Oil pulling has grown in popularity over the past decade or so. It started centuries ago and is an ancient Indian remedy. It is believed to be an effective method for whitening your teeth, freshening your breath and improving oral hygiene altogether. In fact, there are people all around the world that use this remedy and believe that it has improved both their oral health and overall wellness. Let’s take a closer look at oil pulling so that you can better understand what it is and how it works.
What’s Involved in Oil Pulling
The best way to describe oil pulling is that it’s like using mouthwash. In other words, you put the coconut oil in your mouth, allow it to melt and then swish it around. This is the way it has been done for thousands of years. Generally, you’ll use about a tablespoon of coconut oil and swish it around for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. One of the primary reasons why this is beneficial is because it decreases the amount of harmful bacteria found in your mouth. Bacteria in your mouth can cause the development of plaque on your teeth and lead to heart disease.
Although it’s normal to have a small amount of plaque on your teeth, too much can lead to gingivitis, bad breath, inflammation of the gums and cavities. When you engage in oil pulling, the process of swishing the oil around your mouth mitigates all of these issues by washing away the bacteria. Although the focus of this article has been on coconut oil, it’s possible to accomplish the same thing with different types of oil. The reason why many people prefer coconut oil is because of its delightful taste. It’s also worth noting that extra virgin coconut oil is popular for oil pulling. Another benefit of coconut oil is that it has lauric acid, which contains antimicrobial properties.
Removing Harmful Bacteria
One of the most harmful bacteria found in your mouth is streptococcus mutans. It’s one of the primary reasons for tooth decay resulting from plaque. Studies have shown that oil pulling with coconut oil for as little as 10 minutes daily can significantly reduce the growth of streptococcus mutans. It only takes a couple of weeks to reap the benefits. It’s also important to note that oil pulling can be just as effective as using mouthwash.
Reducing Gingivitis
The cause of gingivitis is inflammation of the gums and this is something that occurs when a person’s immune system is attacked by bacteria. The process of daily oil pulling is quite effective at reducing gingivitis. In fact, it’s just as effective as using mouthwash.
Getting Rid of Bad Breath
Nobody wants to deal with bad breath and fortunately oil pulling can help to reduce it. Even in cases where halitosis is present, oil pulling can help to mitigate the problem. Halitosis is a condition that’s actually caused by bacteria when it produces chemicals and gases with a strong odor. However, sometimes bad breath is simply caused by not having good hygiene. Developing the habit of oil pulling can help to reduce bad breath and improve you overall oral health. This can be just as effective as using mouthwash.
Misconceptions of Oil Pulling
Although some people believe oil pulling helps to whiten teeth, studies have not been able to confirm this belief. There is also a belief that oil pulling can remove toxins from the blood, but there is no clear evidence supporting this belief.
The bottom line is that oil pulling has worked effectively for centuries. This is likely a practice that will continue for many years to come.