozenges do not contain any. These options give you the benefits of smoking minus the cigarette breath and brown teeth stains.
