Cavities: Now Officially Contagious

Meaghan O'Neill Editor-in-Chief bio | twitter

Photo: Francis Bourgouin via flickr Creative Commons CC BY-SA 2.0.

In today's mind-blowing medical news, apparently researchers have found out that cavities are contagious. Yes, cavities. Contagious.

According to an article in the New York Times, bacteria passed from person to person is the culprit:

...[I]nfants and children are particularly vulnerable to it, and studies have shown that most pick it up from their caregivers — for example, when a mother tastes a child’s food to make sure it’s not too hot, said Dr. Margaret Mitchell, a cosmetic dentist in Chicago."

But it's not just little ones who are at risk. According to the Times' interview with Mitchell:

In one instance, a patient in her 40s who had never had a cavity suddenly developed two cavities and was starting to get some gum disease,” she said. She learned the woman had started dating a man who hadn’t been to a dentist in 18 years and had gum disease.

Apparently, it's time to stop worrying about sweets, and being careful near your sweetie.