Can caries be transmitted through a kiss and can they get infected like that? Caries is transmitted through a kiss or is it not? Is Tartar Transferred Through Kissing?

Today, there are a lot of different diseases of the teeth, but the most common is a disease called "caries". Dental caries is a rather complex and long-term disease in which tooth enamel is destroyed.

Caries occurs due to improper oral hygiene and a lack of dairy products in the diet. The cause is bacteria that live and actively multiply in the oral cavity. The worse the oral hygiene, the more bacteria in the oral cavity - a stronger effect on the tooth enamel of these bacteria.

Can you get infected by kissing?

The occurrence of caries

Under the influence of saliva, food debris and waste products of microorganisms in the oral cavity, all kinds of organic acids are formed. These acids act on tooth enamel, thereby destroying it. This process is called demineralization. The acid destroys the minerals in tooth enamel, making teeth less durable. The disease has several stages of development.

Stages of development

1. Initial (superficial), in which a small depression forms at the site of the affected area of ​​the tooth. It is necessary to consult a dentist for advice and assistance in eliminating the primary signs of caries.
2. The middle stage is the appearance of pain symptoms. The dentin begins to break down. It has less strength compared to tooth enamel, so it breaks down more actively.
3. Deep - this stage occurs after a different period of time, if no treatment is applied to the affected tooth. This stage of caries is characterized by a painful reaction to cold or hot food. The stage of tooth decay and the occurrence of inflammatory processes begins. An immediate referral to a specialized medical institution is required.

As you can see, this is a rather difficult disease and does not occur instantly out of the blue.

Its development takes a relatively long time and occurs in several stages, therefore, if even the primary symptoms of caries occur, it is imperative to visit a dental clinic so as not to face more serious consequences in the future.

Causes of dental disease - visually

Can you get caries?

Many people quite often ask dentists the following question: is caries contagious, is caries transmitted through a kiss, and can they get infected? The problem of the emergence, development and further infection by specialists has long been studied and continues to be observed.

Caries is an infectious disease transmitted through contact (in this case, human saliva).

During a kiss, a fairly large amount of saliva is produced, some of which is transferred to the kissing partner. It may seem that bacteria that are responsible for the development of caries in the human oral cavity are also transmitted with saliva, and you can catch this disease at any time. In fact, human saliva is a real antibacterial agent.

Infection of the child is possible due to low immunity

When the glands located in the oral cavity, during a passionate kiss, begin to actively secrete saliva, then simultaneously with saliva, various calcium salts, phosphorus and other microorganisms and minerals enter the oral cavity. Together, this forms a mixture that is an antiseptic. When your partner's saliva enters your mouth at the time of the kiss, your saliva not only blocks the bacteria that have entered your mouth, but also activates the production of antibodies to fight a new type of bacteria and microorganisms. Thus, there is a complete neutralization of third-party bacteria that have entered the oral cavity with saliva through a kiss.

As you can see, the probability of contracting caries through a kiss is negligible and is practically minimized.

Children are more likely to be infected with caries, since they have not yet developed immunity to such bacteria, and the body is not yet able to produce antibodies to fight microbes that have entered the oral cavity through a kiss. Therefore, adults should be very careful when kissing their children.

In addition to children, the risk of getting caries through a kiss also exists in adults, but only at the time of weakening of the immune system. This happens during some kind of illness, a cold, or the consequences after a long illness and taking medicines. At such moments, the human body is not able to produce antibodies and fight against the microbes that have entered the oral cavity during the transfer of the saliva of a person suffering from caries during a kiss.

From the above, it should be concluded that caries and a kiss carry practically no danger. Caries is transmitted through a kiss only to children and in special cases to adults.

Prevention of caries

Often people ask dentists about proper dental prophylaxis and caries prevention. In addition to regular brushing with a toothbrush and the use of various mouthwashes, the most important condition for maintaining healthy teeth is a proper balanced diet.

