Assessment of Knowledge, Awareness, and Attitudes Regarding the Impact of E-cigarette Use on Oral Health Among Undergraduate Dental Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

BackgroundElectronic cigarette (E-cigarette) use is increasing among young adults, and current dental students will soon be responsible for counseling patients about its potential health effects.This study assessed knowledge, awareness, and attitudes regarding the impact of e-cigarette use on oral health among undergraduate dental students. Materials and methodsA cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was carried out among undergraduate dental students at the School of Dental Sciences, Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth, Karad, India, using a self-administered Google Forms questionnaire and convenience sampling.The questionnaire covered demographics, knowledge of the oral effects of e-cigarettes (vaping), attitudes toward patient counseling, awareness of the ban on ecigarettes in India, and two open-ended questions.Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics only; no inferential tests were performed. ResultsA total of 248 undergraduate dental students aged 18 to 25 years (mean age 21.0 ± 1.7 years; 72.6% female) in Karad, India, were included.Overall, 96.4% of participants who provided valid responses believed that vaping can affect oral health, and 73.8% considered smoking and vaping equally harmful.Most students recognized the increased risk of dental caries associated with vaping (88.3%), identified sweeteners as the cariogenic component of e-liquids (83.5%), agreed that nicotine affects gum health and healing (87.1%), and identified nicotine as the addictive substance (89.1%).However, 70.2% recognized that smoking can mask gingival bleeding, and 66.9% agreed that the absence of smoke does not make e-cigarettes harmless.Routine patient counseling was rated moderately or very important by 80.2%, while 11.7% believed vaping has no side effects.Awareness of the e-cigarette ban was 60.1%, and 21.8% of all respondents correctly identified 2019 as the ban year.Male students were more often aware of the ban than female students (72.1% vs. 55.6%;descriptive comparison only).Periodontal problems and oral cancer were the concerns mentioned most often, and social media campaigns were the most frequently suggested awareness strategy. ConclusionsDental students showed good general awareness of the oral health effects of vaping, but important gaps remain, particularly the belief that vaping is free of side effects, limited recognition that smoking can mask gingival bleeding, and incomplete knowledge of the legal status of e-cigarettes.These gaps are practical targets for curricular reinforcement and counseling training.