You can't see them, feel them or taste them, but your mouth is home to entire colonies of

microorganisms. While most of these tiny oral bacteria do us no harm, there are other species in
the mix that are disease causing and can affect our health and need to be controlled with a
healthy diet, good oral care practices and regular visits to your dentist.

Over 700 different strains  of bacteria have been detected in the human mouth, though most
people are only host to 34 to 72 different varieties. Most of these bacterial species appear to be
harmless when it comes to our health. Others, known as probiotics, are beneficial bacteria that
aid in the digestion of foods. Other bacteria actually protect our teeth and gums. There are some
bacteria, however, that we'd rather do without, since they cause tooth decay and gum disease.