Crosby Family Dental offers affordable and quality dental care for the whole family. We are one of the few dentists in the area that accept Medicaid. We firmly believe that dental health is the root (pun intended) of much of your overall health and happiness. We also believe that good dental health is a lifelong pursuit, the habits of which are best learned in childhood. It seems, though, that no matter what you do sometimes, you get a cavity. We’ve been asked if cavities are contagious and while it seems counterintuitive to answer yes, there is some evidence to say that yes, cavities can be contagious. According to an article by William J. Moorhead, DMD, PLLC, there are three main factors that spread cavities.

Bacteria

• Not just any bacteria cause cavities in teeth.
• Two of the known culprits are streptococcus mutans and lactobacillus, and these bacteria can spread from one person to another by seemly innocuous activities like a mother cleaning off a binky, sharing a fork of food, or kissing.

Family Hygiene

• Children learn their dental hygiene habits from their parents and if high standards are not enforced, the children will be more likely to skip flossing or after-meal brushing.

Family Eating Habits

• Just as children learn dental hygiene habits from their parents or caretakers, they also eat what they are taught it is ok to eat.
• If kids are allowed to drink sodas, eat sugary, sticky candy or lots of acidic foods like pickles and lemons, their teeth will pay the price with cavities and discoloration.

If multiple people in the family are getting cavities, it’s time to treat the whole family with a multi-pronged approach. First, all members of the family should see a dentist and have a thorough cleaning, next, their dental hygiene and eating habits need to be examined and possibly adjusted for better dental health.

Call Crosby Family Dental for an appointment.

Book Appointment to find out which treatment might be best for you.