Oil pulling is by far the most hippie thing I’ve ever done.
If you had told me 2 months ago that I was about to stop brushing my teeth, my confused response would have been something like, “Because I’m going to be in coma?” Brushing teeth has been such a part of my daily routine (and no doubt yours as well) that I couldn’t even imagine life without it.
So how did I become someone who has abandoned her trusty toothbrush and tube of toothpaste? Well, I am about to tell you all about my adventure, but first I have to tell you that if you have no desire to try oil-pulling that it won’t bother me at all. I am not writing this to convince you to try it. I really am not. I receive no benefits or advantages if you try it. Zero. I am not in league with any sort of Oil-Pulling World Domination Organization. I am not an authority on oil-pulling. I have not done extensive research on oil-pulling. I have not taught my kids to oil pull. We still go to the dentist — in fact, Betty was there for some cavity work last month. And if you do try it, and don’t like it, I won’t have my feelings hurt one little bit, and I won’t try to convince you to try it again. I promise. This post is just me, reporting on this odd thing I tried and happened to like.
In early December, Ben Blair took a trip to France to oversee some work on The Cottage. While he was gone, I spent a Saturday morning seeing what was happening on Facebook and I happened upon an update from a woman I don’t even know very well, but she shared a link to someone’s blog post about oil-pulling, and said she was curious about it. And I was curious too. So I clicked through and spent an hour or so in an oil-pulling rabbit hole.
Oil pulling is a technique to clean your teeth and mouth. You put a spoonful of oil in your mouth, then swish it around for 20 minutes (yes, 20 minutes!!). Then you spit it out (into the trash can/compost bin, not the sink, so it won’t clog your plumbing).
In the blog posts I read, people were attaching all sorts of dental miracles to oil-pulling, which of course made me hugely skeptical. Oil pulling fills in cavities! Oil pulling relieves toothaches! Oil pulling whitens teeth! Oil pulling absorbs all the harmful bacteria in your mouth! Oil pulling cures the common cold!
A lot of what I was reading gave me huge eye rolls.
But I was still curious, and some of it made sense to me, and some of the voices were very sincere and realistic. So I tried it. I had a jar of raw coconut oil on hand — the kind that’s solid at room temperature. I put a spoonful in my mouth, waited for it to melt, and then started swishing. I wanted to see if I could actually make it for 20 minutes. And I did make it. After the 20 minutes, I spit out the oil, and rinsed my mouth with water. Then, I spent the rest of the day running my tongue over my teeth because they felt so different. In a good way. So I thought to myself, I’ll just try it for a week, and see what I think then.
Ben Blair arrived home a couple of days into my experiment. I was blushing as I told him about it, because I felt so dorky about it, but without even reading a blog post, he wanted to try it. And jumped right in.
After that week, I was still delighted with the results and said to myself, I’ll just try it for a month, and see what I think then. Ben Blair did the same.
Now, it’s been almost 2 months, and we’re both still oil-pulling, and my latest thought is that I’ll just keep doing it until I no longer like it.
Here’s some Q&A featuring questions I get asked most about it:
Q: Doesn’t it gross you out to have a spoonful of oil in your mouth?
A: I thought it would gross me out too! I thought I would gag. I took a spoonful of castor oil when I was trying to induce labor during my 3rd pregnancy, and I still get queasy thinking about it. But when I tried oil-pulling, it just felt like swishing water. It didn’t feel like oil. So it was fine.
Q: I can’t do it for 20 minutes. How do you manage?
A. I think this is the deal breaker for most people who try it. Twenty minutes is a long time. It works for me, because we have a morning routine where Ben Blair drives the kids to school while I tidy up — making beds, doing the breakfast dishes, starting the laundry, etc. I put the oil in when they leave the house and set my phone timer for 20 minutes, then I get to work. The times flies by. If I didn’t have this routine, I probably would have abandoned my oil-pulling experiment.
Q: Have you seen any benefits?
A. Yes. Nothing crazy miraculous, but I can see my teeth are whiter, with less plaque, and I feel like my breath is better for sure. I noticed the breath thing right away. Ben Blair and I are careful to talk to each other in the mornings with our mouths shielded so we don’t have to smell each other’s morning breath, but with the oil-pulling, the morning breath is much better. Not minty fresh, just neutral.
