Oral Microbiome: How Your Mouth Shapes Your Whole‑Body Health
Originally sent to subscribers on 30 November 2025
Let me ask you something. If you woke up every morning with blood on your hands, would you ignore it? If you looked in the mirror and saw blood on your face, would you shrug and carry on? Of course you wouldn’t. You’d stop. You’d question. You’d act. Yet millions of people wake up every day with bleeding gums — as if bleeding in the mouth counts less than bleeding anywhere else.
But bleeding gums aren’t just a dental inconvenience. They’re a biological broadcast. If your gums are bleeding, even a little, your body is telling you something important.
DATA — Where insight becomes impact
What I’ve been looking at this week…
This week I’ve been looking closely at something most people never think about: the oral microbiome. That’s the community of around two billion bacteria living in your mouth right now. These bacteria aren’t passive. They influence inflammation, immunity, metabolism, mood and even memory. Most people think oral health is to do with the mouth. But it’s more than that.
Bleeding gums, morning breath, recurring cavities — these are not hygiene issues. They’re biological clues. The bacteria in your mouth don’t stay in your mouth. They’ve been found in arteries affected by heart disease, brain tissue in people with Alzheimer’s, the gut in inflammatory bowel conditions, arthritic joints and colorectal tumours.
How does that happen? When the wrong bacteria take over your mouth, your gums become inflamed. Inflamed gum tissue becomes more permeable. Once that barrier breaks down, bacteria and inflammatory molecules can enter the bloodstream and travel throughout the body. So when someone tells me, “My gums bleed sometimes, but I think it’s just cleaning too hard,” they’re really saying, “My earliest warning system is switching from calm to alert.”
Here’s another part most people never hear about: biofilm. This is the layer of bacteria that sticks to the teeth, tongue and gums. When this layer becomes dominated by the wrong species, inflammation rises and disease risk rises with it — heart disease, early stage Alzheimer’s, cancer.
This is exactly where saliva testing becomes powerful and why I test your oral microbiome. It reveals what no routine GP or dentist is looking for: why gums bleed, what’s behind bad breath, cavities or thrush, and what your mouth is saying about the rest of your body. Early‑stage ecosystem changes such as bleeding when brushing, sensitivity and plaque returning quickly are not “normal things.” The test highlights patterns linked to heart strain, gut inflammation, autoimmune activity, cognitive ageing, insulin dysregulation and accelerated biological ageing — often before you have symptoms. For some people the test reveals risks they never expected; for others it explains symptoms they’ve brushed off as ‘normal.’
DEVICES — Track it to hack it
This week I’ve been monitoring the tools that turn oral care into oral science. Once you understand what’s happening inside your mouth, the next step is using the right devices. Your toothbrush, floss and tongue scraper aren’t just cleaning tools — they’re microbial modulation devices. They alter oxygen gradients, disrupt biofilm, neutralise acids and calm inflammation.
Your toothbrush: Electric brushes consistently outperform manual brushes because they break up sticky, structured biofilm more effectively. Two minutes is the biological sweet spot. Too much pressure damages the gum barrier and increases inflammation. Focus on the gumline, not the flat surfaces. Some brushes now include LED red light (630–660 nm) to reduce gum inflammation, improve microcirculation and enhance soft‑tissue healing.
Interdental cleaning: Harmful oral bacteria are anaerobes that thrive in low oxygen pockets — especially between teeth and under the gumline. Cleaning between your teeth is essentially oxygen therapy for your microbiome. Use floss for tight spaces, interdental brushes for deeper pockets, and water flossers if you have sensitivity, crowns, braces or tight contacts. Gently floss under the gumline — that’s where inflammatory molecules such as IL‑1β, IL‑6 and TNF‑α begin to rise.
Tongue scraping: The back of your tongue holds one of the densest biofilms in your body. It affects bad breath, taste perception, saliva production, oral pH, bacterial balance and systemic inflammation. Scraping removes that thick biofilm and reduces sulphur‑producing bacteria. Metal scrapers are more effective and hygienic than plastic. Three scrapes once a day shifts your oral environment. A toothbrush rubbed on your tongue will not work the same way — it smears bacteria around. Scraping physically removes the biofilm.
Novel tools worth knowing about:
Red‑light mouth devices: Standalone LED mouthpieces are designed to reduce gum inflammation and support healing. Research is early but interesting, especially if you have chronic gum bleeding or irritation.
