Does kissing make your teeth whiter?
By
Dr Shivam Jha
This blog post will address the question, “does kissing make your teeth whiter?” and cover topics like is kissing good for your teeth, what research says, benefits of kissing on oral health and ways to get your teeth whiter other than kissing.
Does Kissing Make Your Teeth Whiter?
Yes, kissing makes your teeth whiter. Kissing your partner generates a lot of saliva that washes away any food particles or plaque deposits on the teeth surface and thus gives your teeth a stain-free and whiter look.
Saliva produced while kissing neutralises the demineralising acids released by cavity-causing bacteria and therefore prevents enamel erosion and dentin exposure, maintaining the natural white shade of your teeth.
Is Kissing Good For Your Teeth?
Kissing is good for your teeth as kissing stimulates the salivary glands, producing saliva, a natural mouth cleanser, in larger quantities.
Saliva washes away any food particles or food debris, preventing plaque deposition or cleaning away the plaque deposited and hence preventing the formation of cavities and tooth decay.
Kissing also keeps the mouth moist and prevents the food particles from sticking, not allowing any cavity-causing bacteria to attack and produce enamel demineralisation.
Preventing enamel demineralisation keeps the enamel strong and does not allow cavities to form.
What Does Research Say?
The published studies focus mostly on saliva and its benefits on oral health and not much has been studied with respect to kissing and its oral health benefits.
According to a research study published in the journal of American Dental Association, stimulated saliva flow reduces the incidence of dental caries.
An article published in the journal of American Dental Association reports saliva to have a remineralising effect on teeth, making teeth resistant to decay.
Overall, most of the studies have reported and concluded stimulated salivary flow to be effective in prevention of cavity formation and tooth decay.
The stimulated salivary flow is successfully achieved while kissing with passion and love and hence it can be concluded that kissing does play a role in keeping teeth free of cavities, decay and stain and hence make your teeth look whiter and stronger.
Benefits Of Kissing On Oral Health
Kissing may have a significant positive effect on oral health due to its saliva stimulating ability that may result in:
- Normal pH maintenance – Stimulated saliva with the help of its acid neutralising components such as bicarbonate, phosphate and protein, helps maintain a normal pH of 6-7.5 in the oral cavity. This further prevents any damage to the enamel and keeps the teeth stronger.
- Prevent enamel demineralisation – Stimulated saliva due to kissing contains a good amount of calcium hydroxyapatite which prevents demineralisation of enamel, resulting in cavity protection and natural whiter shade due to enamel being intact.
- Enhanced protection from tooth decay and infection – Kissing stimulates salivary gland and enhances stimulated salivary flow. Stimulated saliva so produced contains certain proteins such as lysozyme and lactoferrin that have significant antimicrobial properties, protecting the teeth from any decay or infection.
- Strong Body Defence/Immunity – There isn’t much research on how kissing may boost the body’s defence but surely it may increase the body’s resistance to certain germs.
Ways To Get Your Teeth Whiter Other Than Kissing
Whitening Strips
Whitening strips are an over-the-counter, very thin and invisible teeth whitening product containing peroxide-based whitening gel.
The strips are applied following the instructions printed on the label.
It takes a few days for the initial results to appear and almost 4 months for the final results.
Whitening strips can be uncomfortable on your teeth and gums if not properly used.
A study published in the Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry investigated and concluded that carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide containing home-use bleaching systems can achieve considerable tooth whitening outcomes.
Whitening Toothpastes
Whitening toothpastes remove surface stains and lighten the tooth colour by one shade.
Over-The-Counter Whitening Gels
Whitening gels are peroxide-based gels applied directly to the teeth surface with a small brush.
Whitening Rinses
Whitening rinses are among the newest whitening products available.
Whitening rinses apart from whitening the teeth, also results in fresh breath and prevention of plaque accumulation.
Tray-based teeth whiteners
Tray-based teeth whitening systems can be purchased either over-the-counter or from a dentist,
It is similar to a mouth-guard tray but has peroxide as a bleaching agent.
Maintaining Good Oral Hygiene
Daily brushing your teeth at least 2 to 3 times can help whiten your teeth by reducing or removing plaque accumulation.
Visiting your dentist every 6 months will also help you to keep check of all your oral problems and conditions that can lead to yellowing of your teeth.
Take Professional Help
Visit your dentist or dental hygienist and get their help in getting brighter, whiter teeth.
Ultrasonic scaling and cleaning, rotary polishing with an abrasive prophylactic paste, or air-jet polishing with an abrasive powder can help remove some of the extrinsic stains.
Enamel microabrasion along with bleaching can help in removal of superficial intrinsic tooth discoloration that is caused by fluorosis and orthodontic brackets.
Home Bleaching
At-home bleaching is quite popularly known to reduce the yellow stain and help you get whiter teeth.
No Tobacco And Less Of Coffee or Tea Consumption
No tobacco and less coffee or tea consumption will help reduce the stain on teeth produced by them.
CONCLUSION
This blog post addressed the topic, “Does kissing make your teeth whiter”. We understood about kissing being good for your teeth, what research says and the benefits of kissing on oral health. The article outlined ways to get your teeth whiter other than kissing.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs): Does Kissing Make Your Teeth Whiter
Is it good to brush your teeth after kissing?
Yes, you may brush your teeth after kissing. Brushing always helps maintain good oral hygiene and protects the teeth from plaque and plaque acids. Just make sure that you do not have chocolates while kissing as it may sweeten up your joy but brushing right after will erode your enamel away as sugar creates micropores and weakens your enamel.
Can you smell bad breath when kissing?
Yes, while kissing if your partner has bad breath, you may smell it but it is not contagious, so relax! You are not going to get halitosis if your partner has it because bad breath is due to multiple reasons. Bacterial attack on food debris in your mouth overnight being one of the common reasons along with dry mouth and certain medications or metabolic disorders.
How do you hide bad breath when kissing?
It is very important to make sure that you do not have bad breath when kissing and if you have one then hiding it must be a priority.
You can use sugarless gums containing xylitol to hide your bad breath. You may also try out with some mouthwashes available that can wear off your bad breath.
Make sure you do not have gum in your mouth while kissing. It must be spitted out safely before kissing.
What should I eat before I kiss?
Before kissing, eat anything except foul smelling onions. You may eat strawberries or grapes before kissing.
Does kissing make you healthier?
Kissing definitely makes you healthier by reducing your stress levels and lowering your blood pressure.
According to a study, kissing not only helps lowering your stress levels but also helps improve your serum cholesterol levels and enhances your relationship bond.
Kissing triggers the brain to release hormones that make you happy, satisfied, less anxious and more healthier.
References:
16 Reasons to Smooch: How Kissing Benefits Your Health – Healthline. (2018)
Stookey, G. K. (2008). The effect of saliva on dental caries. The Journal of the American Dental Association, 139, 11S-17S.
DePaola, D. P. (2008). Saliva: The precious body fluid. The Journal of the American Dental Association, 139, 5S-6S.
Iorgulescu G. (2009). Saliva between normal and pathological. Important factors in determining systemic and oral health. Journal of medicine and life, 2(3), 303–307.
The Risks and Benefits of Kissing on Oral Health – Colgate
Teeth Whitening. (2019)