Parents can pass dental disease to babies

Most parents don't know they can pass harmful bacteria from their mouth to their baby's mouth. In fact, less than a third of American caregivers (32%) realize they can pass dental disease to their baby.

That's one of the key findings from a survey of American children's oral health, done on behalf of Delta Dental Plans Association in 2011. Interviews were conducted by email with 907 primary caregivers of children from birth to age 11.

Caries-causing bacteria are passed when items contaminated with saliva go into a child's mouth. Typically this takes place through common parental behaviors, such as parents sharing eating utensils with their child or using their mouth to clean a baby's pacifier.

According to the survey, 37% of Americans share utensils with their children "sometimes or often." Caregivers of children between the ages of 2 to 3 are most likely to share utensils with their children.