Cavities Are Contagios—Who Knew?!

Heather Muir, Allure magazine

In my 27 years of eating food, I have yet to get a cavity (I'm knocking on wood as I type). Before every professional cleaning-I actually have an appointment this Friday-I cross my fingers, hoping that my cavity-free streak continues. So I found it fascinating that while chatting with dentist Jeff Golub-Evans (he calls himself the "smile designer" and works with pretty-toothed celebrities like Kim Cattrall and Bridget Moynahan), he revealed that cavities are-believe it or not-contagious. (WHAT?)

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"Cavities are no different than a common cold," he explained. "Yes, natural causes include bacteria, sugar, and not brushing, but you can increase the risk of cavities by kissing someone who has a history of cavities based on the level of bacteria in their saliva."

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More good news: "Every decade of our lives, our teeth darken one to two shades." This just keeps getting better, right? He advises laying off coffee, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and red wine, which to me says, get out those Crest Whitestrips.



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