You Won’t Believe How Much Bacteria is Living in Your Mouth

Most people realize that it is bacteria that eat away at teeth, causing cavities. They also know that bacteria can lead to infection. So, wouldn’t it seem that the goal would be a bacteria-free mouth? Wouldn’t you like to think that you have only a minimal amount of the microscopic beings existing among your teeth and gums?

Well, no matter what you think, what you hope, or how much you brush, bacteria is a fact of life and it can be found in everyone’s mouth at any given time.

There are more than six hundred known species of bacteria and for every inch of saliva filled space, there are approximately two and half billion unwanted organisms. In fact, the only human beings devoid of the microscopic visitors are newborns, but with that first sip of milk, the colonization begins.

Not all of these teeny-tiny species are troublesome. Actually, most serve a good purpose, in that they keep away the unscrupulous types, yet there are always those ‘bad eggs’.

Some of the most common forms of bad bacteria found in the mouth include staphylococci, which are the plaque causing problems, porphyromonas gingivalis, which is associated with periodontitis, and fusospirochetes, which can cause infection if the gums should be nicked or cut. There is other plaque forming bacteria as well, such as the actinomyces, which is rather adaptable and can quickly attach to the surface of teeth.

Want to know more about the inner workings of your mouth? Then, read the full article.