Kissing Promotes Good Dental Health

If you don't floss like we advise, at least take this piece of advice from the Academy of General Dentistry - kissing is linked to the prevention of tooth decay. Kissing stimulates saliva, which helps reduce the incidence of cavities.

"Kissing is nature's cleansing process," says Heidi Hausauer, a dentist and spokeswoman for the academy. "Saliva washes out the mouth and helps remove the cavity-causing food particles that accumulate after meals."

If you have no one to kiss, try sugar-free gum. It's not quite as fun, but still very effective in producing saliva.

Other Saliva Facts

• Saliva levels are higher when you are standing or lying down than when sitting.
  
• Saliva rates are higher in winter than in summer and higher in the morning than in the afternoon.
  
• The mineral ions in saliva help "re-mineralize" early lesions in tooth enamel.
  
• Sugar, salt, butter and acidic foods produce the highest saliva flow.
  
• Anxiety levels and thoughts of food affect saliva flow.