{"id":34049,"date":"2026-09-25T12:00:20","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T17:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/?p=34049"},"modified":"2026-09-17T10:44:39","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T15:44:39","slug":"one-of-the-most-important-tests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/2026\/09\/25\/one-of-the-most-important-tests\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Oral Microbiome Testing Might Be One of the Most Important Health Tests You&#8217;ve Never Heard Of"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelagommethod.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-34059\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Jessica-Lederhausen.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"341\" height=\"341\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>What if we could identify risk long before disease develops?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For years, dentistry has focused on repairing damage after it occurs. Today, advances in oral microbiome science allow us to understand <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">why<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> disease develops and how to prevent it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Your Mouth Is an Ecosystem<\/b><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your mouth is home to a remarkable ecosystem of 700\u2013900 species of bacteria. Most are beneficial and help protect your teeth, gums, and overall health. Good oral health isn&#8217;t about eliminating bacteria, but it&#8217;s about maintaining a healthy balance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When this balance is disrupted, a condition called <\/span><b>dysbiosis<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> occurs. Rather than one &#8220;bad&#8221; bacterium causing disease, it&#8217;s the imbalance of the entire microbial community that increases the risk of cavities, gum disease, chronic inflammation, and bad breath.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Think of your oral microbiome like a garden. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The goal isn&#8217;t to eliminate bacteria. It&#8217;s to cultivate a healthy garden<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every healthy meal, every night of quality sleep, and every breath through your nose helps create healthier soil.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Why Testing Matters<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Traditional dentistry often finds disease once damage has already occurred.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Microbiome testing asks:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Which bacteria are present?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Which beneficial bacteria are missing?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is my oral ecosystem in balance?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Am I at increased risk before symptoms appear?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Four Pillars of The Lagom Method\u2122<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is exactly why I created The Lagom Method\u2122.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I realized that the same daily habits that support heart health, brain health, and metabolic health also shape the oral microbiome.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The four pillars of The Lagom Method\u2122: Breathe, Sleep, Eat, and Move, all influence the health of your oral microbiome. Healthy daily habits support saliva, a balanced pH, immunity, and beneficial bacteria, helping keep your oral ecosystem in balance. When one or more of these pillars is disrupted, the microbiome can shift toward dysbiosis. Oral microbiome testing provides a personalized snapshot of your oral ecosystem, helping identify early imbalances and guide simple lifestyle changes that support long-term oral and overall health.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The Swedish Concept of \u201cLagom\u201d: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This means not too much or too little, but just right for YOU.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Health is not about doing everything perfectly. It&#8217;s about creating a balanced environment, inside your mouth and throughout your body, that supports resilience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The truth is everyone can benefit from understanding their oral <\/b><b>microbiome.<\/b><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oral microbiome testing can be especially valuable if you have:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bleeding gums or signs of gum disease<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frequent cavities<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Persistent bad breath<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dry mouth<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sleep-disordered breathing or mouth breathing<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It may also provide valuable insights for people with dental implants, orthodontic treatment, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune conditions, pregnancy, or a family history of periodontal disease.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everyone can benefit from understanding their oral microbiome. Just as we check cholesterol or blood pressure before problems develop, oral microbiome testing offers an opportunity to understand your personal risk and make informed choices that support both oral and overall health. Think of it as a roadmap for prevention.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Small Habits Can Transform Your Oral Microbiome<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The good news is that your oral microbiome responds remarkably well to your daily habits.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You don&#8217;t need perfect habits. You need consistent ones.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That&#8217;s the essence of <\/span><b>The Lagom Method\u2122<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oral microbiome testing isn&#8217;t about finding more disease. Instead, it&#8217;s about understanding your risk early enough to make small, sustainable changes that support lifelong oral and overall health. At your next dental visit, ask whether oral microbiome testing is available. It could be one of the simplest and most valuable steps you take toward protecting your health.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understanding your unique bacterial profile can help identify risks early and guide personalized strategies to support lifelong oral and overall health.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cLearning about the mouth\u2013body connection didn&#8217;t just change the way I thought about dentistry, it changed the way I think about health.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Warmly,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span> <b>Jessica<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Please reach out to me:\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\n<b>Jessica Lederhausen DDS, MPh<\/b><br \/>\n<b>The Lagom Method\u2122<\/b><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jessicalederhausen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instagram<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> |<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelagommethod.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Website<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> |<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jessica-lederhausen-dds-mph-39a3302a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Linkedin<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> |<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelagommethod.com\/lagomlivingjournal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blog<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Join my newsletter <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelagommethod.com\/newsletter-sign-up\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HERE<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buy a signed hardcover book<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelagommethod.com\/book-launch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HERE<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/get-started\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-28177\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/OralDNA_Banners-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/OralDNA_Banners-2.png 2800w, https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/OralDNA_Banners-2-300x86.png 300w, https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/OralDNA_Banners-2-1024x293.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/OralDNA_Banners-2-768x219.png 768w, https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/OralDNA_Banners-2-1536x439.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/OralDNA_Banners-2-2048x585.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2800px) 100vw, 2800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; What if we could identify risk long before disease develops? For years, dentistry has focused on repairing damage after it occurs. Today, advances in oral microbiome science allow us to understand why disease develops and how to prevent it. Your Mouth Is an Ecosystem\u00a0 Your mouth is home to a remarkable ecosystem of <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/2026\/09\/25\/one-of-the-most-important-tests\/\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":213,"featured_media":34059,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[57,110,186],"tags":[289,3,187],"class_list":["post-34049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oral-systemic","category-salivary-diagnostics","category-self-care","tag-oral-systemic","tag-salivary-diagnostics","tag-self-care"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Jessica-Lederhausen.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7W16z-8Rb","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34049"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/213"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34049"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34049\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34075,"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34049\/revisions\/34075"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34059"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34049"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34049"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34049"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}