Preventive examination at the dentist

• reduce the amount of sugar and sugar-containing foods in the diet;
• reduce the consumption of flour products;
• carefully and slowly chew food;
• try to get the necessary trace elements and vitamins into the body with food;
• regular consumption of dairy and sour-milk products;
• it is recommended to eat raw food every day - they will create the necessary brushing of the teeth during meals;
• to regulate the acidity in the mouth, regular rinsing of the mouth and the use of chewing gum are necessary.

Depending on the strength of the immune system and the body's ability to respond to foreign microorganisms in the oral cavity, the rate of caries development varies. The more sweets in the diet and the less various vitamins and minerals, the weaker the human body reacts to the presence of bacteria, and the more destructive is the effect of caries on the teeth.

To prevent the oral cavity from becoming infected with dental caries, it is necessary to monitor their condition:

• perform regular cleaning;
• use only high-quality toothbrushes and toothpaste;
• Try to eat foods that are good for your teeth.

You should also not forget to visit the dentist for preventive purposes twice a year. And if there are any problems with the health of the teeth, you should not delay the moment of visiting the dental clinic.

It must be remembered that caries is a disease that can be transmitted by contact, because caries is contagious, and you can get a caries virus even through a piece of an apple that you share with your loved ones.

Carefully monitor the condition of your teeth and kiss for health without fear of being infected. Proper dental care will prevent them from being at risk when kissing.

In general, it is not true, but there is some truth in this. Of course, caries is not a hereditary disease. However, tooth enamel is formed while a person is still in the womb. Infectious diseases suffered during pregnancy, mineral metabolism disorders, toxicosis and premature birth can lead to the formation of weak or underdeveloped tooth enamel.

To prevent such problems, the expectant mother should include dairy products and fish in her diet. They contain calcium and phosphorus, two key elements for the formation of healthy tooth enamel.

Also a type of fissures - natural bends on the surface of the tooth. Their structure is also given to us from birth. The more bumps, pits, grooves, the more places for plaque to accumulate and bacteria to multiply.

2. Caries can be infected

Is it true. Streptococcus mutans, or mutant streptococcus. This is the “carious monsters” familiar to us from advertising. Their habitat and reproduction is dental plaque. Processing food residues, they release organic acids. Because of them, tooth enamel loses minerals, and the hard tissues of the tooth begin to dissolve. It is very difficult to destroy this type of streptococcus, because the bacteria mutate quickly.

Unfortunately, a healthy person can become infected with caries in a household way - through a common dish or with a kiss on the lips. “Holes in the tooth” are often passed from mother to child if she tries food and feeds the baby with the same spoon.

The best way to keep your loved ones safe is to use separate appliances and wash them very carefully.

3. Children are most susceptible to caries

It's a delusion. Children, of course, are more susceptible than adults to pathogenic bacteria, but older people are more susceptible to caries, especially basal caries. As we age, the gum muscles weaken and the edges of the gums “recede” from the tooth. A gap appears, and it is easier for bacteria to penetrate directly to the root.

In addition, the chemical composition of saliva and its quantity play an important role in caries. Saliva has antibacterial properties and can neutralize acids that erode teeth. It flushes out food debris from the mouth and supplies the teeth with essential minerals. With age, the composition of saliva changes, dry mouth appears, indicating a decrease in the activity of the salivary glands. Teeth are washed worse, and carious processes are more active.

4. Proper brushing of teeth is the best protection against caries

This is true. The main goal of daily brushing is not just to freshen your breath, but to clean your mouth as much as possible from plaque and food debris so that there is simply nowhere for bacteria to multiply.

After breakfast and before going to bed, at least three minutes. If you don't feel like timing, just do it to music. The average song lasts just about three minutes.

We usually rinse our mouths with water after brushing. This is not entirely correct. Water washes away the active ingredients in toothpaste and reduces protection.

It is better to use alcohol-free rinses - they soften and remove plaque and are able to complete the work of cleaning the tooth with a brush.

Dentists insist that evening cleaning should be especially thorough. During sleep, the activity of the salivary glands is sharply reduced, which means that during the day.

Before going to bed, it is advisable to use not only toothpaste and rinse, but also dental floss, “walking” through all the gaps between the teeth.

