Passionate kisses may be the best way to prevent cavities, study finds

Dental treatments can be annoying and even painful, but a new study has revealed that there's a more pleasurable way to prevent cavities : kissing . And the more passionate, the better.

The study, published in the Journal of Medical Research and reported by the Daily Mail , was written by dentists at the University of Santiago in Ecuador and argues that the exchange of saliva during a kiss reduces acidity levels.

"Our study is the first to evaluate whether intimate human interaction can function by transmitting buffering agents through saliva, thereby promoting oral pH recovery," they say.

"During a kiss, a substantial volume of saliva is exchanged between partners, and it is plausible that this could introduce buffering agents and bacteria from one individual to the other, potentially aiding faster pH normalization ," they add.

Acidity levels can increase by about 25% after consuming sugary drinks, according to researchers, and it takes saliva about 40 minutes to return the pH to normal levels.

"To date, no study has explored whether kissing contributes to the recovery of salivary pH after acid exposures. This represents a novel and unexplored area of ​​research within oral health and preventive dentistry. It would introduce a novel behavioral approach to maintaining oral health," they conclude.