Oil Pulling Benefits For Better Oral Health

Oil pulling is the method of teeth, gums, and mouth cleaning which requires you to swirl oil around your mouth for about 15-20 minutes. Oil pulling for oral care has been used for thousands of years, originally dating back to ancient India. The practice of oil pulling is part of Ayurvedic holistic medicine and is used to purify the body, specifically pulling toxins and bacteria from the teeth and gums.

How to Oil Pull For Better Oral Health
Benefits of Oil Pulling
Risks and Side Effects of Oil Puling
Best Oils for Oil Pulling
Personal Experience With Oil Pulling

How to Oil Pull For Better Oral Health

Before brushing teeth, take one tablespoon of oil and gently swish it around your mouth for 15-20 minutes. Try not to swallow the oil, while consuming oil is not harmful to the body, the oil will be saturated with bacteria and toxins which you don’t want going into your stomach.

If your jaw starts to get tired it’s okay to just hold the oil in your mouth to give yourself a break. After 15-20 minutes have passed, spit the oil into a garbage. Be sure not to spit oil into your sink since oil will solidify when dried and clog your drain. Rinse mouth and brush your teeth afterwards to ensure all harmful toxins are removed. Teeth should feel clean and glassy with no oily residue.

It is recommended that the average person should oil pull at least twice a week. Those suffering from gum disease may benefit more from daily swishing. Most people report seeing results from regular oil pulling in as soon as 3-4 weeks.

While oil pulling has been used for over 3000-5000 years, there are conflicting official reports made by dentists on the legitimacy of oil pulling some stating significant reduction of plaque and gingival issues while other studies observing no significant reduction.

Benefits of Oil Pulling

Studies show that oil pulling can help kill hard to remove bacteria in the mouth. While there are hundreds of health and unhealthy bacteria living in your mouth, an excess of harmful bacteria can cause tooth decay, gum disease, cavities, and bad breath. The oil acts as a pulling agent, acting as a magnet sucking bacteria out of your teeth and gums. It can help dilute plaque on the teeth which can lead to tartar development if not managed.

Oil pulling is also helpful in reducing inflammation of the gums. Oral health issues like gingivitis and gum disease can leave gums red and sore, all making them prone to bleeding when brushing. Coconut oils and others with high anti-inflammatory properties can help alleviate gums that are swollen and sore.

Regular mouth washes may leave your breath impossibly, minty fresh but tend to dry out the mouth, causing increased bacteria growth and bad breath. It’s almost as if the more mouth wash you use the more you’re required to continue using it. Oil pulling is a less harsh, natural solution that will help combat dry mouth.

Risks and Side Effects of Oil Puling

While there aren’t any major, harmful side effects to oil pulling, you may feel a soreness in your jaw or heading at first from the excess swishing motion. Upset stomach and nausea could also be a side effect if too much oil is swallowed. Oils full of toxins can be seen as contaminated and may mess with your stomach’s flora. All though rare, oil pulling can cause lipoid pneumonia, which can develop if the oil gets into the lungs.

Best Oils for Oil Pulling

Fortunately, if you’re looking to get started with oil pulling as soon as possible, you can most likely find products within your own kitchen. The most common oils used for teeth oil pulling are coconut oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, and olive oil.

Coconut oil: Strong antibacterial properties. Helps remove bacteria that can lead to gingivitis, periodontitis, and halitosis. Desert Essence Coconut Oil Pulling Rinse

Sesame Oil: Strong anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties which can help alleviate swollen and sore gums. Excellent tool to neutralize strong acids that erode the enamel. Uncle Harry’s Organic Oral Swish

Sunflower Oil: Helps reduce plaque and bacteria leading to gingivitis. Extra moisturizing for the gums and mouth alleviating dry mouth and bad breath. Guru Nanda Sunflower Pulling Oil

Olive Oil: Helps remove bacteria from mouth which can help prevent periodontitis and other gum disease. Can reduce mouth dry mouth and help naturally whiten teeth. Calivirgin Premium Unfiltered Olive Oil

Personal Experience With Oil Pulling

After adding oil pulling into my daily oral care routine I did notice my mouth felt noticeably cleaner. It felt as if a layer of mouth grime was removed for slicker, shinier teeth. One of the major improvements I found was how it helped with dry mouth. My mouth seemed to salivate more which helped bacteria from sticking to the teeth and tongue, improving my breath as well.

Sometimes it did get a bit tedious to take the time to swish for 15-20 minutes everyday. I found the task easier to do right after waking. I’d take a tablespoon of oil right after waking while I made my morning coffee and fed my cats. It can also be helpful when stuck at the office with out having the opportunity to brush your teeth after lunch. I found oil pulling with coconut oil to be the most enjoyable mostly based on the taste as well as always having a supply of coconut oil on hand in the house.

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