5 ms·

Maybe the fact that everyone has it

by glouwbug 2y ago

onlyrealcuzzo 2y ago
It's estimated 2/3rds of adults globally have it. That's a majority, but far from "everyone".
- feverzsj 2y ago
  It's just they haven't got the virus yet. Or the viral load is too low to be detectable by current technique.
  - minitech 2y ago
    We have ways to test for latent HSV (antibodies, not viral load), which prevalence estimates are informed by. And yeah, anyone who doesn’t have a virus doesn’t have it “yet” in a trivial sense, but no, to echo the parent comment’s point: not everyone gets an HSV infection, even over their lifetime, and the proportion that don’t is non-negligible.
- dsego 2y ago
  And not everyone has bacteria that causes cavities or gingivitis. Seems once you get it, it's difficult to get rid of. I was trying to explain this to my mom (grandma) when she was sharing spoons with our little one, and she was all defensive, like I'm squeamish and it's not a big problem, the kid needs to strengthen her immune system and she's already putting stuff in her mouth, so she will pick it up anyway. It's that boomer/hippie generation that doesn't understand why washing hands was important during covid.
  - culi 2y ago
    I don't think that's how it spreads though. It's not a specific bacteria. Many species are linked to cavities and gingivitis including Streptococcus, Fusobacterium, Actinomyces, Veillonella, and more. Everyone of us already has these bacteria. The difference isn't so much the specific strains but the specific ecosystem in your mouth Almost every one of us already has Candida albicans but we don't all get yeast infections. Almost everyone of us already has Cutibacterium acnes but we don't all get pimples. Almost everyone of us already has Streptococcus pyogenes but we don't all constantly have strep throat. All three of those examples are examples of species that we all normally have and even play beneficial roles for our health (Streptococcus plays important roles in digestion, Cutibacterium can actually improve your skin health and protect your skin moisture barrier, and idk about Candida but I bet it has some benefits too lol). But when the natural ecology is disrupted they can grow out of control. E.g. yeast infections and strep throat are both significantly more common after taking antibiotics which can kill off other beneficial microorganisms that are often necessary to keep those "opportunistically pathogenic" microbes in check I'm willing to bet it's the same story for bacteria that causes cavities or gingivitis. It's not a specific strain that you should be worried about but a pattern/ecology that you should be worried about. That's much harder to "spread" and has a lot more to do with factors like your daily habits, diet, and even genetics tl;dr: I'm with grandma on this
  - trimethylpurine 2y ago
    Science sides with your mom. Your immune health has much more to do with which bacteria survive in which proportions than with your fear of exposure, because it's incredibly unlikely that you've never been exposed to those species. You were probably born with them and so was baby. If your saliva is well formulated, they are in a healthy balance and you're fine. If not, you might have some bad genes because you're not making good saliva. Floss and brush, and get regular cleanings.
  - zoklet-enjoyer 2y ago
    I'm 37 and the only time I ever had a cavity, it was a small one when I was 29. I experienced intense pain and then numbness in my face as the plane I was on was landing. My mouth felt normal like 20 minutes after landing. I suspected a cavity, did some googling, went to a dentist and got it filled. That was the first time I had been to a dentist in over 5 years. I figured I should use my dental insurance and start going in for cleanings regularly. So I did that for a bit, then covid happened. I haven't been to a dentist since 2019 and my teeth seem fine. I usually brush twice a day, but sometimes I fall asleep on the couch and miss brushing. Sometimes I'll go a month without flossing, but usually floss every other day. I have some dental picks I use regularly. Orbit gum is chewed pretty often. But yeah I think it's gotta be genetic or something.
  - ferfumarma 2y ago
    That is actually really scary for your mom to do. Neonates are uniquely susceptible to HSV and it can cause permanent catastrophic brain damage and death. Sharing saliva in any baby under 6 months is a terrible idea. It tends not to make the news, but if you search for "herpes" and "bris" from religious individuals putting their mouth on the genitals of children, then you will find plenty of examples. But it's the same reason you shouldn't let people kiss your child: any cold sores (or asymptomatic shedding) can be fatal to your child. Stay strong with your mom. She is lucky that she's unaware of the risk, but the risk is there.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

