“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.”

Kissing offers many health benefits but may also transmit a small number of disease-causing bacteria and viruses. Bacteria and viruses in the saliva or blood of one person can be spread to another person by kissing.

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