You, your child and cavities, from Hilgers Pediatric Dentistry

Yes, we've blogged about cavities and stressed the need to see the dentist in our earlier posts. But, our team at Hilgers Pediatric Dentistry read an interesting article this morning pertaining to cavities and how bacteria spreads from parents to children, and thought we'd share the piece with you, our valued patients.

According to the MSNBC article, Streptococcus mutans, or MS, is a bacterium that can pass from person to person through the transfer of saliva, and is the main culprit. Bacteria has been known to spread through blowing on babies' foods, sharing household utensils and even kissing your little one. In fact, a 2008 pediatric dentistry study showed “strong evidence demonstrated that mothers are a primary source of MS colonization of their children; a few investigations showed other potential sources … notably fathers.”

Our staff knows tooth decay is caused by a combination of factors, including the transfer of infectious saliva, genetics, oral hygiene, and feeding practices, such as letting your baby constantly suck on a sippy cup full of juice or milk or other sugar-laden liquids.

Dr. Kelly Hilgers would like for you to read the article and learn a bit more about the transmission of bacteria and how it might impact your child. If you have any questions about bacteria or your treatment here at Hilgers Pediatric Dentistry, please feel free to give us a call at (623) 536–0079!