Can you give cavities to someone?

This blogpost will answer the question Can you give cavities to someone? And will include the following topics:What is a cavity?What Causes a Cavity?

Do Tooth Cavities Spread?

Are Cavities Contagious?How and when do cavities spread? Why Are Cavities Dangerous?

What you didn’t know about the bacteria in your mouth…

Tips for preventing cavity spread in your family

This is more dangerous for children than adults. 

Can you give cavities to someone?

Yes, you can give cavities to someone. Cavities however do not get transmitted to another person’s mouth directly, the bacteria causing cavities can travel from one person to another through various means like kissing,sharing utensils etc. 

What is a cavity?

A cavity is a space that develops on the surface of the tooth as a result of untreated dental cavities. A cavity can impact a tooth’s hard tissues (enamel, dentin, and cementum) as well as its soft tissues (pulp). Cavities start off tiny, but if left untreated, they will expand over time.

Cavity growth can easily go unnoticed since tooth decay does not necessarily cause discomfort. The situation becomes much more serious if the decay affects the teeth and gums.

What Causes a Cavity?

Bacteria that naturally grow around your teeth and on your gums develop cavities. Bacteria are kept in check with regular cleanings and appropriate dental hygiene. However, if the germs are allowed to build up, they will continue to reproduce.They produce acid as a result, which eats away at enamel and causes cavities. The ones in your mouth, like any other virus or bacterium, don’t remain put. They can be passed from one person to another’s mouth.

Do Tooth Cavities Spread?

Exchanging saliva can potentially cause a cavity. Cavities are generally produced by an accumulation of sugar on the teeth, which causes them to decay. Cavities, on the other hand, can be spread through intimate contact with another person who has poor dental hygiene, according to research.

Indeed, studies have shown that kissing can cause a cavity in a person’s tooth. This is especially common if their partner suffers from poor oral hygiene. Cavity-causing bacteria need saliva to survive. As a result, when two individuals kiss, they can pass on these pathogens to one another. The same is true for women who get too close to their newborns — they can pass on a dental cavity to the child.

Cavity-causing germs are incredibly harmful to newborns and children. When a child develops a cavity, it is almost always inherited from their caretaker. When a parent uses their lips to test the temperature of their child’s meal, this is a regular occurrence.

Are Cavities Contagious?

Cavities are highly contagious. That’s correct, much like getting a cold in the winter, you may get a cavity in the summer.

Although sugar is commonly blamed for cavities and tooth decay, research has shown that cavities may be passed down from generation to generation.Cavities are highly contagious. That’s correct, much like getting a cold in the winter, you may get a cavity in the summer.

Although sugar is commonly blamed for cavities and tooth decay, research has shown that cavities may be passed down from generation to generation.

Cavities are contagious and can be passed on from one individual to the next. When studying kissing couples, researchers discovered that even if a partner has never had a cavity before, if their partner has poor dental hygiene, a cavity can develop. Because they are transferring germs from their mouths, couples might spread cavities and gum disease between them.

How and when do cavities spread? 

Cavities are spread by exchanging saliva. During a saliva exchange, the cavity-causing bacteria might be passed on to another individual. As a result, you can get a cavity in the following circumstances:

Sharing of toothbrush

Dentists always tell us that we can share everything except toothbrushes. Decay-causing germs from plaque and blood may build up in your toothbrush without you even realising it. As a result, when you use your loved one’s toothbrush, you’re introducing a new strain of disease-causing bacteria into your system.

Storing multiple toothbrushes next to each other

Even though we wash our toothbrushes multiple times a day, disease-causing germs might linger on them. When toothbrush heads are put close together, bacteria and germs are transferred to your loved ones in an indirect manner.

Brushes should be maintained separately, upright, and without cover to allow them to dry, as most dental practitioners recommend. To get rid of the germs that has developed in your toothbrush, it is also advised that you change it every 3 to 4 months. 

Kissing

A kiss may start anything, including tooth decay. Kissing, as distasteful as it may sound, is a direct exchange of saliva in which bacteria may effortlessly travel to the mouth of another person. Not to mention your increased risk of developing cavities if your spouse has poor dental hygiene or has tooth decay in its early stages. 

Because their immune systems are still developing, babies are the most vulnerable to bacterial transmission through saliva. According to research, women who have oral cavities are more likely to pass cavity-causing germs to their children by kissing or using utensils such as spoons.

Sharing utensils like spoons, forks, and glasses

Sharing beverages was once considered described as an indirect kiss. The transmission of cavity-causing germs has become more common as utensil sharing has become the norm. The germs use the saliva left on the utensils as a passport to go from one mouth to the next. Researchers discovered that 80 percent of two-year-old children were infected with cavity-causing germs from their parents or guardians as a result of utensil sharing.

