The American Dental Association has recently released a statement warning parents that dental decay-causing bacteria is plausibly transmitted from adults to their children by sharing eating utensils, as well as by sharing pacifiers.

The warning comes shortly after a recently published American Academy of Pediatrics study found that immune systems of children benefited from adult saliva through the same actions.

The latter study stated that parents were able to transfer quality bacteria to their infants by sucking on the pacifier prior to giving it to the child.

"Parental sucking of their infant’s pacifier may reduce the risk of allergy development, possibly via immune stimulation by microbes transferred to the infant via the parent’s saliva," the authors concluded.

However, now the ADA is stating parents should reconsider the study thanks to their own research. According to the Association, cavity-causing bacteria can be transferred from adult to child through the very same action.

"A child's teeth are susceptible to decay as soon as they begin to erupt," said Dr. Jonathan Shenkin, a pediatric dentist in Maine and a pediatric dental spokesperson for the ADA, in a press release. "Cavity-causing bacteria, especially Streptococcus mutans, can be transferred from adult saliva to children, increasing their risk of getting cavities."

Dr. Shenkin of the ADA points out that there are plenty of other steps available to assist in immune-boosting in children. "Breast milk is widely acknowledged as a good immunity-builder as well as the most complete form of nutrition for infants. This is something on which both the ADA and the AAP agree," he said.

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