What is Oil Pulling?
Oil pulling is an Ayurvedic dental technique that involves swishing a tablespoon of coconut, sesame, or sunflower oil in your mouth on an empty stomach for up to 20 minutes. It’s a form of detox and promotes cleansing and healing for your whole body. This simple, inexpensive practice has its roots in ancient Ayurvedic tradition and is often considered the oldest form of dental health care. The Chakra Samhita claims numerous diseases are curable using the method and should be used to maintain overall health and well-being. That may seem like a lofty assumption, but our teeth and their root systems dive far into our jaw bones, connecting them to our bodies in deeper ways than we may realize. Oil pulling helps balance microflora of the mouth, and it is said to remove toxins that have built up in the body over time.
How does Oil Pulling work?
Oil pulling works by detoxifying or cleansing the body. The oil pulls disease-causing bacteria and their toxins out from around the teeth and gums, cleaning the mouth far better than any toothbrush or mouthwash. In this way, disease-promoting toxins are removed, thus allowing the body to heal itself. As a consequence, health problems of all types improve.
What will you notice? The first thing that most people notice when they start oil pulling is an improvement in their oral health. Teeth become whiter, breath becomes fresher, removing of plaque, relieving of inflammation and the tongue and gums take on a healthy pink color. Even problems such as bleeding gums, tooth decay, and gum disease are greatly diminished or completely healed.
Instructions for Oil Pulling:
1. Put a tablespoon of oil into your mouth.
2. Start swishing it around your mouth for 15-20 minutes.
3. Spit out the pulled oil in the toilet — it should be a milky, watery substance. This means that the oil is pulled and you did it for long enough. If your mouth feels oily after, or the oil was clear, then you didn’t pull long enough.
4. Rinse out your mouth with warm salty water (sea salt), and follow up with a good brushing using toothpaste or whatever cleanser you prefer.
Always use cold-pressed, unrefined oil.
Oil pull on an empty stomach, preferably first thing in the morning.
Don’t swallow the oil because it will be filled with very toxic pathogens once pulled.
Always spit out the oil in the toilet, since the bacteria may be harmful if spat in the sink.
I recommend rinsing out your mouth with warm salty water, then following up with a thorough brushing.
ALWAYS brush your teeth immediately after oil pulling.
Try to let your toothbrush dry thoroughly before using it again
I recommend rotating oils after continued use to get the maximum benefit.
Try your best to sit still while pulling, but let’s be real — the kids won’t dress themselves.
Benefits of Oil Pulling for Detoxification:
Oil pulling activates salivary enzymes which absorb toxins such as chemical toxins, bacterial toxins and environmental toxins from the blood. Thus, oil pulling detoxifies and purifies the entire human body. Getting rid of waste products is a normal operation for each one of our cells, organs, and organ systems. Since most of us live busy lives in a toxic world and sometimes eat less-than-healthy foods, we walk around with a toxic load that can manifest as fatigue, insomnia, and illness. Our mouths are teeming with microorganisms and toxins and act as their gateways into the bloodstream. As it is swished around your mouth, the lipids (or fatty acids) in the oil naturally extract these potentially harmful substances from your teeth, gums and saliva glands. With all of the food and drinks we consume, it’s easy for particles to become trapped in the teeth and gums, leading to potential tooth pain and other unpleasant results. Oil pulling helps maintain a normal mouth pH and oral flora, keeping microbes, plaque, and decay from building within the mouth while strengthening the teeth and their enamel.
Sinuses. Sinuses can easily become bogged down, especially for those who are sensitive to dust and pollen. Swishing oil promotes overall sinus health, allowing the sinuses to remain free and clear.
Clear breathing. Breathing is a necessary part of life, and who doesn’t love a nice deep breath when stress starts to build up? The regular practice of oil pulling has been shown to not just freshen the breath, but to also reduce dryness and wheezing, making breathing even easier.
Joints. Practicing oil pulling on a regular basis can help with joint comfort and flexibility. Dentists talk about how the health of the mouth is indicative of the whole body’s well-being. Oil pulling helps bring moisture to the teeth, which in turn bring moisture to the rest of the body through the exoskeletal system.
Jaw muscles. Oil pulling helps provide a low-key but efficient workout for the neck, jaw, and mandibles, keeping those areas more flexible. Additionally, the soothing presence of oil that is absorbed through the inside of the mouth helps relax the jaw and neck and prevents dryness.
Oil Pulling alleviates:
Acne
Allergies
Arthritis
Asthma
Back and Neck Pain
Bad Breath
Bleeding Gums
Bronchitis
Chronic Fatigue
Colitis
Crohn’s Disease
Constipation
Dental Cavities
Dermatitis
Diabetes
Eczema
Hemorrhoids
Hypertension
Insomnia
Migraine Headaches
Mucous Congestion
Peptic Ulcers
PMS
Periodontal Disease
Sinusitis
Tooth Abscess
As everyone is an individual and has different health problems you will see different results depending on your health. The general consensus is that teeth definitely get whiter and look cleaner, gums are more pink and healthier looking and plaque and tartar build up is reduced significantly. Some have also told me that it’s helped with their bowel movements, hair has become softer and less grey, they have become less bloated and lost excess fluid, skin has become softer and has firmed up.
My personal experience:
I had a cavity on a front tooth, which felt like a cold blast of air when pressing on the area of that tooth. I heard about oil pulling approximately one month before a dentist appointment. I did my best to keep a schedule of oil pulling the first thing in the morning and then before going to sleep. During my dentist appointment, I was going to warn my dentist of my cavity because she was using her metal pick. While picking through my teeth, she distracted me with an interesting story. By the time I remembered to tell her, she completed a complete sweep through my top teeth. When I went home, I used a metal pick on my cavity spot but there was no more pain! I also use oil pulling to further detox my body for better digestion, after drinking Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar.