Almost every American enjoys showing a big, bright smile, or feeling their fresh, smooth teeth with their tongue following a good brushing.

But even if your teeth are pearly white, you could still be at risk for periodontal disease.

In the U.S., approximately 80 percent of adults will experience gum disease in their lifetime, which can cause symptoms ranging from inflammation to bone damage. In gum disease, bacteria infect the tissues that support your teeth. The bacteria attack below the gumline, creating pockets of infection. The disease has two main stages — gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis only involves inflammation of the gums, and is reversible, while periodontitis is destructive to the tissues that surround and support the teeth, and is harder to treat.

Symptoms of gum disease include:

Gums that bleed easily

Red, swollen or tender gums

Receding gums

Permanent teeth becoming loose or separated

Bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth that doesn’t go away.

“Researchers and medical experts can give us long lists of lifestyle modifications we can make — including eating better, reducing our stress, avoiding stimulants and tobacco, and increasing our physical activity level — to combat gum disease,” said Dr. Jeffrey Hillman, DMD, Ph.D. “What seems to be missing is a way to improve our oral health within our busy lifestyle.”

Hillman, who has spent more than 30 years researching oral health, has identified three unique probiotic strains that are natural residents in healthy mouths. This special blend of probiotics, patented as ProBiora3, forms colonies of beneficial bacteria on the teeth and gums, where they crowd out harmful bacteria, helping to maintain healthy teeth and gums.

These beneficial bacteria naturally support optimal gum and tooth health, freshen breath and, by releasing a continuous, low dose of hydrogen peroxide, gently whiten teeth. Because bacteria are microscopic, probiotic health care products can penetrate areas of the mouth otherwise untouchable by other oral health care products, including in the pits of the chewing surfaces of teeth, under orthodontic braces and retainers and below the gumline.

The ProBiora3 probiotic technology has been integrated into an easy delivery system as a probiotic mint called EvoraPlus.