“The mouth provides a hospitable environment for many microorganisms. It is warm, nutrient-rich, continuously bathed with saliva, and has a pH of between 6.75 and 7.25. Hence the oral cavity is home to a rich microbiota, most of which are beneficial organisms and live in harmony with each other and the host.
The presence of microbes is in fact essential for maintaining the normal physiology of the oral cavity. While this symbiosis is usually stable and mutually beneficial, if some external force changes the balance, the result can be gingivitis, dental caries, or periodontal disease.
A significant body of knowledge is now available on how to maintain a healthy ecology of microbiota and keep diseases at bay. There is also a growing number of oral health products, from lozenges to mouthwashes, designed to optimize the balance of bacteria in the mouth, retain their beneficial characteristics, and suppress their potentially harmful impact.”
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