How do our teeth catch the plaque bacteria in the first place?

[iamthewalrus_3]

@TriPolar

There is no comparison between STDs where it’s easy to limit contact, and a disease of the mouth where we have to eat and breath frequently.

Fair point.

[Machine_Elf]

@FuzzyOgre

Bonus question: How do we get the friendly bacteria in our guts?

I have a vague recollection of reading that this happens at birth, at which point your mouth is closer to your mom’s anus than it (hopefully) ever will be again. What with the chaos and struggle and splashing of miscellaneous fluids, you inevitably end up transferring some of your mom’s fecal bacteria into your own mouth.

Is my recollection wrong? Can a physician confirm or refute my hazy memory? Do babies born via c-section lack the gut flora of babies that are delivered vaginally?

It’s worth pointing out that some people who have lost their quota of friendly gut bacteria can have it replenished through a fecal transplant, with the relevant material being adminstered anally or through an NG tube.

[WhyNot]

@Machine_Elf

I have a vague recollection of reading that this happens at birth, at which point your mouth is closer to your mom’s anus than it (hopefully) ever will be again. What with the chaos and struggle and splashing of miscellaneous fluids, you inevitably end up transferring some of your mom’s fecal bacteria into your own mouth.

Is my recollection wrong? Can a physician confirm or refute my hazy memory? Do babies born via c-section lack the gut flora of babies that are delivered vaginally?

It’s worth pointing out that some people who have lost their quota of friendly gut bacteria can have it replenished through a fecal transplant, with the relevant material being adminstered anally or through an NG tube.

I don’t think that’s quite right, but I’m not an expert in fecal colonization of infants. This page says it’s vaginal, not anal, contact at birth, followed by breastfeeding and then the bacteria on food and, presumably, the bacteria on everything else a small child puts into his mouth.

A c-section baby won’t get those vaginal cooties, but should be able to get the others.

Maybe (this is conjecture, not established fact) this is one reason why formula fed babies tend to be a bit sicker; they’re not getting the correct bacteria from breastmilk. Healthy milkfed babies have different gut bacteria than they will as they get older and eat food.