I have a new girlfriend, she’s 66. She hasn’t been to the dentist since she was a kid because of a bad experience. Now her teeth are yellowish and the gums are bright red. Can you get sick if you give someone with such teeth a love kiss?
Anonymous (57)
Joris Bartstra, journalist with medical diploma
No, I do not think so. It inflamed gums means that the tooth pockets (the small folds of gums around the teeth) have deepened and are full of bacteria. These bacteria have been selected by their environment in such a way that they can grow well in this mouth with bad teeth. In a healthy mouth they are cleared by the toothbrush, or by the cleaning power of saliva and food such as fruit.
Your girlfriend does have a greater chance of getting sick, because these bacteria ‘leak’ into the bloodstream and can cause inflammation anywhere in the body, for example in the heart, lungs and liver. The generally increased inflammatory activity – the body is constantly fighting those bacteria in the blood – also increases the chance of heart attacks and strokes. Your friend should therefore simply have her teeth cleaned. Today there are dentists who specialize in treating people with dental anxiety. Ask your own dentist about it.
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