Kissing as a Protective Factor Against Acidic pH in Saliva

NCT06501729 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: 598
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 33
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Dental Caries; Tooth Demineralization; Teeth Erosion Limited to the Enamel

Keywords

Saliva; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; dental caries

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• salivary pH

  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

  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.

Study Arms (3)

Control

NO INTERVENTION

The couples in the control group will not kiss; they will only wait for the salivary pH to neutralize physiologically.

Only one person consumes the drink

EXPERIMENTAL

the group in which only one person in the couple consumes the sugary or fermented drink and they kiss

Other: Kiss

Both people consume the drink

EXPERIMENTAL

In this group, both people will consume the drinks and then kiss.

Other: Kiss

Interventions

Kiss OTHER

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

Both people consume the drink; Only one person consumes the drink

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 30 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• 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.

You may not qualify if:

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

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universidad Catolica Santiago de Guayaquil: lead

Study Sites (1)

School of Dentistry of the Catholic University Santiago de Guayaquil

Guayaquil, Guayas, 17-11-5058, Ecuador

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Uma E, Theng KS, Yi LLH, Yun LH, Varghese E, Soe HHK. Comparison of Salivary pH Changes after Consumption of Two Sweetened Malaysian Local Drinks among Individuals with Low Caries Experience: A Pilot Study. Malays J Med Sci. 2018 Jul;25(4):100-111. doi: 10.21315/mjms2018.25.4.10. Epub 2018 Aug 30.

  PMID: 30914852 BACKGROUND

• Armijos Briones M, Aguila Gaibor M, Bermudez Velasquez A. Kissing as a Protective Factor Against Decreased Salivary pH: Protocol for a Randomized Clinical Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2025 Jul 17;14:e65253. doi: 10.2196/65253.

  PMID: 40674724 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Dental Caries; Tooth Demineralization

Interventions

Kisspeptins

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Tooth Diseases; Stomatognathic Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Peptides; Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins; Neuropeptides; Tumor Suppressor Proteins; Neoplasm Proteins; Proteins

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Teaching researcher

Model Details: Couples were randomized to one of three parallel study arms: control (no kissing), Experimental Group 1 (one member of the couple consumed the beverage followed by kissing), and Experimental Group 2 (both members of the couple consumed the beverage followed by kissing). After allocation, one participant per couple was randomly selected for repeated salivary pH measurement and analysis. Each selected participant was scheduled to complete three weekly beverage sessions involving Coca-Cola, Cifrut, and non-alcoholic beer.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 2, 2024
• First Posted: July 15, 2024
• Study Start: July 30, 2024
• Primary Completion: February 20, 2025
• Study Completion: November 20, 2025
• Last Updated: April 24, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Locations

EC (1)