Impact of electronic cigarette use on the oral microbiome: a protocol for a systematic review of clinical studies
Abstract
The oral microbiome plays a pivotal role in maintaining both oral and systemic health, yet it can be disrupted by lifestyle factors such as tobacco use. Electronic cigarette (e-cig) has emerged as a popular alternative to conventional smoking, often perceived as a harm reduction tool. While combustible tobacco smoking is known to promote pathogenic shifts in the oral microbiota, evidence on the impact of e-cig use remains limited and inconsistent. A systematic synthesis of current evidence is therefore warranted to assess the potential microbiological and clinical implications of e-cig use. This systematic review aims to critically evaluate clinical studies assessing the effects of e-cig use on the oral microbiome, with specific comparisons to current smokers and never smokers. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science have been searched from 2010 up to August 27, 2025, using MeSH terms and free-text keywords related to e-cigs, vaping, oral microbiome, and microbial diversity. Eligible studies will include randomized controlled trials, cross-sectional, and longitudinal observational designs comparing e-cig users with current smokers and/or never smokers, and using culture-independent, next-generation sequencing techniques for microbiome profiling. Two reviewers will independently perform study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. Given expected heterogeneity, findings will be synthesized narratively and…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a systematic review, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Improving the translation of search strategies using the Polyglot Search Translator: a randomized controlled trial
- Nutritional, Physical, Cognitive, and Combination Interventions and Frailty Reversal Among Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with COVID-19 severity in patients with haematological malignancies in Italy: a retrospective, multicentre, cohort study
- A randomized, controlled trial of oral propranolol in infantile hemangioma
- Clinical phenotypes of delirium during critical illness and severity of subsequent long-term cognitive impairment: a prospective cohort study
- Increased physical activity improves sleep and mood outcomes in inactive people with insomnia: a randomized controlled trial
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.