The inside of your mouth is the second most heavily colonised area of the human body, after the large intestine. Due to the distinctly varying tissue surfaces available for microbial adherence (e.g. teeth, gums, tongue, cheeks, lips & palate), the oral microbiome remains extremely diverse.

Gum and dental hygiene can be an indicator of greater systemic health as oral microbial dysbiosis has far-reaching physiological effects impacting every system of the body e.g., digestive, respiratory, cardiovascular, immune, endocrine, urinary, nervous, reproductive, integumentary and musculoskeletal. As with other areas of microbial ecosystems, the oral microbiome can be in a state of balance or imbalance impacting localised oral, as well as systemic, health.