How Does Oil Pulling Work and 6 Benefits of Oil Pulling

Who on earth likes to have bad breath? No one! Nobody likes to pass a smile with yellow teeth. Nobody wants dental cavities. Everyone wants to have white shiny teeth. Because any person with poor hygiene is rendered unattractive and it is obvious that nobody wants to sit with an unhygienic person.

There is one ingredient treatment for all these problems. Can you believe this? If not…you are definitely going to believe, once you start reading. You can have the best possible oral hygiene simply by swishing oil in your mouth for some time. Sounds different? Many people swear by this treatment known as oil pulling.

Oil pulling is not a new concept.  It is an ancient Ayurvedic dental treatment that was started some 3,000 years ago. It involves swishing a small amount of oil in your mouth for a short time, then spitting it out. It was considered the best treatment to get rid of toxins. Basically, oil pulls out oral bacteria and other toxins that stick to the teeth or hide within your mouth.

How does oil pull work?

You don’t need to follow any hard and fast rules or know some tricks. Simply, get a tablespoon of any oil, put it in your mouth and start swishing for approximately 15-20 minutes. Commonly, sesame oil, sunflower oil and coconut oil are used as they have anti-inflammatory properties. Do it lightly not vigorously as you might hurt your jaws. If oil pulling causes ache in your facial muscles, relax for a little bit. Next time, use less oil and don’t apply too much force.

If there is no such pain, then gently keep on swishing the oil around your mouth and move it through the gaps between your teeth. Avoid swallowing oil or else you are going to ingest toxins collected by the oil.

After 20 minutes, spit the oil in the trash can instead of the sink because fat is going to clog up your pipes. Rinse your mouth with slightly warm water and then brush your teeth like you normally do.

Here are some tips for oil pulling. Follow them so that you can fully enjoy the benefits of oil pulling:

• It is advised to oil pull when your stomach is empty, before brushing your teeth. Many people do it while showering in the morning.
• Sesame oil has traditionally been used for oil pulling but other plant-based oil will do the job like olive oil and sunflower oil. However, people prefer using coconut oil as it tastes and smells better than other oils.
• If swishing a tablespoon of oil for 20 minutes is too much for you, try a teaspoon instead and do it for 5-10 minutes for the first few days. And when you become used to it, go for a little more oil, or increase the duration.

• If the texture of your oil is congealed and you don’t like it in your mouth, heat the oil in the microwave for a few seconds to melt it. Avoid heating it too much as it might burn your mouth.

Follow these tips for easy swishing in your mouth.

Benefits of oil pulling

Oil pulling is probably the easiest way for maintaining good oral hygiene.  However, there is still research going on, and there is much debate over how beneficial it is. But here are some benefits of oil pulling that are also proved by science:

1. Simple to adopt

One of the benefits of oil pulling is how simple it is to do. It is that one ingredient treats that can be easily incorporated into your daily routine. Everyone has oil in their kitchen, so you don’t have to buy anything. You can either use sesame oil, coconut oil, olive oil, or sunflower oil. Simply put oil in your mouth for a few minutes. While you are swishing, you can multitask by doing some other work with oil still in your mouth.

2. Can kill harmful oral bacteria

There are around 700 types of bacteria that can live in your mouth. Though all of them do not contribute to dental issues, some harmful bacteria can cause issues like bad breath, tooth decay, plaque and gum diseases. Just like standard mouthwash, oil pulling can help you get rid of such harmful bacteria. Many people severe by it that rinsing your mouth with either coconut or sesame oil can help in reducing the bacterial count of saliva. Reduction in the number of bacteria found in the mouth can help to promote proper oral hygiene and prevent some conditions. Can you ignore this benefit of oil pulling? Probably not!

3. Helps to get rid of bad breath

Bad breath, also known as halitosis is a condition that affects an estimated 50% of the population. Some people have bad breath which can become humiliating for them, as this is socially unacceptable.

There are many potential causes of bad breath, common ones include infection, poor oral hygiene, gum disease, dental cavities, tongue coating (yellow layer formed by bacteria trapped on the tongue, usually due to inflammation). Malnutrition and dry mouth also cause bad breath.

Its treatment involves removal of the bacteria, either through brushing or by using a mouthwash like chlorhexidine. It has been found that oil pulling is as effective as chlorhexidine in getting rid of bad breath. Although there is still research going on, oil pulling can be used as a natural alternative to reduce bad breath.

Also Read: Natural remedies to get rid of Mouth odor

4. Reduces plaque and dental cavities

Dental cavities are a common issue for both kids and adults. Poor oral hygiene and high sugar intake can cause tooth decay. After some time, it leads to the formation of holes in the teeth known as dental cavities.

Plaque can also cause cavities. Plaque forms a lining on teeth and is comprised of saliva, bacteria and food particles. This bacterium breaks down the food particles, forming an acid that destroys tooth enamel and causes tooth decay. Like said before, one of the benefits of oil pulling is that it can help to reduce the strains of bacteria in the mouth, preventing tooth decay and cavities.

5. May reduce Inflammation

The bacteria found in plaque causes gingivitis. It is a gum disease identifies by red, swollen gums that bleed even on slight contact. If you are suffering from gingivitis, you don’t need to worry because oil pulling may be effective against inflammation.

You must be thinking- how will oil pull help in reducing inflammation?

It mainly works by reducing the harmful bacteria and plaque in the mouth that are the source of gum disease, such as Streptococcus mutans. Oils with anti-inflammatory properties help in reducing the inflammation of gums. Specifically, coconut oil is said to be an effective supplementary treatment against gum diseases caused by inflammation.

Also Read: Natural Homemade remedies for Mouth Ulcers

6. Can help in making teeth white and shinier

When talking about the benefits of oil pulling, how can we forget about its teeth whitening traits? It is believed that oil pulling treatment could be a natural way to make your teeth white and shinier. Although there is no scientific evidence to support this claim it is quite obvious that this treatment pulls stains and food particles from the surface of teeth as a result produces a whitening effect and makes teeth shinier.

Bottom line

When used as a supplementary treatment, oil pulling can be a safe and effective natural way to improve your oral health. We cannot deny the benefits of oil pulling as it was a commonly adopted oral treat in past but still it requires more clinical trials. It is worth mentioning that oil pulling is not meant to replace regular dental hygiene. You still need to brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day and don’t forget to visit your dentist twice a year.