Oil Pulling Benefits For Teeth & Gums

Oil pulling is a traditional way to boost oral health and relieve minor problems with teeth, gums, bad breath and more.

All sorts of different claims are made for the benefits of oil pulling for teeth and gums but not all of these stack up and oil pulling is NOT an alternative to brushing well and dentist care.

However many people find oil pulling helps all round oral health and some research backs up key benefits.

So in this guide I'll take you through :

1. Oil Pulling Basics
2. Benefits & Risks
3. Who It Can Help
4. How To Do Oil Pulling
5. Coconut & Other Oils
6. How Often To Do Oil Pulling

I hope the guide helps boost your oral health for happier teeth & gums.

Do bookmark the guide or save on Pinterest for quick reference.

Remember to brush properly. See a dentist regularly and for dental issues. This is NOT qualified medical advice.

Oil Pulling Basics

Oil pulling basically involves swilling a spoon of oil - usually coconut oil - around your mouth for 5-20 minutes and then spitting it out.

It is believed that the coconut oil - which is a natural antibiotic and anti-fungal - helps to remove bacteria from your teeth, gums and tongue.

Benefits Of Oil Pulling

Research suggests oil pulling can ease minor oral health issues including :

1. Gingivitis
2. Gum Disease
3. Bad Breath
4. Yellowing Teeth
5. Teeth Stains
6. Ulcers
7. Cavity Prevention

The research to date has been small scale so larger and longer studies are needed but it does seem to show oil pulling can help as long as you also :

• Brush & floss well
• See a dentist regularly
• Fix underlying oral health issues.

What Oil Pulling Can Not Do

There is no current evidence that oil pulling can heal cavities in teeth.

And oil pulling cannot resolve some of the big underlying issues that undermine oral health e.g. :

1. Excess sugar, fruit juice & sodas
2. Acid reflux
3. SIBO
4. Constipation
5. Diabetes
6. Vitamin D Deficiency
7. Calcium Deficiency
8. Retinol Deficiency
9. Iron Deficiency

So if you know or suspect you have any of these issues do tackle them and don't expect oil pulling to resolve the symptoms in your mouth on its own.

Risks Of Oil Pulling

The known risks of oil pulling seem to be basically tied to swallowing the oil which could cause :

• Stomach upset or infection
• Chest infection if it swished oil gets into wind pipe.

Always spit the oil out into a bin rather than a sink as it could block drains when it hardens again.

Seek dental care if your oral health does not improve or gets worse.

Who Can Oil Pulling Help?

Oil pulling seems to be most helpful for people with sensitive teeth and gums who have issues with :

• Mouth Wash
• Brightening Toothpaste

Mouth Wash Issues

Many of us grab mouth wash at the first sign of gum disease and gingivitis but some of us find it actually makes things much, much worse.

Mouth washes are often alcohol based which means they can dry up our natural protective saliva and kill off the good bacteria in our mouth.

Oil pulling can be a gentle but effective alternative for gum infection and inflammation if you find mouth wash doesn't work well for you.

Brightening Toothpaste

We all seem to have gone mad for brightening and whitening toothpastes but everyday use can be very harsh if we've got weak teeth from e.g. acid reflux or nutritional deficiencies.

Coconut oil pulling can be a gentler way to help remove everyday staining.

Again remember you need to brush well & see a dentist regularly!

How To Do Oil Pulling

Oil pulling sounds simple enough. Put a spoon of oil in your mouth, swish it around and spit out. Surprisingly, it takes a while to get the hang of it and you do need to build up slowly.

Oil Pulling For Beginners

When you start oil pulling simply :

1. Take 1 teaspoon of oil.
2. If using coconut oil, gently hold in mouth while melts.
3. Swish around for as long as comfortable which may only be a minute or so initially.
4. Spit out into bin.
5. Rinse mouth out well.

As you get used to oil pulling try to :

• Swish around for 5 minutes.
• Switch between 20 seconds swishing and 20 seconds holding.

Extended Oil Pulling

As you get comfortable with 5 minutes of switching between swishing and holding you can build up to :

• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 15-20 minutes pulling

Build up gently so you - and your mouth - get used to it. You don't want to gag!

Cleaning Teeth After Oil Pulling

You should always rinse well after oil pulling but there is disagreement amongst dentists about whether you should clean teeth right away or wait.

Some dentists advise waiting 30 minutes to clean teeth after oil pulling.

Alternatives To Coconut Oil

Oil pulling is typically done with coconut oil because it has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. If you really don't like coconut you could try these other oils :

• Sesame Oil
• Sunflower Oil
• Olive Oil
• Ghee

How Often To Do Oil Pulling

It is very easy to equate natural with gentle and to overdo natural remedies.

Standard advice I found seems to be :

• Oil pulling 2-3 times weekly for preventative oral health
• Oil pulling up to 3 times a day for gum inflammation & infection.

From my personal experience, I would build up gently so you can honestly and prudently assess whether you are seeing improvement or side effects such as sore gums or dry mouth so you can stop if necessary.

When To Do Oil Pulling

Typically oil pulling is done first thing in the morning as soon as you wake up but there doesn't appear to be any research or science behind this.

Personally, I schedule the oil pulling around when I clean my teeth so :

• Pre breakfast coffee as I clean my teeth 30 minutes after my coffee.
• Half an hour before bedtime.

What To Do Next If Oil Pulling Doesn't Work

Some people report great results from oil pulling but NOT all which can leave us not knowing what to do next.

It is distressing to suffer ugly and painful gum disease even when we're :

• Eating a low sugar diet
• Not smoking
• Brushing well
• Flossing
• Seeing our dentist
• And oil pulling.

The answer may be nutrition.

Gum disease that won't shift can be a big sign of nutritional deficiency in e.g. iron, B12 and vitamin D so it is worth talking to your doctor as well as your dentist and getting checked for these.

I do hope this simple guide to oil pulling helps you boost your oral health.

Do bookmark the guide or save on Pinterest to come back to later.

And for more quick, simple health tips check out my other home remedies and follow me on Pinterest ...