If you have ever wondered why someone's upper lip is a little puffed out, it could be because they have a small white patch of nicotine up there - known as Snus.
Originating from Scandinavia, it is often viewed as an alternative way of getting your nicotine as opposed to smoking cigarettes.
It is made by grinding up tobacco into a flour and packaging it into small packets to rub on your gums.
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White Snus in particular gained a reputation of being a ‘gentler’ form of the product, with dentist Lise Danielsen claiming that it is especially popular with young girls 'who are using it to avoid tooth discolouration'.
“But it appears it can cause more damage than initially thought.” Danielsen told NK in 2022.
According to Danielsen, it can be dangerous for the mucous membranes that surround the top of your tooth which can potentially weaken the attachment to your teeth, causing tooth loss.
This is what happened to TikToker Christopher Scott, who said that he'd had actually lost a tooth as a result of using the patches, and the day he found his tooth missing was the day he gave Snus forever.
He has since documented the lengthy and painful process of getting his teeth corrected.
Danielsen said that her statements are based on the personal observations amongst dentists and other gum disease specialists.
However, because Snus is so new to the market, she says, there hasn't been much research on the matter.
The primary toxic component in Snus is nicotine, and a 2023 study 'Emerging Oral Nicotine Products and Periodontal Diseases' suggests that it interacts with host cells and may 'indirectly or directly' deteriorate periodontal tissue - potentially causing you to lose your teeth.
In Christopher's case, after a prolonged period of gum-ache, he was diagnosed with a disease called periodontitis, which, according to a 2019 study is a 'infection-driven inflammatory disease in tooth-supporting tissues'.
Periodontitis is usually caused by a build-up of bacteria or dental plaque, but can be influenced by numerous factors, including smoking, genetics, diseases, and so on.
Specialist Anders Verket told Science Norway that receding gums can be rescued albeit with 'a small operation', which is not guaranteed to be successful.
"It obviously requires you to stop using snus; otherwise, nothing will grow back.” he added.
In a separate interview, he says it is 'important' to be clear 'two concepts' regarding Snus, adding: "One is retractions which Snus can affect, and the other is the disease Periodontitis, and retractions can occur exactly where the Snus is placed.
“It can cause irritations to the gums making the root visible, and it is absolutely possible that teeth can be lost as a result of this irritating factor.”
But Verket also says there's not enough research into periodontitis.
"But in my eyes, this is one of the areas where there is far too little research." he told Science Norway.
"Although we can't show an increased risk of gum disease, that does not mean that there is no risk."
Mia Williams