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  • 2016-12-20 (xsd:date)
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  • Are Cavities Contagious? (fr)
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  • On 20 February 2016, ScienceDaily shared a University of Louisville press release titled Cavities are contagious, research shows, which said (without a link to any particular research): The original press release was either deleted or removed at some point, but the original version quite explicitly made no mention of either an active or recent study: In early 2011, TIME magazine and the New York Times were among outlets reporting on the purported risks of transmitting cavities: Research conducted in 2007 indicated the presence of certain bacteria in the mouths of infants was linked with severe childhood cavities, but it didn't detail how the purported transmission took place. Overall, that material simply concluded that strategies for the prevention of dental caries should include timely control of colonization of the cariogenic [cavity-causing] bacteria in the mouths of young children. The New York Times mentioned studies, but only referenced anecdotes: In the described scenario, a change in diet, habits, or other factors presumably could have been a contributing factor. In 2010, a separate study of older children asserted that mother-to-child transmission had been suggested by other studies, but it was not described as necessarily definitive: Dentistry texts published in 1999 were similarly inconclusive: As of 2007, studies indicated that suspected transmission from mother to child occurred shortly after birth and well prior to the appearance of teeth. Quite often, transmission was cited among several other factors (such as socioeconomic status, familial habits, and caretaking practices) observed in severe early childhood caries; it remained possible that transmission between individuals was one of several mitigating factors. By 2009, research remained inconclusive on the matter of cavity contagion: As for the matter of transmission between intimate partners (with one fortunate enough to live a cavity-free life while their partner suffers with frequent decay) the sample size of the most commonly referenced research (1993) was exceedingly small: Of the people originally examined, the conclusion was based on results derived from four individuals, or two couples. Ongoing research has primarily focused on severe early childhood cavities, not broad A-to-B transmission of cavities. Evidence suggesting couples were cavity vectors (via kissing) was incomplete or anecdotal, and research into caregiver-to-child transmission typically involved a host of factors such as a household's socioeconomic profile, culture, smoking in the home, and other variables. Evidence did not disprove the idea that cavity-causing bacteria was transmitted between caregivers and children or intimate partners, but neither did it seem to be cause for alarm. (en)
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