This is less measurable, but my teeth are no longer as sensitive. During my pregnancy with Betty (about 8 years ago), overnight my teeth became really sensitive and I could no longer rinse my mouth out with cold water. Seriously, it happened overnight. It was crazy. Since then, I’ve used Sensodyne toothpaste and that has helped some — it sort of takes the edge off. But I feel like my teeth are much less sensitive since the oil-pulling.
Lastly, this one is vague, but my teeth feel stronger. Like they are more firmly rooted in my mouth.
Q: What oil do you use?
I use Coconut Oil. Cold-pressed, extra-virgin, unrefined. (This is the brand that my grocery store carries. But I’m not necessarily loyal to it.) One day, I was curious and tried olive oil instead. I didn’t like the taste as much, but I did like how my teeth felt, and I liked that it didn’t have to melt first. Also, it left my lips super soft.
Q: Do you ever brush your teeth anymore?
Once in awhile. I oil-pull in the morning, and sometimes at night, if my teeth feel coated or grimy, I’ll brush with water. When I was traveling this last week, I didn’t bring my jar of oil, and instead thought I would just use toothbrush and paste. But after two days I was dying. My mouth was grossing me out. So my brother-in-law, Steve, picked up a jar of coconut oil for me and I oil-pulled during the rest of my trip.
Q: What about flossing?
Well, this is another reason why I think I personally really like oil-pulling. Flossing has always been a really hard habit for me to form. I seem to have strong enamel on my teeth — for most of my life, I’ve eaten way more sugar than I should, but I rarely if ever get a cavity (alas, my kids did not seem to inherit my enamel genes). And flossing doesn’t seem to make a difference either way. Some years I’ve been good at flossing and other years not so good, and I end up with the same results during my dental visits. So it’s hard to convince myself of the benefits of flossing for me personally. I know every body is different and there are people who see great dental health improvements from flossing — but I’m not one of them.
I have tried flossing a couple of times after I oil pull to see if anything is getting left behind, but the oil pulling seems to do a really thorough job of cleaning.
Q: Have you tried to fill in a cavity?
No. We have not attempted any cavity filling. But I’d love to hear if you have success with it. I’d be really curious to have a dentist try it with someone that has a mild cavity. Have them oil pull for a month and see if it makes a difference. Though really, many of the posts I read said the cavity miracles happened with a combination of oil-pulling + drinking raw milk. So who knows.
Q. Does your mouth feel oily after instead of minty fresh?
My mouth actually feels very clean afterwards. Fresh but not minty. Ben Blair likes the minty feel, so sometimes he’ll rinse with mouthwash after. But I don’t like mouthwash — it feels too harsh. Sometimes I do miss that minty feeling. I wonder if chewing on mint leaves would help…
Q. Where did you read about oil-pulling?
I started with this blog post, then started exploring from there. She includes links within the blog post, and there are links in the comments as well. Or, a quick search produces all sorts of relevant articles. There are also 2 books that come up over and over again in the blog posts — one called Cure Tooth Decay, and one called Oil-Pulling Therapy — though I haven’t read either.
——
I think that’s it for now! If you have more questions, feel free to leave them in the comments. And I’d love to hear: Have you tried it? Are you curious about it? Is it too hippie for you to handle? Has anyone reading tried it for a long period? If yes, how is it going? Or did you give it up? And lastly, have you ever tried something casually, maybe out of curiosity, and then adopted the practice for real? Chime in!
P.S. — I wrote another update on oil pulling a few months after this.
This is fascinating. I have never heard of oil pulling and would never have guessed it was a teeth cleaning method. Talk about learning something everyday!
I have a jar of coconut oil in the cupboard and maybe some peppermint oil…….
I am intrigued to see how this goes long term and what dentists have to say, I did read the lady’s comment who is a dental nurse. I am feeling the need to give this a go and I am due to see my dentist in a few weeks, so I will be very interested to see what they say about it.
Thanks Gabrielle, interesting stuff.
Oh, I’m learning about the many benefits of coconut oil (unrefined, cold pressed, like you describe) this winter. Coconut oil heals my scalp, my skin, and apparently, I should try it on my teeth!!
