Dr. Hall,
I noticed that someone I had kissed had a tooth that looked like it was decaying. Can I get sick from kissing that person if they had a decayed tooth in their mouth? This is a serious question not a joke, thank you so much.
– Jamie from California
Jamie,
Tooth decay isn’t contagious. The decayed tooth won’t hurt you at all, no matter how much you kissed this person.
Everyone has the same tooth decay bacteria (lactobacillus) in their mouth. The way the bacteria cause you trouble is when you feed them often or don’t clean them off daily. So brush, floss, don’t snack all day long, and you’ll be fine.
For more information, read our page about tooth decay. Also read about the myth of soft teeth.
– Dr. Hall
Thank you Dr. Hall I feel much better now, I hope he gets his teeth fixed soon.
– Jamie
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About David A. Hall
Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.
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