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Parents often kiss their children to show signs of affection but one dentist claimed in February that doing so runs a major health risk.
Dr Michael Chong, a pediatric dental specialist from the Gold Coast, said mothers and fathers with active dental decay could risk passing on their bacteria to their children.
‘The damaging and non-damaging bacteria is spread through the transfer of saliva, and is most likely to pass to infants around or even before the time of baby teeth erupting,’ he told The Sunday Mail.
Dr Michael Chong, who practices on the Gold Coast, stressed parents should get a check-up for any cavities before they do so.
He said that if parents unknowingly have cavities themselves, they risk passing on their damaging oral bacteria to their children.
Dr Chong also suggested parents avoid blowing on their child’s food to cool it down. And he said tasting a meal to check the temperature should be avoided.
Researchers at the University of Oulo, led by Jorma Virtanen, published their findings in the journal BioMed Central Oral Health.
They quizzed 313 mothers about their thoughts on their health knowledge and their behaviours, such as sharing a spoon with their child.
They were also asked about how often they brush their teeth, smoking habits, age and level of education. These can alter someone’s risk of cavities.
Other common mummy-hacks to steer clear of include pre-chewing baby’s food, and cleaning dummies by sucking on them before handing them to bub, he said.
Kissing a baby on the lips doesn’t just raise the risk of oral cavities, however.
A heartbroken couple revealed last summer that their 18-day-old baby daughter died after she contracted herpes through a kiss.
Shane and Nicole Sifrit, from Iowa, said their daughter was infected with meningitis HSV-1, which is caused by the herpes virus, also responsible for cold sores.