I heard about oil pulling about two years ago (got a big crunchy side and have always been into alternative health). It took me a while to try it but after about a week, I abandoned it… probably because I’d just gotten home with two newly adopted 4 year-olds and could barely think straight.
I recently went back to it and although I’ve failed at doing it perfectly — have forgotten some mornings or didn’t quite make it the full 20 min — I’m going to keep at it for a few months and see what happens. I already notice that it makes a difference in my breath and also makes my teeth feel cleaner. I think they also look a tad whiter. I continue to brush with water at night, and floss. Not sure I need to, but it makes my mouth feel better at the end of the day.
Impressed you tried this Gabrielle, and I’d love to hear a follow up after another couple of months!
Will definitely follow up!
A medical condition prevents me from using anything other than prescription toothpaste so I have no real stake in the game but I must say, in response to the comment that it’s the 20 minutes of cleansing that’s of benefit: probably a big part of it, but it’s a fair bet there’s no dental professional on earth who would recommend brushing for longer than two minutes, so if your teeth are cleaner, or seem so, by pulling for 20, that’s a positive. I would be concerned about not flossing because of the gum issues,but this we won’t know until dentists check it out.
Gabrielle, my favorite part of your post are the artful, multiple disclaimers hahahha! So glad you’re back from Alt Summit because I miss your posts. Pull on, my sister!
You asked if anyone has ever tried something casually and then loved it… Yes–a baby sling! I recommend them to everyone I know now!
Love that, Emme!
I’ve been oil pulling for about a month and love it. Try adding some On Guard from doterra, super helpful for this cold and flu season.
just curious. If I had braces would it be different? I know you are not a super expert but am curious if you have come by anything about that.
Good question, Jane. I have no info on the braces, but I do have a permanent retainer on my bottom teeth. It’s been there for 20 years, and it a super pain to try and floss around. The oil pulling hasn’t hurt the retainer in any way, and does seem to help keep those teeth cleaner. Who knows?
I also have had a permanent retainer for 20 years–Gum soft-picks are great for cleaning in between those teeth.
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I tried pulling last year for a while. I had a tough go at first. I couldn’t do the 20 minutes. Not even close. It made my mouth/cheeks hurt. The longer I tried it, though, the more things I figured out. I definitely had an easier time after melting it. I figured out a good time to do it consistently (after I got my daughter on the school bus, while I checked my e-mail, to distract me), and I learned to swish less vigorously. The last one helped with the pulled-muscle feeling in my face/cheeks. Good luck to new ‘pullers’.
I hear you. When my mouth gets tired, I let it rest and just hold the oil still for a bit, then start up again. Who knew swishing could wear me out!
Thank you for mentionning oil pulling that first time! I went back to the dentist after an 8 year gap (had 4 children). Everything was fine, but the oil pulling addresses the reason I went to the dentist after so long which is um, a funky gum. I can’t oil pull everyday and I do brush after. I love the coconut oil, I can’t imagine doing it with the recommended sesame oil!
okay, i know i’ve heard of this (years ago); but i just tried it. the most i could make it was a bit more than 10 minutes. it hurt my mouth — all that swishing. did it just feel comfortable to you from the start? i’m going to give it a few times more!
I don’t know if this will help, but I only use approx 1 Tablespoon of oil. Sometimes less. More than that I’m too gaggy.
I don’t know if someone else mentioned this and I missed it, but a huge advantage of this – assuming it actually works – is the reduction of wear and tear on teeth and gums caused by brushing and flossing.
I have congenitally horrific teeth – I’ve been taking AMAZING care of them for my whole adult life and they are still all slowly dying – more than half of my teeth are now crowns or bridges.
Since my late teens I’ve flossed every time I eat and brushed twice a day, and it has really done a job on my gums – I have terrible gum recession from all the brushing, but if I don’t brush very, very thoroughly I end up with nasty gunk on my teeth.
(and here’s a bizarre fun-fact – there’s something weird about my saliva that makes it dissolve the glue off of stamps and envelopes – if I lick a stamp (remember lickable stamps?) and put i on an envelope it will peel off as soon as it dries. I’m a freak of nature.)
Anyway – I’m interested to read more about this and try it – thanks for the info!
“a huge advantage of this – assuming it actually works – is the reduction of wear and tear on teeth and gums caused by brushing and flossing.”
