You brush your teeth, floss, see your dentist, and do your best to take care of your mouth… yet you still notice bleeding, bad breath, sensitivity, or that nagging feeling that your teeth just aren’t as healthy as they should be? Maybe you’ve already tried pretty much everything: professional cleanings, mouthwashes, different products, medications, or even dental procedures. And somehow, the problem keeps coming back.

The most frustrating part is doing everything you’re told to do and still wondering why your oral health isn’t improving the way you expected. What if the problem isn’t simply about hygiene? A new line of research highlighted in a recent investigation into the oral microbiome suggests there’s an important difference between simply killing bacteria and restoring the balance between the bacteria that naturally live in your mouth.

For years, the conventional approach has been to fight the bacteria considered harmful. But here’s the question that could completely change the way you look at your oral health: what if some of the bacteria in your mouth actually play an important role in keeping it healthy? The discovery featured in this investigation points to a different approach: instead of trying to wipe out microorganisms indiscriminately, researchers began exploring whether it’s possible to encourage beneficial bacteria to return and thrive.

One of the researchers mentioned in this story is Alex Mira, a bacterial geneticist associated with the FISABIO institute in Valencia, Spain. His research into the microbiome helped expand our understanding of the incredibly complex community of microorganisms living inside the mouth. And this is where things get really interesting: researchers began studying specific strains of beneficial bacteria and ways to keep them in contact with the oral environment, rather than simply swallowing them like many traditional probiotics.

According to the presentation, more than 150,000 people have used the approach featured in the presentation since its launch. One of the stories highlighted is Sam, 54, who was dealing with inflamed gums, bad breath, bleeding, and even a tooth that had started becoming loose. After using the approach presented, he reported that he stopped spitting blood, noticed an improvement in the appearance of his teeth, and felt that the loose tooth had become firmer.

If you want to understand how this oral-microbiome approach works, which beneficial bacteria are involved, and why this strategy is different from traditional solutions, it’s worth watching the full presentation while it’s still available.