Are cavities contagious?

Cavities form in the presence of sugary diets, bacteria, and of course the tooth.  Without the bacteria, despite the presence of sugar and the tooth, the cavities will not be forming. 

There are many factors when determining a caries risk for a person, and one of them is the level of cariogenic bacteria in the saliva.  Individuals with high level of cariogenic bacteria tend to easily develop cavities more than those with lower level of cariogenic bacteria.

Indeed, the bacteria that causes cavity can indeed be transmitted from one person to another.  The newborn acquires the majority of oral microflora from his mother.  In addition, the bacteria can be transmitted through saliva among family members and friends.

Here are what you can do to minimize the risk of cariogenic bacteria transmission.

1.     Determine the caries risk of yourself and of your children.

Having regular checkups with your dentist help assess the individual’s caries risk and increase awareness of the presence of the cavities in the household. Studies suggest that the presence of active cavities or history of having cavities in the past 12 months suggest that you are at high caries risk.

2.     Minimize activities that can result in saliva transmission.

Individuals with high caries risk have high level of cariogenic bacteria. Therefore,  avoidance of shared utensils, food, or physical contacts such as kissing or sneezing, can help reduce chance of cariogenic bacteria transmission.   

3.     Ask your dentist about xylitol.

Xylitol is the natural occurring sugar that has been shown to reduce the level of the cariogenic bacteria, Mutans Streptococci, in plaque and saliva.  The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry supports the use of Xylitol as a non-cariogenic sugar substitute. Consult with your dentist regarding the caries risk for you and your children and the possibility of the use of xylitol for risk management.  Xylitol products are available in many forms such as gum, lozenges, syrup and snack foods. The dentist will be able to recommend the best form and dosage in accordance with your caries risk.

4.     Maintain regular oral hygiene care including tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste at least twice daily and flossing daily, and avoid excessive intake of sugary diets.

What are some risk factors for my child to develop more cavities than others?

Undoubtedly sugary diet is one of the most important causes of cavities in children; however, there are other factors associated with high caries risk as seen in the recent publication of International Journal of Pediatric Dentistry.  These include the followed:

1.     The use of non-fluoride toothpaste

2.     Breast feeding for more than one year

3.     Milk and sugar present in feeding bottle while falling asleep

4.     High sugary diet intake

5.     Visiting dentist only when the problem is perceived.

Additionally, studies show that low socioeconomic status and higher birth order pose more risk of cavity development.  Cavity is preventable and it is never too late to start improving dental health for you and your loved ones.

7 tips for your children to avoid cavities this winter!

Halloween and the Holiday seasons are just around the corner, and that means many treats and sugary diets for your children.  Here are great tips to achieve great oral health for your little ones.

1.         Tooth brushing twice daily and flossing at least once a day. This tip may sound cliché but the key for the healthy teeth is as simple as brushing and flossing routinely. They key is to brush thoroughly and under supervision of the parents.  We recommend parents brush the teeth for their children and oversee their children brushing and flossing until the children can demonstrate their own brushing technique.  Flossing is highly recommended whenever two adjacent teeth are seen touching each other, which can be observed in children as young as 2-3 years old.

2.         Avoid sleeping with milk at the night time.  Ad libitum breastfeeding, or breast feeding by demand is associated with dental caries in infants.  Avoid letting the infants fall asleep while feeding after the first baby tooth erupts.  The infant teeth should always be wiped clean free of milk debris before placing the child to bed at night time.

3.         Pick healthy diets over sugary treats. Foods with high sugar content and starchy snacks are the common cause of tooth decay. Examples of tooth-friendly and healthy snacks for children include fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese, whole grains, nuts and plain yogurt. 

4.         Watch for frequency and timing of snacks.  Consuming snacks with meals is safer to teeth than eating snacks in between the meals. Avoid sticky candies and lollipops that requires more processing time in the mouth. Giving your children snacks once a day is healthier than snacking throughout the day.

5.         Avoid transmission of bacteria that cause cavities. The bacteria that causes cavity, known as Streptococcus Mutans, can be transmitted by saliva.  Avoid sharing utensils with family members and friends who have history of cavities in the past 12 months.

6.         Protect the teeth with sealants. Dental sealants are a non-invasive and cost-effective way to prevent cavities in young children. Sealants are resin materials placed on indicated baby molars and adult teeth with deep pits and grooves. The proposes of sealants are to seal off deep pits and grooves for easy cleaning and to prevent foods and bacteria to get stuck on the tooth surface. 

7.         Visit their pediatric dentist every 6 months.  Children are not just a smaller version of adults. That is why monitoring the craniofacial and dental growth by dental professionals is important. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends the first dental visit by one year of age.  We recommend having your child’s teeth checked regularly by their pediatric dentist not only for tooth cleaning and fluoride, but also for diet recommendation, anticipatory guidance, cavity risk assessment and assessment of growth and development.

With these 7 tips in mind, now we know that maintaining healthy oral hygiene is easy, and it is possible for everyone to be free of cavities!