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| Kissing and Disease Transmission Disease Transmission Excerpt from "Your Gums Could Be KILLING You" Sheila Wolf, RDH We’ve heard about germs since we were toddlers. Our smart Moms cautioned us to wash the dirt off our hands when we came to dinner and cover our mouths when we sneezed. Our teachers hailed the contributions of Joseph Lister and Louis Pasteur and the "germ theory” of disease. But, has anyone ever told us to be careful whom we kissed? Probably not. People spread germs daily through kissing without the slightest worry. Worldwide, there are trillions of kisses exchanged between people every year. The typical salutation kiss, a peck on the cheek, a “California” air-kiss, or a chivalrous kiss to the hand doesn’t pose much of a threat. However, a kiss that exchanges saliva from one to another is a different matter entirely. FACT: When your best friend Fido slobbers those wet ones all over your face and mouth, and kitty licks your fingers or shares an ice-cream cone with you, you must realize, that all the germs in their mouths become part of your bacterial community. Besides kissing, there are other ways people pass along germs. Pets, friends, parents, playmates, teachers, hand shakers, and lovers all pass along their microorganisms to each other. The very simplest thing to do to greatly reduce passing along germs and infections, is to wash your hands. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) frequent hand washing with soap for 10 – 20 seconds, (enough to hum a round of Happy Birthday To You) is all you need to wash away germs that you have picked up from other people, from contaminated surfaces, or from animals and animal waste. Hand washing is not complicated but requires a bit more than running water over your hands. Wet your hands, use bar, liquid or powdered soap, and rub an’ scrub the fronts and backs of your hands -- down to your wrists. Rinse well and dry thoroughly. If you have time to run a fingernail brush under your nails, all the better. You should wash your hands often; probably far more often than you do now. Since you can't see those microscopic bugs, you can’t tell where they are hiding. When should you wash your hands? Wash your hands before and after you use the bathroom, before, during, and after you prepare food, after you clean up after your animals (even pet turtles and birds have germs), after handling items of a sick person and, of course, whenever your hands are dirty. NEVER put your unwashed hands in your mouth, eyes, or nose or in any other body opening because it is an invitation for the germs to make themselves at home inside you. Our skin is our protection against the outside world. If we have a break in this natural barrier, we are exposed to the environment and become susceptible to infection and dehydration. So … make sure you wash your hands before brushing and flossing your teeth, before you eat and certainly before you are intimate with your partner. Certain germs love the particular environment in saliva as well as other bodily fluids. FACT: Moustaches, beards and pierced tongues are also friendly to bacteria. Make sure that you wash your beard regularly using soap or shampoo, and use hydrogen peroxide on a Q-tip to clean around the stud or ring if your tongue is pierced. Unlike ordinary dirt, microbes are invisible. Most microorganisms can only be seen through a microscope but their diminutive size doesn’t impact their threat. They are lurking everywhere, ready to challenge our immune system -- the armies of white blood cells that keep our health in balance. Periodontal bacteria, as well as the bacteria in dental decay, are transmitted through kissing, sharing utensils and drinking vessels, as well as using someone else’s toothbrush. If you have a gum infection -- red, swollen, bleeding gums – you have a break in the protective barriers in your mouth. Kissing or having oral sex when you or your partner have openings in your mouths is a real invitation for transmission of unwanted organisms. Be careful. Keep your mouth as healthy as possible so you can prevent yourself from getting infections and transmitting diseases that can threaten your life. FACT: Babies are not born with the bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum infections. Bacteria are transmitted through saliva. Kisses, cups, utensils, and unwashed hands are carriers of millions of germs. When sampling baby's food, never put utensils into your mouth … then into baby's. Always use a clean spoon, even if you have to put several in the diaper bag. Just as in hand washing, you can diminish the numbers of bacteria in your mouth. Using certain tools, antibacterial techniques, and tactics we will discuss, you will learn how to optimally disinfect your mouth. A healthy mouth is a key to a healthy body. ***** Sheila Wolf, known affectionately as “Mama Gums,” has been practicing dental hygiene since 1971. Working at the leading edge of non-surgical periodontal care, her mission is to educate and empower people to take control of their own mouths. She has brought her message to places as far apart as California and Connecticut, Israel, Africa, and the hills of Kentucky. Her book, Pregnancy and Oral Health: The critical connection between your mouth and your baby, published 2004, is available on her website, www.mamagums.com (for an inscribed copy and free gift), through Amazon and at bookstores everywhere. Sheila would be happy to answer your oral health questions at www.mamagums.com. She is currently writing her second book, Your Gums Could Be KILLING You. |