If you’re someone who’s conscious about your health, you might have heard recently about the importance of gut microbiomes. As it turns out, the body nurtures a colony of bacteria in the gut, and these are important for everything from digestion to mood.

You might wonder whether the same is true for your mouth, and you’d be on to something there. In dentistry, we talk a lot about bad bacteria that can cause tooth decay and cavities, but these are far from the only microbes that live in our mouth. Here’s what you should know about bacteria, how they factor into oral health, and what you can do to make sure that your teeth are in the best condition possible.

If you had your dentures for long enough, you might eventually begin to feel that they’re your real teeth. You depend on them for eating, for speaking and for making the best impression possible. You meet someone for the first time. That makes it all the more shocking if your dentures should ever break or be damaged.

You might naturally wonder whether a broken prosthetic counts as a dental emergency, one that requires immediate attention from an oral health professional. If you’re curious, here’s what you should know.