I feel like this as well. Flossing for me has always been uncomfortable and painful, and the advice has pretty much been: do it every day until your gums build up a toughness.
But I’ve never had success getting flossing to be non-painful.
Ok. Totally just tried oil pulling with coconut oil. I fought my gag reflex for five minutes and just couldn’t take it anymore and spit it out. Very interesting concept, but a no go for me. Maybe I’ll try adding some when I brush.
My first time, I used a very small amount of oil — maybe a teaspoon. I think that helped me get through it the first time.
Hmmm, I’ve NEVER heard of this! I’m definitely curious to try it out. I have pretty rotten enamel genes (plus bad hygiene as a kid!) so I’m a little hesitant to give up my sonicare just yet. I’ve got a few spots, though, that the dentist is keeping her eye on so I’ll be curious to see if things change for the better after giving this a go for a few months. Thanks for the tip.
So I too tried this after I read your original post. I had heard about oil pulling a few years back, but with olive oil. I tried it once and gagged at the taste, so I never tried it again until your post mentioned coconut oil. I too love the way my teeth feel after doing it. I might have to try the mint eo because I miss the minty taste at bed time.
One word of caution, one morning I had the oil in my mouth and was done and ready to spit, both bathrooms were occupied and the kitchen sink was full of dishes, so I spit it in a container meaning to wash it down later. Well when I got around to it, it was back to an almost solid. I started thinking what a number grease does to your pipes and I began to wonder what trouble the coconut oil might cause down the road. Any insight out there on that?
You should spit it out in the trash, never down the sink or toilet. Oil, any type of oil is very contaminating and clogging for water and pipes.
Your instinct is correct, Sally! The oil can clog drains. I always spit into the trash can (if it has a plastic liner), or into our compost bin.
I tried it once but I couldn’t go the whole 20 minutes without a build up of saliva, I was dying to spit it out. Has the ever been a problem? I think the blog post I read recommended 2T of oil which seemed like a lot.
Oh definitely! The amount of liquid seems to double in my mouth. And I can’t manage 2 Tablespoons at all. One Tablespoon is my max, and on some mornings, I use less than that.
If it’s the e-mail Gabrielle links above, it’s just 2 teaspoons recommended, which may help. xox
I just tried this and it was rough, but I’m determined to try again tomorrow. I made it about 13 minutes. I fought my gagging reflex the entire time and finally my gagging got the best of me and I had to spit it out. I wonder if I should try less coconut oil next time? I had to keep spitting out some so that my entire mouth wasn’t completely full. I’m definitely intrigued!
Less could help.
For sure the hardest part for me is when the coconut oil is melting. A commenter above mentions she melts in the microwave first. Seems like a smart way for me to skip the gagging part.
I haven’t tried oil pulling, but I started making my own toothpaste about 9 months ago (using Crunchy Betty’s recipe) and I wonder if it has a similar effect? It is made from coconut oil and baking soda with some peppermint essential oil and stevia to cut the soda flavor a bit. I will never go back to commercial toothpaste! The baking soda flavor takes a day or two to adjust to – and I promise, you really do adjust to it – and then it’s not bad. In fact, when you rinse afterwards, the water tastes so sweet and delicious!
I didn’t have the guts at my last dental appointment to tell the hygienist or dentist that I hadn’t used fluoride toothpaste in six months, but they told me my teeth were amazingly plaque-free! I had a tooth that was on a cavity watch and it was doing better. My teeth are whiter and MUCH less cold-sensitive. I’ll have to give oil-pulling a shot and see what I think.
Isn’t that funny of us? I was always hesitant to fess up to our stern MD about the warm olive and garlic that worked so well when my little daughter was prone to ear infections
While the idea of swishing oil around for 20 minutes sounds both time consuming and just kind of strange, I felt the need to try to understand this from a scientific viewpoint and found this:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120902222459.htm, a summary of research by some Irish researchers presented at a microbiology conference.
I guess it is useful to know that tooth decay is caused by bacteria and the study suggests that coconut oil treated with enzymes (which is like the process that occurs when you have the oil in your mouth – the enzymes in your saliva start to break it down)seems to inhibit the growth of certain stains of bacteria. Most tooth decay occurs between teeth and in pits and so swishing this ‘activated oil’ around would therefore potentially get into those sort of areas that a brush might miss. Seems an interesting premise! I almost feel tempted to try it.
