"Vaping can dry out your mouth like crazy, and dry mouth means less saliva to naturally protect your teeth and gums."
Yeah, learned this the hard way myself. Thought my braces were causing all the irritation, but turns out vaping was making things worse. Once I cut back and upped my water intake, my gums stopped feeling so raw and irritated. Wish I'd realized sooner—would've saved me a lot of discomfort during adjustments...
Glad you figured that out! It's actually pretty common for people to assume braces or aligners are causing gum irritation, when vaping or even certain medications can be the real culprit.
"Once I cut back and upped my water intake, my gums stopped feeling so raw and irritated."
Exactly—hydration makes a huge difference. Saliva isn't just there to keep your mouth comfortable; it helps neutralize acids and protect your teeth from decay and gum disease. If you're still vaping occasionally, you might also try using a moisturizing mouth rinse or chewing sugar-free gum to stimulate saliva flow. I've seen patients have good results with those little changes.
Also, if you haven't already, mention this to your orthodontist or dentist next time you're in. They might have some extra tips or products to recommend that can help keep your gums healthy during treatment. Glad things are improving for you though...braces adjustments are uncomfortable enough without extra irritation!
