Your mouth is one of the most diverse habitats in the human body. It contains over 700 known species of bacteria, as well as yeasts, viruses and some protozoa. This community is collectively referred to as the oral microbiome – and like your gut microbiome, the bacteria in your mouth play an important role in your health.
Some of the most common diseases caused by changes to your oral microbiome are tooth decay and gum disease. But growing evidence suggests that the oral microbiome is also linked to many other serious health conditions that occur elsewhere in the body.
