Passive smoking may foster kids’ cavities

Young children who grow up in an environment where people smoke face an exaggerated risk of dental decay–but only in their baby teeth, a new study finds.

Earlier studies had demonstrated that environmental exposure to cigarette smoke can weaken the immune system and promote the growth of decay-causing bacteria.

Because the enamel on baby teeth is very thin, young children should be especially vulnerable to smoke’s effects on teeth, reasoned pediatrician C.