Bristle
Bristle Health sells a saliva-based oral microbiome test (priced at $169) and companion probiotic ($29.99) directly to consumers and dental providers through its e-commerce storefront. The CLIA-certified test profiles 800+ bacterial and fungal species to identify root causes of bad breath, gum disease, and tooth decay, and has served 10,000+ customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Bristle does
Bristle Health is a privately held, direct-to-consumer wellness company founded in 2020 and headquartered in San Francisco. It sells a saliva-based oral microbiome test through its e-commerce storefront at bristlehealth.com, priced at $169 (sale) or $189 (regular), and a companion oral probiotic supplement at $29.99 (sale) or $35 (regular). The flagship test analyzes 800+ species of oral bacteria and fungi in a CLIA-certified U.S. laboratory and returns a personalized care plan within two to three weeks, addressing chronic conditions such as bad breath, gum inflammation, tooth decay, oral fungi, and burning mouth, and connecting oral findings to systemic health outcomes.
The company's underlying technology is a saliva sequencing and analysis pipeline that profiles the relative abundance of hundreds of microbial species, identifies pathogenic strains, and maps results to product, hygiene, and dietary interventions. The platform supports a secondary B2B channel through a 'For Providers' page used by dental offices and functional medicine practices, evidenced by 20+ dental logos on the website and a network of dental advisors. Bristle is also exploring adjacent verticals through a December 2025 joint research partnership with Tiny Health on oral-gut microbiome connections.
Bristle's business model is predominantly one-time product sales to consumers, with HSA/FSA eligibility reducing purchase friction and free U.S. shipping as standard (sales are restricted in New York). The company has cumulatively served 10,000+ customers and reports a 4.8/5 rating, with 97% of users reportedly finding a root cause solution. It has raised approximately $3.1 million across a 2021 Y Combinator pre-seed ($125K), a 2021 GSK NEXT relationship, and a 2022 $3.0 million round led by Initialized Capital with participation from R/GA Ventures and Y Combinator.
Bristle firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bristle
- Legal name
- Bristle Health
- Website
- https://bristlehealth.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Bristle Health sells a saliva-based oral microbiome test (priced at $169) and companion probiotic ($29.99) directly to consumers and dental providers through its e-commerce storefront. The CLIA-certified test profiles 800+ bacterial and fungal species to identify root causes of bad breath, gum disease, and tooth decay, and has served 10,000+ customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bristle industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Oral Health Diagnostics
- NAICS
- Medical Laboratories (621511), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (6215)
- SIC
- Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Caries Risk Assessment & Preventive Planning (HLABAHAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Oral Care Products (Toothpaste, Mouthwash, Dental Floss, Whitening) (CRADAMAA)
Keywords
Where Bristle is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Bristle business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Oral Health Test Sales: Direct sales of saliva-based oral microbiome tests to consumers via e-commerce. Tests are one-time purchases with results delivered in 2-3 weeks along with personalized care plans. Price point of $169 (sale) / $189 (regular).
- Oral Probiotic Supplements: Sales of proprietary oral health probiotic supplements, specifically The Oral Health Probiotic by Bristle. One-time or recurring purchase of $29.99 (sale) / $35 (regular).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Bristle Oral Health Test - One-time purchase with comprehensive oral microbiome analysis |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | The Oral Health Probiotic by Bristle - Daily probiotic supplement |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Bristle product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bristle sells a direct-to-consumer saliva-based oral health test that profiles 800+ species of bacteria and fungi to identify root causes of oral health issues such as bad breath, gum disease, and cavities, and pairs it with a proprietary oral probiotic supplement. Customers receive a personalized care plan with product, hygiene, and dietary recommendations within 2-3 weeks of mailing in their saliva sample. Tests are analyzed in a CLIA-certified U.S. laboratory, and the company also supports a provider channel for dental and functional medicine practitioners.
Product overview
Bristle offers a unified oral health platform centered on its flagship Bristle Oral Health Test, a comprehensive saliva test that analyzes the complete oral microbiome (800+ bacteria and fungi species). The platform delivers personalized care plans with research-backed product, hygiene, and diet recommendations. As an add-on offering, The Oral Health Probiotic by Bristle complements the testing service by providing targeted probiotic supplementation based on individual microbiome results.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bristle Oral Health Test A saliva-based at-home test that analyzes 800+ species of oral bacteria and fungi to identify the microbial root causes of oral health issues such as bad breath, gum disease, cavities, oral fungi, and burning mouth. Includes a saliva collection kit, prepaid return envelope, CLIA-certified U.S. laboratory analysis, and a personalized care plan with product, hygiene, and dietary recommendations delivered online within 2-3 weeks. Targeted at health-conscious consumers and recommended by dental and functional medicine providers.
- The Oral Health Probiotic by Bristle A daily oral probiotic supplement designed to support oral health by promoting beneficial bacteria populations in the mouth. Recommended as part of the personalized care plans generated from Bristle's oral microbiome test, with a 30-day supply priced at $29.99 (sale) / $35.00 (regular). Sold direct-to-consumer via bristlehealth.com.