Why Are Cavities Dangerous?

You might believe that a small hole in your tooth isn’t a big deal. A cavity, on the other hand, can soon become severe. It may potentially put your life at stake.

Cavities are dangerous because they are permanent and continuously growing. Tooth decay can reach your nerves once it has eaten through your enamel and dentin. Cavities are incredibly uncomfortable at this time. And losing a tooth is the last thing on your mind right now.

If you do not get treatment for your cavities, they could become more severe. Tooth decay can spread to your lymph nodes and face. This deterioration and infection can lead to heart disease and strokes in the long run. And these are unquestionably life-threatening circumstances.

What you didn’t know about the bacteria in your mouth

Many types of tiny creatures live in our mouths. The majority of them are safe, and some are even useful, but others can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. Streptococcus mutans and Porphyromonas gingivalis, sometimes known as Streptococcus mutans and Porphyromonas gingivalis, are the worst offenders. germs that are harmful. 

This harmful bacteria consumes the sugars and starches that attach to our teeth after we eat, then secretes acid that erodes our enamel. This bacterium has also been related to periodontitis, or severe gum disease.

Tips for preventing cavity spread in your family:

Go to the dentist

Every adult should get their teeth checked for decay. While tooth sensitivity, discomfort, or visible holes in teeth are all symptoms of a cavity, one of the most common mistakes individuals make is avoiding the dentist until they are in agony. Regular cleanings (every six months) can help prevent decay from progressing to cavities and lower levels of cavity-causing (and cavity-spreading) bacteria in your mouth.

Use a heavy-duty mouth rinse.

A filling will be required if a cavity has developed. However, for early-stage decay, your dentist also can prescribe a mouth rinse containing chlorhexidine, a strong antiseptic that kills germs and can actually prevent decay from progressing to cavities.

Chew sugar-free gum between meals

Choose a brand that contains the artificial sweetener xylitol and chew it for at least five minutes three times each day. Xylitol increases saliva production, which aids in the battle against germs.

Don’t overshare

If you have small children, avoid sharing utensils with them – and tasting food before offering it to them. Cover your mouth when you sneeze, and if you’re really worried, kiss your child just on the cheek instead of the lips.

Be a good dental patient. 

Brush your teeth often (in the morning, at night, and after meals), floss daily, and perhaps limit sugary beverages and snacks – and teach your children the same tooth-friendly behaviours. When your kid is a newborn, clean his or her teeth with a soft cloth or gauze pad as soon as they appear; when additional teeth erupt, you can transfer to a soft toothbrush.

Drink fluoridated water

You could also think about shifting your family from bottled water to tap water. Fluoride is found in most tap water, which helps teeth develop resistance to plaque.

This is more dangerous for children than adults

Since young children may not have the same complexity of oral bacteria as adults, their immune systems are not adapted to coping with them. Too many kisses from parents might make your youngster more prone to cavities.

In fact, almost everything involving saliva, such as a kiss, parents tasting their babies’ meals, or sharing tableware and toothbrushes, can spread germs that cause tooth decay.

Infants get germs that live in the mouth and create cavities as soon as they are born. These germs are usually transferred by the babies’ mothers or other family members.

We must provide our mouths with the most effective protection against the enemy. Brushing and flossing are a wonderful way to start since they stop bacterial plaque from growing. Straight teeth are more resistant to cavities, so getting your teeth straightened can assist.Snacking less often and eating a low-sugar diet lowers the quantity of bacteria acids on teeth. Sealants put to the biting grooves might help to keep germs from sticking to your teeth.

Checkups should be done on a regular basis. Tooth enamel can perhaps actally remineralize and harden again if we discover damage in its early stages and you maintain your mouth plaque-free. Otherwise, you might want to stop kissing

Cavity Care

Of course, the ideal solution to dental cavities is to avoid them in the first place. Avoid sharing utensils, wash infant pacifiers in the sink, and brush your teeth and your children’s teeth on a regular basis.. By doing this, you help to avoid the spread of oral bacterium that can cause cavities to grow.

If you already have a cavity, it’s worth visiting your neighbourhood dentist office and discussing treatment strategies. Fluoride toothpaste treatments can help rebuild the enamel on your teeth and even reverse a cavity in its early stages.However, you might require fillings, crowns, root canals, or tooth extractions if a cavity has deepened. So, if you want to prevent invasive and costly dental treatments, it’s certainly worth catching the problem early.

Other FAQs about Teeth Cavities that you may be interested in.

Can you get rid of a cavity without a filling?

Can you get cavities even if you brush your teeth?

Can you fill a cavity without numbing?