Oral Health Risks and Benefits! Reviewed by Dr. Nemeth

Hi, I'm Dr. Joe Nemeth of Periodontist in Southfield, Michigan, and have you guys heard about this stuff? It's called Zyn. It's actually smokeless nicotine. It's not tobacco, but it does have nicotine salts in it. I want to talk a little bit about the potential benefits and the potential risks with this product, Zyn. So it comes in two strengths, three milligrams and six milligrams, and apparently, it's very popular. I've been talking to some people who've used it. I tried a little bit yesterday, and I was a zombie for about a half an hour. So for me, the effect, even of the three milligram pouch, was extremely strong.

But I've talked to other people, generally younger people are using it, and it feels like it makes them sharper, heightens their sense of awareness. They kind of like it, and it's sort of like nicotine gum, but I think it works a lot more effectively and a lot faster. But I'm not saying that it's good to use. First of all, you put it on your gum, between your lip and your gum, you lay it on the gum, and if you do it in the same place, it can cause irritation of that gum tissue. And I've actually seen cases where tobacco was used like that, and cancer, mouth cancer, actually developed. I'm not saying that'll happen with this, but I do think if you use it in the same spot all the time, it's going to cause some irritation, and probably not particularly good for the tissue, and probably not good for those individuals using it, because it can be habit-forming. It can be addicting. And for people who are addiction-prone, I think this can be very, very dangerous. So it's absorbed very quickly. It's not traditionally broken down.

It goes directly into the bloodstream from your mucosa, from your gum tissue, directly into your bloodstream. So you feel the effect very, very quickly. But it's interesting. I'm not encouraging you to try it. My take on it is it's very effective, better than smoking, because you're not inhaling any vapors. It's better than vaping also, because again, you're not inhaling anything. I was shocked at how effective and how quickly it works. It's possible that if you put this in the same place all the time, when you use it, it could irritate the tissue and cause gum recession. And gum recession means bone recession, so that's not a good thing. Someone asked me, do I think it can contribute to gum disease?

Probably not. I don't think it contributes to gum disease. I have not seen any evidence of that. I don't think it's good. It can be habit-forming, but it's better than smoking, and it acts more quickly than a lot of the other nicotine substitutes. So it pays your money, it takes your choice. I choose not to be using this stuff, but a lot of people are, and it seems to be growing in popularity. More importantly, make sure your mouth is healthy, because if it's not, you're not. We'd love to have questions, we'd love to have comments, we'd like to hear from you. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Most importantly, have a good day. You have that ability, so have a good day. Take care. Restore your smile and your health. Visit DrNemeth. com to schedule your appointment today.