Quantifiable outcome
- 97% of users report finding a root cause solution after working with Bristle
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Bristle
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Bristle technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature4 records
Bristle partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Tiny HealthcoreJoint research partnership with Tiny Health to conduct a pioneering study examining the bidirectional connection between oral and gut health. The study analyzes both oral and gut microbiomes simultaneously using at-home testing kits. Research aims to uncover patterns enabling earlier detection of imbalances linked to conditions like IBS, metabolic dysfunction, and chronic inflammation. Study offers participants comprehensive oral and gut microbiome tests at exclusive research pricing.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bristle competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- OralDNA Labs (Access Genetics): OralDNA Labs provides saliva-based diagnostic tests for dental and periodontal disease risk through dental professionals. It is the closest direct peer to Bristle, both targeting oral microbiome and salivary diagnostics, though OralDNA is channeled through providers rather than D2C.
- Tiny Health: Tiny Health is an at-home microbiome testing company focused on gut and vaginal microbiomes for families. It is Bristle's December 2025 research partner and a direct peer in the at-home microbiome testing category, with overlapping science, customer demographic (health-conscious parents), and provider network.
- Hyperbiotics PRO-Dental: Hyperbiotics sells PRO-Dental, an oral probiotic chewable targeting oral microbiome balance. It is a direct competitor to Bristle's Oral Health Probiotic and competes for the same proactive oral-health consumer.
- Life Extension FLORASSIST Oral Hygiene: Life Extension sells FLORASSIST Oral Hygiene, a lozenge-based oral probiotic supplement targeting gum and tooth health. It is a direct competitor in the oral probiotic category and competes for similar health-conscious consumers shopping in the supplements channel.
Broad incumbents
- Viome Life Sciences: Viome offers at-home gut and oral microbiome testing paired with personalized nutrition recommendations. As a larger, well-funded incumbent in the direct-to-consumer microbiome testing space, Viome competes with Bristle for similar wellness-oriented consumers but operates at broader scale and with a wider product line.
- BioGaia: BioGaia is a Swedish probiotic company whose L. reuteri strains (including Prodentis) are widely used in oral health applications and clinical research. It is a leading incumbent in the oral probiotic category that Bristle's probiotic competes against, with stronger clinical validation and global distribution.
- TheraBreath: TheraBreath is a major oral care consumer brand focused on halitosis and gum health, founded by Dr. Harold Katz. It competes for the same bad-breath-conscious consumer Bristle targets, but sells mouthwashes, toothpastes, and lozenges rather than microbiome diagnostics.
- Sunstar GUM: Sunstar's GUM brand is a global oral care incumbent spanning toothbrushes, interdental, and specialty products. While not directly testing microbiomes, it competes for shelf space, dental professional endorsements, and consumer oral-health mindshare with Bristle.
- Quip: Quip is a D2C oral care brand selling electric toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss on subscription. While not in microbiome testing, it competes for the same health-conscious D2C oral care consumer and has a more developed subscription and brand-building playbook.
Emerging players
- Garden of Life (Oralbiotics): Garden of Life's Oralbiotics line offers oral probiotic supplements sold through natural and wellness retail channels. It competes for the same proactive oral-health shopper as Bristle, with broader distribution via Sprouts, Whole Foods, and online retailers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bristle social profiles
Digital presenceBristle compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Bristle financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bristle leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Bristle funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bristle M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bristle
What does Bristle do?
Bristle sells a direct-to-consumer saliva-based oral health test that profiles 800+ species of bacteria and fungi to identify root causes of oral health issues such as bad breath, gum disease, and cavities, and pairs it with a proprietary oral probiotic supplement. Customers receive a personalized care plan with product, hygiene, and dietary recommendations within 2-3 weeks of mailing in their saliva sample. Tests are analyzed in a CLIA-certified U.S. laboratory, and the company also supports a provider channel for dental and functional medicine practitioners.
Is Bristle a public or private company?
Bristle is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Bristle founded?
Bristle was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Bristle based?
Bristle is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bristle make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Oral Health Test Sales are the primary driver. The others are oral Probiotic Supplements.
Who are Bristle's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are OralDNA Labs (Access Genetics), Tiny Health, Hyperbiotics PRO-Dental and Life Extension FLORASSIST Oral Hygiene. Broad incumbents are Viome Life Sciences, BioGaia, TheraBreath, Sunstar GUM and Quip. Garden of Life (Oralbiotics) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Bristle have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bristle.
What industry is Bristle in?
Bristle's product category is Oral Health Diagnostics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLABAHAE, Caries Risk Assessment & Preventive Planning, with a secondary code of CRADAMAA, Oral Care Products (Toothpaste, Mouthwash, Dental Floss, Whitening). Its NAICS code is 621511 and its SIC code is 8071.