- not only unpleasant, but also a rather unaesthetic phenomenon on the teeth. The main reasons for its occurrence are a lack of trace elements or poor oral hygiene. However, there is another reason why caries may appear - kissing. Is it possible to get caries? We will try to answer this question further.

The benefits and harms of a kiss

At the moment of contact, increased saliva production occurs. It has been proven that it contains various minerals, including fluorine and calcium, as well as peculiar natural antibiotics. Consequently, the enamel is strengthened and the level of acidity in the oral cavity is normalized. But it is impossible to deny the fact that pathogenic microorganisms are also transmitted during a kiss. The activity of microorganisms provokes the process of fermentation of carbohydrates in the oral cavity, which has a negative impact on the condition of the teeth. And then there is demineralization of the enamel, which makes the teeth vulnerable to caries. Therefore, ultrasonic cleaning of teeth should be carried out regularly. This process will prevent the accumulation of bacteria in the mouth and subsequent transmission through a kiss to another person.

Why does caries occur?

Streptococcus mutans are pathogenic microorganisms that are the root cause of caries. It is characteristic that these microbes are transmitted during a kiss, so all kissing couples are at risk of developing caries. Microorganisms are especially dangerous for young children. In this case, the infection comes from parents who love to kiss their baby up to three years old.

But do not rush to give up kisses, because caries in itself is just a pathological process of enamel destruction. And when kissing, only existing bacteria are transmitted. To prevent cavities, a dental cleaning is recommended. The price is always affordable, so it will not be difficult to perform the procedure regularly. In addition, you can use the unique AmazingWhite whitening and then your teeth will look not only healthy, but also dazzlingly white.

Security measures

First of all, it is necessary to monitor the health of the teeth and oral cavity (clean not only twice a day, but also after each meal). But it is equally important to use only individual hygiene products and utensils, since it is also easy to become infected with pathogenic microbes through them.

If caries has affected the teeth, then it is worth remembering that it is impossible to get rid of it by using home teeth whitening. In Moscow, you can get prices and advice on the procedure for restoring teeth after caries in our dentistry. One has only to want and you and your soulmate will always have beautiful healthy teeth. If someone is afraid to apply mechanical action to the teeth, then there is a special cleaning using the Air Flow. Please note that infection with bacteria that cause caries can occur even in a completely healthy person if his immune system is weakened. But you can’t refuse kisses, you just need to be a little more attentive to the state of the oral cavity.

It is known that insufficient hygienic care of the oral cavity, an unbalanced diet and diseases characterized by a violation of the secretion of the salivary glands negatively affect the condition of the teeth. The amount of pathogenic microflora increases, and their surface shell becomes thinner. Dark spots appear on the enamel, indicating the activation of carious bacteria and the development of a destructive process. Since the place of localization of pathogenic microorganisms is the oral cavity, patients often ask the dentist whether caries is transmitted through a kiss.

Dental disease is characterized by a destructive process of hard tissues of the dentition units, resulting from the active reproduction of bacteria that are constantly present in the oral cavity. Some of them have a positive effect on the body, having protective properties. But a number of bacteria (streptococci, actinomycetes, lactobacilli) contribute to the development of the carious process by converting food residues into organic acids that wash out phosphorus and calcium from the enamel. This causes a decrease in the pH of the enamel, which leads to its demineralization and the formation of carious holes and cavities.

Streptococci are of great danger, since their level significantly exceeds the concentration of 2 other types of microorganisms in the oral cavity. In addition, actinomycetes do not have the ability to greatly increase acidity. At the same time, there is one nuance, which is the possibility of developing caries under the influence of Aktinomyces viscosus.

Given that the disease occurs during the life of pathogenic bacteria, dentists give a positive answer to the question of whether caries is contagious.

Larisa Kopylova

Dentist-therapist

Attention! Streptococcus mutans, a gram-positive bacterium that converts carbohydrates into lactic acid, is considered the main causative agent of caries. Its level in plaque reaches 90%.

