Oil Pulling: What Happens and Is It Good to Do Everyday?

Oil pulling involves using oil to clean your mouth and is generally believed to improve oral and dental health. Oil pulling is a very simple process and can be made part of your daily routine that can go a long way in improving your oral health.

Oil pulling involves using oil to clean your mouth and is generally believed to improve oral and dental health. We will look at effective ways to do oil pulling and its benefits.

Oil pulling is a technique recommended by the Indian medicinal system of Ayurveda. This technique has been in use for millennia, mainly in India and in other parts of Southeast Asia.

Oil pulling involves swishing roughly one tablespoon of oil inside your mouth for anywhere between one to five minutes or at times for longer periods. This swishing motion is similar to pulling the oil between your teeth to improve your dental health.

The most common types of oils used for oil pulling are coconut oil followed by sesame and olive oil, but some people also use sunflower oil for this purpose.

Although the practice originated in India, it’s become immensely popular in several parts of the world, with many people sharing the positive impact of this practice. According to these people, oil pulling whitens teeth and improves dental as well as overall health.

This is very similar to using mouthwash, but since the oils used for oil pulling are edible, there are no known risks linked to their oral use.

One of the first things to keep in mind when you do oil pulling is to make sure that you’re using quality products. Although you can choose any oil, coconut and sesame oil are most widely recommended for this practice.

The best time to do oil pulling is in the morning on an empty stomach (usually before breakfast). Take one tablespoon of oil and swish it around your mouth for about 20 minutes.

Children who are five years or older can also practice oil pulling, but they should start with one teaspoon of oil. Make sure that when you’re swishing the oil, you force it all around your mouth, such that the oil enters the gaps between your teeth.

If done properly, at the end of 20 minutes, the oil will become a viscous milky white liquid and become thinner than when it was put in. Spit the oil out and rinse your mouth with tap water a few times.

Alternatively, you can use warm saline water to rinse your mouth, after which you can clean your teeth using a toothbrush.

If you’re doing oil pulling for the first time, your jaw may hurt after a while. If this is the case, you can reduce the time for which you swish the oil inside your mouth and gradually increase the duration of swishing as you become more comfortable.

Regularly spitting the oil into the sink may clog it. It’s better to spit it out into a trash can or a paper towel. Make sure you don’t swallow the oil that you’ve swished around your mouth, as it contains bacteria and other waste that are supposed to be removed from your body.

Kids under the age of five should not do oil pulling, as there are risks of aspiration – a condition caused by something that enters the airway or lungs by accident that could lead to breathing difficulties.

Oil pulling is a great alternative to maintain oral hygiene if you have oral ulcers, fever, a tendency to vomit, or asthma. In fact, this practice has many health benefits.

Your mouth is frequently home to roughly 700 different types of bacteria, and you can find at least 350 varieties at any given time. Certain bacteria can cause dental problems such as tooth decay, bad breath, and gum disease.

Research has found that oil pulling helps reduce the bad bacteria in your mouth. A 2016 study found that oil pulling reduced the number of bacteria in the saliva and improved oral hygiene. 

The study also found that oil pulling is as effective as using chlorhexidine, a chemical that is used in commercial mouthwashes and is a safe alternative to the chemical mouthwash.

This study involved 60 participants over two weeks, and the participants were divided into three groups. The first group washed their mouth regularly with 10 milliliters of coconut oil for 10 minutes, while the second group washed their mouth with five milliliters of chlorhexidine for one minute. The third group washed their mouth with distilled water for one minute before brushing their teeth.

Another 2008 study that involved 20 adolescent children found that oil pulling regularly for just one week reduced the harmful bacteria that are a common sight in the saliva and plaque. During the study, the participants did oil pulling for 10 minutes every day using sesame oil.

A very common oral condition is halitosis, which is generally due to the collection of bacteria on the uneven surface of your tongue that can, over time, cause a bad odor. Some of the causes for this could be inadequate oral hygiene, gum diseases, or infections.

Oil pulling is effective in improving the quality of your breath. A 2011 study carried out in India found that oil pulling effectively reduces the instances of halitosis.

The study also indicated that oil pulling can be used as a natural substitute for the existing methods used to overcome bad odor.

The collection of bacteria in your mouth may lead to other conditions, one of which is gingivitis. Some of the symptoms of this condition include redness, swelling, and inflammation. In some cases, it can also lead to bleeding in the gums.

Research has found that coconut oil has strong anti-inflammatory properties. Oil pulling with coconut oil is an effective solution to improve the health of your gums and also reduce inflammation.

It also lowers the harmful bacteria (such as Streptococcus mutans) and plaque in the mouth that may cause gum disease.

One study has revealed that oil pulling with coconut oil led to lower amounts of plaque and also improved gum health. The study involved 60 participants who used coconut oil for 30 days to determine its positive impact on gum health.

The plaque and gingival levels of the participants were measured at regular intervals.

Cavities are a common occurrence today that is caused by tooth decay. Some of the major causes that lead to this condition are poor oral and dental hygiene, high intake of sugar, and collection of bacteria.

In some cases, plaque can also lead to cavities. A collection of plaque in the mouth forms a layer on the teeth that consists of bacteria, saliva, and food particles.

The bacteria then begin to break down the food particles in the layer and form an acid that eats up the tooth enamel, causing decay.

Several studies have revealed the effectiveness of oil pulling at reducing the bacteria in the mouth and preventing tooth decay. These studies reveal that oil pulling is as effective, if not more so, than using a mouthwash to counter the harmful bacteria found in the saliva and plaque.

Oil pulling can also help combat many other conditions. Candida albicans is a fungus that’s responsible for yeast infections that typically occur in warm and moist regions of the body, such as the mouth.

Research indicates that coconut oil, with its antifungal properties, could be effective in countering yeast infections. These studies revealed that coconut oil is as effective as fluconazole, an antifungal medicine typically given for such infections.

However, more research is needed to understand the effectiveness of coconut oil in such situations.

A major upside of oil pulling is that it’s a relatively inexpensive way to achieve dental hygiene as all it requires is oil that is easily available right in your kitchen. 

Antifungal activity is also sometimes attributed to the presence of a chemical called chlorosesamone. Research suggests that the polyunsaturated fatty acids in sesame oil lower the harmful effects of free radicals in the oral cavity.

Olive oil has anti-inflammatory properties, while coconut oil also has anti-fungal properties.

Other oils such as sunflower oil also have their benefits. Using sunflower oil for oil pulling has been shown to have an inhibitory effect on plaque-induced gingivitis.

Overall, oil pulling is a very simple process and can be made part of your daily routine that can go a long way in improving your oral health.

Several studies have shown the positive effects of oil pulling using various oils such as sesame oil, coconut oil, olive oil, and sunflower oil.

Research has shown that oil pulling has many benefits, as it can:

• Improve oral and dental health
• Reduce inflammation
• Overcome bad breath due to halitosis
• Prevent the formation of cavities
• Prevent the growth of harmful bacteria in your mouth

With so many benefits, oil pulling is a great way to improve your dental health, but keep in mind that you should do oil pulling in addition to the traditional dental hygiene practices that you’re currently using.

Check with your doctor if you have any dental problems to understand the best course of action.