What I Wish Dental School Had Taught Me About the Oral Microbiome

I want to share something I was never taught in dental school, but I wish I had been. It would’ve changed how I practiced from day one, and it might change how you think about your own health. Your mouth isn’t dirty—it’s alive. I was trained to treat the mouth like a battlefield. Kill the bacteria. Disinfect. Fill the holes. That was wrong. Your mouth is an ecosystem. It’s in constant dialogue with your blood, your gut, even your brain. If your gums bleed—even a little—that’s a doorway to every other system in the body where bacteria can now enter and cause major problems. A