Can a kiss from a mother give her child cavities? According to several studies, they can. Before you kiss your babies and children on the mouth, ask yourself this question. ?When was the last time I went to the dentist?? Because that innocent kiss just might spread cavities to your child.
Cavities are formed from Streptococcus mutans bacteria, which are found in saliva. If you have tooth decay, your saliva contains these bacteria. And as you know, bacteria can be passed from parent to child easily. All it takes is a blow on hot food, a kiss on the lips or sharing a bite of food to transfer your saliva to your little one. A young child?s tooth has soft enamel. This is especially true when the vulnerable tooth is first emerging. If the bacteria transfer from you to your baby, he or she can develop tooth decay. This is why you should bring your child to a dentist just as the first teeth are in sight.
If you currently clean your child?s pacifier with your mouth, you should stop this practice immediately. But day to day contact with the baby you love makes it difficult to avoid a transfer of saliva.Fortunately, there is a gum caretakers can chew that will decrease the risk of transferring dental bacterial to your child. Any gum containing Xylitol has been proven to reduce cavities in the children of those chewing this type of gum. As a matter of fact, if you chew Xylitol gum, you can reduce your young child?s cavities by up to 70%.