Oil pulling is an ancient remedy that is said to have many benefits to your oral and overall health.  Oil pulling is the act of swishing an edible oil such as coconut, sesame, olive, or sunflower oil in your mouth daily.  This helps remove bad bacteria from your mouth. 

There are 700 different types of bacteria that can live in your mouth.  At any given time you may have 350 different types at once in your mouth.  Oil pulling can help remove bacteria, promote oral hygiene, and improve dental health.  

 

Oil Pulling How To

To oil pull you take about a tablespoon of an edible oil of your choice.  Some people believe that coconut oil is better because it contains lauric acid which is an antimicrobial agent.  Coconut oil also has anti-inflammatory properties as well as being studied to show that it can help prevent tooth decay. 

Once you have the oil in your mouth you start vigorously swishing it about.  It is important to keep the oil moving.  Force it to go through your teeth, from side to side, so that it coats your entire mouth. 

Do not swallow this oil.  Though the oil itself is edible, it is thought to be pulling out the bad bacteria from your mouth, swallowing may not be the best decision.  While you are swishing the oil around it may become higher in volume, if you feel like you need to spit, you can spit a bit out and continue swishing if necessary. 

Spit the oil in a trashcan or other reciprocal, but try and avoid your drain.  The oil can cause your drain to clog. 

You should try to oil pull between 5-20 minutes every day.  You can start at a smaller amount of time to get used to it.  The effects have been shown to be more effective when done for a longer amount of time. 

After you are done oil pulling, spit out the oil in a trashcan and then brush your teeth.  Oil pulling does not take the place of normal oral hygiene, you will still want to brush and floss your teeth on a daily basis.  Oil pulling is just another thing that you can try to get benefits from. 

 

Health Benefits Of Oil Pulling

The main benefit that oil pulling is supposed to do is remove harmful bacteria in the mouth.  This can help stop tooth decay, bad breath, and gum disease.  It is just another way to help support proper oral health.  It is also becoming known as a natural teeth whitening solution.  Oil pulling can help boost the health of your teeth, tongue, and gums. 

Bad breath is a condition that affects about 50% of the population.  Bad breath can be caused by infections, gum disease, poor oral hygiene, or bacteria trapped on your tongue.  When studies have been done it has shown people who mouthwash and others who oil pull have the same results.  Meaning that oil pulling may be just as effective as mouthwash.  This could give people a more natural remedy for bad breath.  

Since oil pulling gets rid of the bad bacteria in your mouth it can help prevent cavities.  Cavities occur from tooth decay.  Tooth decay occurs from the buildup of bacteria.  Plaque buildup can also cause cavities.  Oil pulling can help remove plaque from your teeth.  Decreasing the bacteria and decreasing the plaque buildup can help prevent you from developing cavities. 

Oil pulling can help reduce inflammation in your mouth as well as improve gum health.  Gingivitis is a condition that causes swollen gums that bleed easily.  Coconut oil has anti-inflammatory properties which can help reduce inflammation in the mouth, helping ease gingivitis symptoms.  Oil pulling can also help reduce the amount of Streptococcus mutans bacteria in the mouth which is a contributor to gum disease.  In one study within thirty days of people starting to oil pull there was improvement in their gum health. 

 

Takeaway

Though there isn’t much credible science to back up oil pulling, some people believe there are other overall health benefits from it.  It is thought to help your overall health by clearing out toxins from the body.  It may also help clear sinuses, reduce headaches, and reduce inflammation throughout the body. 

Since there isn’t any credible science the American Dental Association does not endorse oil pulling. There are no adverse effects with oil pulling since you are doing it with an edible oil. 

Adding oil pulling to your routine wouldn’t do you any harm and you could get lots of benefits from it.  

 

Read More:  Coconut Oil Health Benefits

 

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Read More:  Mouth Breathing Can Affect Oral Health


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