When raising a child, any parent knows it's crucial to show them love. It makes the youngster feel loved and appreciated, leading them to be warm and affectionate with their future children.
Celebrities have recently been targeted in the media based on the level of affection they show their kids. Last month, New England Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady, made headlines when a clip of his web series, Tom vs. Time, showed him kiss his 11-year-old son Jack.
While some viewers said it was an innocent peck, others labelled the kiss as disturbing content. Now, a dentist is weighing in on the conversation - to discuss the health risks that come with giving a kiss to your young children on the lips.
Dr. Michael Chong, a pediatric dental specialist from the Gold Coast, Australia, said parents who have active dental decay could possibly pass on their bacteria to their young children.
"The damaging and non-damaging bacteria is spread through the transfer of saliva, and is most likely to pass to infants around or even before the time of baby teeth erupting," Chong told The Sunday Mail.
"My advice is to get your teeth checked and cleaned to avoid transferring harmful bacteria to your child through kissing them on the mouth," he added.
According to London celebrity dentist Dr. Richard Marques, children who still have their baby teeth are more vulnerable to an infection, as they don't have the strength to combat the dangerous bacteria transferred through saliva.
"Baby teeth have a different type of enamel and dentine to adult teeth," Marques said. "The enamel is much thinner on baby teeth. It is not as strong as adult enamel so is more likely to decay."
But giving a quick kiss to your children isn't the only thing you should avoid to protect their teeth.
While kissing someone with an active cavity can lead to potential tooth decay, it isn't the only thing that can negatively impact your kids.
Not only can it cause an unwanted trip to your dentist's office, but mouth-to-mouth contact can lead into the recipient having a cold, the flu, or viruses such as cold sores, which are caused by the herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1).
However, according to Chong, there are precautions parents can take to avoid spreading harmful bacteria to their children, including avoid blowing on their food to cool it down and to stop sharing utensils.
"Other common mummy-hacks to avoid the spread of bacteria include pre-chewing baby's food, and cleaning dummies by sucking on them before handing them to bub," Chong warned.
However, the dentist said that looking after your own dental health is one of the biggest thing you can do to protect your child.
He adds that includes regularly brushing your teeth, flossing and going to regular checkups twice a year.
Does this warning change the way you'll show affection to your child?
[H/T: Daily Mail, The Independent, The Sunday Mail]