✅ Fact: Both can cause dry mouth, but they work differently. Smoking reduces saliva production through the heat and chemical irritation of tobacco smoke. Vaping causes dryness through the hygroscopic effect of PG/VG. Many people find vaping causes more cotton mouth initially, but smoking is worse for overall oral health.

✅ Fact: Drinking water helps with overall hydration, but it doesn't instantly fix the dry mouth feeling. That's because PG and VG have already absorbed water from your mouth tissues. It takes time for your salivary glands to produce more saliva and rehydrate those tissues. Sipping water throughout the day works better than chugging.

✅ Fact: Even zero-nicotine vapes can cause cotton mouth, because PG and VG are still hygroscopic and will still draw moisture from your mouth. You won't get the diuretic effect from nicotine, so overall dehydration is less likely, but local dry mouth is still possible.

✅ Fact: Cotton mouth is usually just local dryness in your mouth from PG/VG, not a sign of serious systemic dehydration. Systemic dehydration symptoms like headache, fatigue, and dark urine are a better indicator of your overall hydration status. Still, it's a good reminder to drink more water.