UV‑C sanitising cases: These reduce bacterial load on the brush head, important if you’re prone to thrush, severe gum issues or have a lower immune threshold.
Pro tip: Keep your toothbrush at least one metre away from your toilet. If you flush with the lid open, bacteria from the toilet pan spray into the air and can drift onto your toothbrush.
DECISIONS — From knowing to doing
What this means for you…
Your mouth is an ecosystem — and ecosystems shift quickly when you change the inputs. Here are the most effective science‑backed steps to reduce inflammation, support gum integrity, improve breath, stabilise pH, protect your heart and brain, and slow internal ageing. Each action helps; they work best when paired with your saliva test, which makes everything personal.
Upgrade the everyday products you already use
Toothpaste: Match your toothpaste to your biology. For enamel strength choose hydroxyapatite. For active decay, fluoride may still be appropriate. For sensitivity or bleeding, avoid products containing sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), the foaming agent that can irritate gums and disrupt oral tissues.
Mouthwash: If you use a daily antibacterial mouthwash, stop. It wipes out nitrate‑reducing bacteria that help produce nitric oxide, the molecule your body relies on to regulate blood pressure, think clearly and move with more ease and energy. Overusing mouthwash is one of the most overlooked biological mistakes I see in clinic.
Xylitol gum or mints: After meals, xylitol helps stabilise oral pH and reduces bacteria involved in dental decay. Simple habit. Big effect.
Breathe in a way that supports your microbiome
Nasal breathing: Breathing through your nose increases moisture, boosts nitric oxide production, protects saliva flow and maintains a stable oral pH. Dry mouth is a major risk factor for gum inflammation and pathogenic bacteria. Nasal breathing prevents that. One minute of nasal breathing after brushing helps restore the oral environment.
Mouth taping at night: If you wake with a dry mouth, snore, grind or have morning breath, you’re probably mouth‑breathing overnight. Mouth taping encourages nasal breathing during sleep, stabilising saliva, microbiome balance, nitric oxide production and gum health. This is one of the simplest ways to protect your oral ecosystem for 6–8 hours. Practise nasal breathing during the day, then tape slowly at night.
Eat for your oral microbiome
Whole foods + fibre: Your mouth responds to food instantly. The right nutrients and whole foods can shift oral pH, bacterial balance and gum healing within weeks. Fibre feeds beneficial bacteria and reduces species that drive inflammation.
Fermented foods: Kefir, kimchi and sauerkraut support both gut and oral bacterial diversity.
Nitrate‑rich vegetables: Rocket, spinach, lettuce, beetroot, watercress, celery and chard fuel the nitrate → nitrite → nitric oxide pathway, supporting blood pressure, circulation, brain oxygenation and gum healing.
Polyphenols: Green tea, berries, herbs, spices and dark chocolate help suppress inflammatory bacteria and rebalance the oral ecosystem.
Nutrients: Your gums and enamel rely heavily on vitamins A, C, D, K₂, magnesium and omega‑3 fats. Which ones you need depends on your oral microbiome. This is why I recommend testing your nutrients. Precision beats guesswork every time.
Consider the oral microbiome saliva test
If your gums bleed, your breath changes, you wake with a dry mouth, you have a diagnosis you don’t want, you feel inflamed, fatigued, puffy or stuck, or you’re doing “everything right” and still not progressing, this test tells you why — clearly, early and with precision. It’s the most overlooked longevity test I use and one of the most predictive.
DIARY — Where you’ll find me…
Last week: I just returned from Palm Beach after an incredible longevity roundtable. Conversations sparked collaborations. Then it was straight back to London for Oura’s launch in Harrods, where I spoke about sleep, circadian rhythms and why nightly data is becoming the new currency of health. Somewhere in the swirl of time zones, I was named Female Speaker of the Year!
This week: There’s some very exciting filming happening — everything is under wraps until the last moment. What I can say is this: longevity is stepping into a bigger public spotlight, and it’s exciting to see.
Next week: I’m reviewing end‑of‑year data for clients — biological age shifts, sleep improvements, glucose stability, inflammatory markers and gut changes. As we head into December, there’s something I love about this point in the year. It’s a natural pause. A moment to ask yourself: “What do I want next year’s health to be like?” December is when intentions take shape. January is when actions show up.
DISTINCTION — A thought to pause on…
“If you want to change your future health, start with the place most people overlook — your mouth.”