Bristle

Bristle analyzes your oral microbiome to help you measure, understand, and improve your oral health. There has not been a way to measure oral health.

Our mouths are the gateways to our bodies and play a critical role in our overall health. Oral disease like cavities and gum disease are tied to increased risk for conditions including Alzheimer's, diabetes, and heart disease. Dental care today revolves around diagnosing and treating oral disease but does little in the way of prevention and whole-body health. Bristle analyzes the oral microbiome -

the makeup of bacteria, fungi, and viruses in saliva - to measure oral health status. Some of these microbes are helpful, and contribute to good oral health while lowering our risk for disease. Other microbes are harmful, directly or indirectly leading to oral and systemic disease. Our test provides you with direct insight into your oral health and risk factors for disease. Based on other factors including your medical history, diet, and hygiene, we pair you with personalized recommendations focused on repairing and maintaining balance in your oral microbiome. We believe that improving oral health is a fundamental step towards improving overall health - and we'd like to help you get here.

02/19/2026

New research out of NYU found that specific oral bacteria and fungi in saliva were linked to more than a 3x higher risk of pancreatic cancer.

In one of the largest studies of its kind, scientists followed over 120,000 people and identified microbial patterns years before cancer developed. Many of these microbes are associated with gum disease and chronic inflammation and some were even found inside tumor tissue.

This doesn’t mean oral bacteria directly cause cancer. It highlights how powerful the oral microbiome is as an early window into systemic health.

Your mouth isn’t separate from the rest of your body. It’s deeply connected.

Inflammation HealthFromTheMouth

02/16/2026

We’ve helped thousands of people fix bad breath, and these are the three myths we hear most often 👇

🧴 Mouthwash fixes it
It may freshen temporarily, but it also wipes out good bacteria and can allow odor-causing microbes to grow back stronger if balance isn’t restored.

🪥 Brushing alone solves it
Brushing cleans teeth, but most bad breath comes from tongue bacteria and inflamed gums where sulfur-producing microbes live.

🫃 It’s from your stomach
In reality, bad breath almost always starts in the mouth. True digestive causes are rare and usually come with other symptoms.

Bad breath isn’t a hygiene problem. It’s a microbiome balance problem.

You can test your saliva, see your bacterial profile, and get a personalized care plan to fix it at the source.

02/11/2026

Flossing isn’t just about cavities. It’s a daily habit that supports whole-body health.

When gums are inflamed, oral bacteria and inflammatory molecules can enter the bloodstream. Large population studies consistently show that people with periodontal (gum) disease have up to 2x higher risk of heart attack and stroke.

Researchers believe this is driven by shared immune and inflammatory pathways. Chronic oral inflammation can promote inflammation in blood vessels, accelerating atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.

Daily flossing helps reduce gum inflammation and disrupt harmful bacteria beneath the gumline that brushing alone often can’t reach.
Healthier gums = lower systemic inflammation = better heart health.

02/10/2026

Should you kiss your baby? It depends.

Babies aren’t born with oral bacteria. In the first months of life, their mouths are colonized mostly by parents and caregivers through kisses, shared utensils, and even cleaning pacifiers with your mouth.

That means your oral health becomes their starting point. A balanced microbiome can help set them up for healthier teeth and gums. Dysbiosis can pass along risk too.

Your mouth is one of your baby’s first microbial inheritances. 🦷🧬

PreventiveHealth BristleHealth

02/09/2026

New research out of Johns Hopkins is adding to the growing evidence that what happens in your mouth doesn’t stay in your mouth.

Researchers found that Fusobacterium nucleatum a common gum-disease–associated oral bacterium can travel through the bloodstream, reach breast tissue, and promote tumor growth and spread in lab models. This same microbe has already been linked to colorectal cancer.

Here’s the key nuance: this bacterium exists in most healthy mouths. The issue isn’t presence. It’s dysbiosis. When the oral microbiome falls out of balance, certain bacteria can become overactive, drive inflammation, and potentially impact the rest of the body.

Even more interesting: cells with BRCA1 mutations appeared especially vulnerable to these bacterial effects.

This research is early and not in humans yet, but the takeaway is powerful: oral health is systemic health. Caring for your gums and microbiome isn’t just about cavities. It may be part of reducing broader disease risk.

OralSystemicConnection HealthFromTheMouth

11/23/2025

Our Best Deal of the Year is Live ⚡️

Get $50 off The Oral Health Test. This week only ⏰

10/31/2025

We know it’s hard to avoid candy on Halloween — but not all candy is created equal 👻

Some are total TRICKS for your teeth — others are surprisingly sweet TREATS.

Swipe through our Healthy Halloween Survival Guide to see which is which 🍫🍬

What’s your favorite Treat?

10/29/2025

We’ve partnered with .health to launch a new study on the Oral–Gut Microbiome Connection. Together, we’re mapping how bacteria in the mouth and gut interact so we can better understand and address digestive health issues.

How it works: If you are interested, please follow the link in our bio to purchase the Bristle Oral Health Test and Tiny Health Gut Health Test at exclusive bundled research pricing.

Join the Oral–Gut Microbiome Study and help us advance the science linking oral and gut health 🦠💪

06/11/2025

Don’t miss our Professional Webinar next week, June 18, at 5:30pm EST! will be presenting on patient cases with Perio, but low pathogen levels related to gum disease, and how to uncover other root causes. Sign up through our link in bio!

05/01/2025

Your Mouth Tells a Story

At Reclaim Integrative Dentistry & Implant Center, we’re proud to partner with Bristle to bring our patients one of the most transformative tools in modern dentistry: oral salivary testing.

This cutting-edge diagnostic approach goes beyond the traditional exam to uncover the why behind cavities, gum disease, and even systemic health concerns like heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.

With a simple saliva sample, we can:

• Detect high-risk bacteria and pathogens early
• Create personalized treatment plans based on your unique microbiome
• Recommend targeted home care, nutrition, and supplements
• Support your long-term oral and overall health

Proactive care is the future of dentistry—and the future is here.

Learn how oral salivary testing is changing the game in our latest blog: https://www.reclaimdentistry.com/the-power-of-oral-salivary-testing/

11/29/2024

🚨 Ending tonight! The BEST DEAL of the year on Bristle’s oral health test 🦷✨.

🗓️ This is your chance to take charge of your oral microbiome health like never before!

Address

Oakland, CA

Website

http://bristlehealth.com/

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