How Kissing Can Improve Your Dental Health

One of the crazy facts about kissing is that it can be good for your oral health. Yes, you've read that right. Kissing alone has countless positive impacts on the mind and body. Furthermore, there are many benefits to locking lips that can help your teeth and your immune system.

When kissing, the exchange of saliva can increase the number of bacteria present in the mouth. The concept of exchanging saliva can sound gross, but it can give you added immunity to certain types of bacteria. A ten-second French kiss transmits about 80 million bacteria between two persons as per a recent study (via Microbiome).

"There are a number of studies that show if the diversity in bacteria increases — more different types of species — this is a good thing," Remco Kort, the study author and a scientist at Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, said. "If you look at it from this point of view, kissing is very healthy" (via TIME). Then again, all the excellent health results depend on the person you're kissing and what types of bacteria they have. Of course, contagious diseases like Human Papillomavirus (HPV) or herpes are a no-no. Not to mention, the current pandemic poses a big problem to kissing someone you just met.

A passionate kiss promotes salivary flow. As you know, saliva can wash away food particles inside the mouth. It can help get rid of food from sticking to your pearly whites — preventing cavities and tooth decay. For citrus eaters, the saliva can also help neutralize the acidity inside the mouth. Moreover, the extracellular fluid also aids in swallowing (via Colgate).

While kissing can have a lot of benefits, it's still of vital importance to practice good oral hygiene. Brushing teeth regularly and flossing at least once a day can lessen the bacteria in your mouth. Take extra caution when kissing strangers and sick people. While saliva alone cannot make a person sick, it's the mucus in the saliva that can transfer the cold.

"The virus travels in the mucus from the respiratory system," Professor Ron Eccles said, a Common Cold Center director at Cardiff University. "Unless you have a bad cough, and some of the respiratory mucus has made its way into your saliva, the cold virus will not be transmitted by kissing" (via The Guardian).

Apart from dental health, kissing can also improve one's relationship as it can deepen the bond between two persons and heighten sexual arousal in couples. As for the face, a good round of locking lips can be a form of facial exercise. Not only will it tighten the muscles on your face, but kissing can also increase collagen production, which can make you look young (via Healthline).