Kissing, a seemingly innocent display of affection, may share more than just your love for someone. Kissing can impact your dental health in both positive and negative ways. Before you pucker up, consider these potential effects:
How Kissing Can Impact Your Dental Health:
The Cons of Kissing:
Your mouth is home to bacteria and can carry viruses and germs. To protect yourself from catching something like a cold, talk to your partner about their health. If you know your loved one has been sick recently, it’s best to hold off on kissing.
The following can be transmitted through kissing:
- The common cold
- Cavities
- Cold sores
- Mononucleosis (the kissing disease!)
It’s true! One possibility when kissing a dirty mouth is catching cavities. Even the simple act of sharing a fork can bring the cavity-causing bacteria from your partner’s mouth into yours, potentially giving you cavities!
Additionally, a kiss does pose a risk of spreading a cold between you and your partner. But, it’s actually riskier to hold hands with someone who has a cold than it is to kiss them.
The Pros of Kissing:
Kissing really isn’t all bad, especially once you’ve determined that you and your partner have healthy mouths and good overall health. Kissing stimulates the production of saliva, which helps to wash away food particles and cavity-causing bacteria.
Kissing may also prompt you to freshen your breath more often. At least, we’d recommend it! For a minty-fresh mouth, opt for sugar-free gum or mints. If you have a couple extra minutes before your date, brush and floss to make kissing a super-fresh experience.
Since kissing may impact your dental health, it’s essential that you and your partner discuss contagious health conditions or concerns before puckering up. Brush and floss before you anticipate a romantic date and always strive for healthy kissing!