Maybe the fact that everyone has it

onlyrealcuzzo 2y ago

It's estimated 2/3rds of adults globally have it. That's a majority, but far from "everyone".

feverzsj 2y ago
It's just they haven't got the virus yet. Or the viral load is too low to be detectable by current technique.
- minitech 2y ago
  We have ways to test for latent HSV (antibodies, not viral load), which prevalence estimates are informed by. And yeah, anyone who doesn’t have a virus doesn’t have it “yet” in a trivial sense, but no, to echo the parent comment’s point: not everyone gets an HSV infection, even over their lifetime, and the proportion that don’t is non-negligible.
dsego 2y ago
And not everyone has bacteria that causes cavities or gingivitis. Seems once you get it, it's difficult to get rid of. I was trying to explain this to my mom (grandma) when she was sharing spoons with our little one, and she was all defensive, like I'm squeamish and it's not a big problem, the kid needs to strengthen her immune system and she's already putting stuff in her mouth, so she will pick it up anyway. It's that boomer/hippie generation that doesn't understand why washing hands was important during covid.
- culi 2y ago
  I don't think that's how it spreads though. It's not a specific bacteria. Many species are linked to cavities and gingivitis including Streptococcus, Fusobacterium, Actinomyces, Veillonella, and more. Everyone of us already has these bacteria. The difference isn't so much the specific strains but the specific ecosystem in your mouth Almost every one of us already has Candida albicans but we don't all get yeast infections. Almost everyone of us already has Cutibacterium acnes but we don't all get pimples. Almost everyone of us already has Streptococcus pyogenes but we don't all constantly have strep throat. All three of those examples are examples of species that we all normally have and even play beneficial roles for our health (Streptococcus plays important roles in digestion, Cutibacterium can actually improve your skin health and protect your skin moisture barrier, and idk about Candida but I bet it has some benefits too lol). But when the natural ecology is disrupted they can grow out of control. E.g. yeast infections and strep throat are both significantly more common after taking antibiotics which can kill off other beneficial microorganisms that are often necessary to keep those "opportunistically pathogenic" microbes in check I'm willing to bet it's the same story for bacteria that causes cavities or gingivitis. It's not a specific strain that you should be worried about but a pattern/ecology that you should be worried about. That's much harder to "spread" and has a lot more to do with factors like your daily habits, diet, and even genetics tl;dr: I'm with grandma on this
- trimethylpurine 2y ago
  Science sides with your mom. Your immune health has much more to do with which bacteria survive in which proportions than with your fear of exposure, because it's incredibly unlikely that you've never been exposed to those species. You were probably born with them and so was baby. If your saliva is well formulated, they are in a healthy balance and you're fine. If not, you might have some bad genes because you're not making good saliva. Floss and brush, and get regular cleanings.
- zoklet-enjoyer 2y ago
  I'm 37 and the only time I ever had a cavity, it was a small one when I was 29. I experienced intense pain and then numbness in my face as the plane I was on was landing. My mouth felt normal like 20 minutes after landing. I suspected a cavity, did some googling, went to a dentist and got it filled. That was the first time I had been to a dentist in over 5 years. I figured I should use my dental insurance and start going in for cleanings regularly. So I did that for a bit, then covid happened. I haven't been to a dentist since 2019 and my teeth seem fine. I usually brush twice a day, but sometimes I fall asleep on the couch and miss brushing. Sometimes I'll go a month without flossing, but usually floss every other day. I have some dental picks I use regularly. Orbit gum is chewed pretty often. But yeah I think it's gotta be genetic or something.
- ferfumarma 2y ago
  That is actually really scary for your mom to do. Neonates are uniquely susceptible to HSV and it can cause permanent catastrophic brain damage and death. Sharing saliva in any baby under 6 months is a terrible idea. It tends not to make the news, but if you search for "herpes" and "bris" from religious individuals putting their mouth on the genitals of children, then you will find plenty of examples. But it's the same reason you shouldn't let people kiss your child: any cold sores (or asymptomatic shedding) can be fatal to your child. Stay strong with your mom. She is lucky that she's unaware of the risk, but the risk is there.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]