Kissing as a Protective Factor Against Acidic pH in Saliva

The pH of saliva can be acidic or alkaline; When it is acidic, the tooth enamel is demineralized, that is, weakened. Additionally, bacteria in the mouth can increase and cause infections such as cavities. This occurs when we consume sugary or fermented drinks, such as soda or beer.

The intention of the research team is to give some of these drinks to the study participants and verify the decrease in salivary pH. Next, a group of people will be asked to kiss their partner on the mouth, and then the pH will be measured again to see if it increases, that is, if it stops being acidic faster than in the group that did not kiss.

The aim is to demonstrate that kissing on the mouth between two people can protect teeth from cavities by rapidly increasing the pH of saliva after it has decreased to become acidic.

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Key information

Conditions

Dental Caries Stomatognathic Diseases Teeth Erosion Limited to the Enamel Tooth Demineralization Tooth Diseases

Age range

18 year–30 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

School of Dentistry of the Catholic University Santiago de Guayaquil

Guayaquil, Guayas, 17-11-5058, Ecuador

About this study

The goal of this intervention study will be to determine if oral kissing between two people can increase salivary pH more quickly after drinking artificial juices, soft drinks, or (non-alcoholic) beers. It will also be studied whether the pH restoration time is faster when only one person kisses one of the named drinks or when both people do it. The main questions that are intended to be answered are the following:

Is the act of kissing on the mouth capable of increasing the pH of saliva more quickly than physiologically after consuming a sugary or fermented drink that has decreased it?
Is the increase in salivary pH after an oral kiss more accelerated when only one person consumes sugary or fermented drinks than when both people do so? The investigators will measure the basal pH of all participants before providing them with one of the drinks (artificial fruit juice, soda, or non-alcoholic beer). The researchers will then give the drinks and measure the decrease in salivary pH in all groups. Control group participants will not kiss; They will only wait for the salivary pH to neutralize physiologically. The rest of the couples will be divided into two groups: the group in which only one person in the couple consumes the sugary or fermented drink, and the group in which both people in the couple do so.

Saliva pH measurements will be performed, after initiation and consumption of the drinks, every 5 minutes for up to 40 minutes. That is, until the restoration of salivary pH is ensured in all groups.

Participants:

They will be between 18 and 30 years old to reduce the probability of consuming medications that alter salivary pH.
They should not be taking medications that alter the pH of saliva.
They must be in good health.
They should not have abscesses in the oral cavity.
They must have good oral health according to the loss proposed and the observed index.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

They must be in good health
They must have good oral health according to the raised loss and observed index.
They will be between 18 and 30 years old to reduce the probability of consuming medications that alter salivary pH.

Exclusion criteria

Be taking medications that alter the pH of saliva.
Have abscesses in the oral cavity

Treatment and study plan

Kiss

Other

Participants will kiss with their partners for 40 seconds. The kiss will be on the mouth.

Primary outcomes

salivary pH

Time frame: In a period of every 5 minutes, until reaching 40 minutes, which is the time in which physiologically the pH of the saliva is neutralized.

It is expected to measure the progressive increase in pH until reaching a neutral point, which occurs physiologically between 30 to 40 minutes, and compare the time spent by the control group with that of the experimental group. Measurements will be taken every 5 minutes from the kiss, which will last 40 seconds. In total, there will be 8 measurements, not counting the initial one for surveying the baseline. The measurement will be carried out with a calibrated pH meter. People will be asked to drool into a test tube

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Universidad Catolica Santiago de Guayaquil

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Potential Effect of Oral Kissing Between Two People Against the Decrease in pH

Important dates

Study start: 2024
Primary completion: 2025
Study completion: 2025
First posted: Jul 15, 2024
Registry last updated: Apr 24, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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Completed