The scientists also determined that this type of microorganisms is not contained in the natural microflora of the oral cavity, but is transmitted through saliva. This fact only confirms the opinion that caries is an infectious disease.

Can you get cavities through kissing?

Bacterial microflora is present in the oral cavity of each person, therefore, with a kiss, microorganisms are exchanged through saliva. But the secret of the salivary glands additionally contains various compounds of micro- and macroelements, enzymes and immunoglobulins, which allows it to perform the function of a natural antibiotic. Lysozyme, which is part of saliva, destroys their cell wall when foreign bacteria enter. This has a detrimental effect on microorganisms and prevents the development of a carious process.

The function of saliva also lies in the synthesis of immunoglobulins, which stimulate immune defense against foreign microorganisms. If you think about whether it is possible to get caries through a kiss, then you need to consider some factors.

Causes of infection with caries after a kiss.

Factor contributing to infection	Why infection occurs
The presence of infectious or chronic diseases in a person, leading to weakened immunity.	The body spends energy on fighting pathogens and restoring the affected systems, so it is not able to produce the required amount of immunoglobulins to prevent the development of the carious process.
Younger age.	In the saliva of children before they reach the age of 3, there are no components that protect the oral cavity from the negative effects of streptococci.
Pathologies accompanied by insufficient production of saliva.	At the same time, the oral cavity is in an unprotected state, and an increase in bacterial microflora contributes to an increase in the concentration of lactic acid, which destroys tooth enamel.
Poor oral hygiene and excessive consumption of carbohydrate foods.	Contributes to the development of dental disease, since saliva does not have time to produce enough immunoglobulins to combat the high concentration of streptococci after a kiss.

Having studied how caries is transmitted at the time of such closeness, we can conclude that sometimes you need to take certain precautions and refrain from kissing.

Is caries transmitted from mother to child by kissing?

Infection of children with carious bacteria by kissing requires more detailed consideration. At the age of up to 3 years, their saliva does not have a bactericidal and immunostimulating property, so this kind of proximity can provoke on the teeth. Therefore, the answer to the question of whether caries is transmitted through the kiss of the mother will be positive.

But this does not mean that the baby should be denied kisses. If you follow preventive measures, then the development of a carious process can bypass your child.

At an older age, infection for children does not pose a big threat:

• In saliva, components with protective properties begin to be produced. Therefore, when they kiss, they destroy the cell membrane of pathogenic bacteria, preventing them from accumulating on the surface of the teeth.
• The child exercises hygienic using toothpaste 2 p. per day and performs rinsing after meals. At the same time, food grains do not remain in the interdental space, therefore, conditions for the active reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms are not created.
• The use of solid foods contributes to the mechanical removal of plaque. Provides natural cleansing of the oral cavity from bacterial microflora and protection of enamel from demineralization.

Larisa Kopylova

Dentist-therapist

Attention! If the child is under 3 years old, then caries is transmitted through the mother's kiss, so women are advised to contact the dentist in a timely manner so that the baby's teeth do not undergo a destructive process.

Precautionary measures

You can prevent the development of caries in a child by observing the following rules:

• reduce to a minimum the number of kisses on the lips, especially if you have not been to the dentist for a long time;
• never suck on a baby's nipple, even if it falls on the floor or the ground - treatment should be done with warm water;
• cooked porridge or drink for a baby should not be tried from a bottle;
• after eating, you need to clean the child's oral cavity with a moistened piece of bandage;
• feed and water the child only from his personal dishes;
• upon reaching 2-3 years, teach the baby to use a toothbrush (you need to keep it separate from others) and rinse your mouth after eating;
• enrich the diet with fortified foods that strengthen the immune system and solid foods;
• sweets should be consumed in moderation;
• fruit juices should be diluted 50% with water;
• preventive examination at the dentist - 2 p. per year for mother and child.

Summing up

For babies, the risk of contracting caries when kissing is highly likely, especially if parents do not comply with preventive measures. In adults, the risk of infection occurs when certain factors contribute to the rapid growth of pathogenic microflora in the oral cavity.