Thanks for the link, Chris!
thanks for this chris! was wondering what science was behind this. very intriguing.
I don’t know if anyone else posted this already, but you mentioned that you miss the minty feeling…just add a drop of Peppermint essential oil to the coconut oil in your mouth :)
i’ve been trying oil pulling for about a month now, and i say “ditto” to your thoughts on it. i still brush my teeth though. can’t seem to kick the habit. i use earth circle organic coconut oil. it’s delicious. like the inside of a mounds candy bar.
something else i recently have tried “casually” is essential oils. i’m sold. peppermint for headaches, nutmeg for an adrenal issue, lavender for skin problems, tea tree oil for acne. my kids even enjoy it. i was quite skeptical but am now a believer :)
I’m curious about the tea tree oil for acne. We are heading into the teenage breakout years and I need some help figuring out what works.
Before using tea tree oil for young people, look into the the possible endocrine disruption. I have heard different things about it, so maybe do some research before giving it to the kiddos…
The endocrine disruption you’re referring to is caused by “essential oils” (lavender is one that is commonly referenced) that are laced with additives, or completely synthetic, even if they say “100% pure”. Labels mean next to nothing. Essential oils from Young Living, for example, are legitimately 100% pure essential oils, and there are several that work amazingly well for acne (Purification, Frankincense, Melaleuca alternifolia – more commonly known as tea tree oil). I’ve read a little on oil pulling – I’ve found myself drawn to essential oils lately, so I may as well go all the way and clean my teeth with oil, too :)
I do the oil cleaning method on my face and then use tea tree oil to treat any breakouts. It works well enough that I threw out my Proactiv! TTO can be super drying, though, which can sometimes make pimples worse (there’s a fine line between drying it out so it disappears, and drying it out so much that then your skin gets angry and doesn’t heal!) but I’d definitely recommend it :)
Good for you! I started just before Christmas and was doing well with it until my inlays came to stay and suddenly I felt quite silly trying to explain why I couldn’t talk to them for 20 mins in the mornings :) I too felt all the plusses you mention here, thanks for the reminder. I think I will start again.
I’m going to have to start waking up earlier in the morning… I just did it and my teeth feel pretty clean! I think I’ll use slightly less on the next try, as I got kind of uncomfortable during the second half.
I’ve got to admit that I love oil pulling, there’s nothing more splendid and virtuous than coconut oil. I’m not however very consistent at doing this, but if I do it, it is best to do it immediately after you wake up. Have also noticed the improvement on breath and maybe teeth are whiter. Highly recommend it!
Not quite sure if it has something to do with the oil pulling but has any of you experienced some stains on face? they were gone after I stopped the oil pulling…hopefully it has no association whatsoever with the o/p because I absolutely adore it :/
A few weeks ago I discovered a massive cavity in a back molar. I’d been seeing things about oil pulling to heal a cavity around the internet for a while and, since I’m just starting my third trimester and can’t really have it filled unless it becomes painful, I decided to give oil pulling a try. I’ve been doing it for about a week and a half now and the cavity is obviously still there, but I will say that it does seem to be getting less black. I plan on oil pulling until my due date in April and adding this supplement, which I hear is really helpful in remineralizing teeth: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Green-Pasture-Butter-Fermented-Capsules/dp/B002M06SMU
I read something similar. It sounds like people who have had good luck with remineralizing teeth use oil pulling for cleaning, and then consume raw milk or raw butter (in food form or in pill form).
Raw milk is crazy expensive here. Like $8 for a half gallon. Makes me miss France where we bought it from our neighbors for a fraction of that cost.
I was intrigued after the first mention but just haven’t found the time. The coconut oil is sitting on the counter(after being dipped in to for some so so baking experiments) I’m starting today! Thank you
I am a dental hygienist and we did research on oil pulling while I was in school. I had never heard of it before that. I would definitely encourage you to keep flossing! Studies show that mouth rinses and liquids in your mouth are only able to go about 1mm under the gum line whereas flossing gets up to 3mm under your gums if done properly. Even if you don’t see a lot of plaque when flossing after oil pulling there is sure to be bacteria. So I would just add flossing several times a week to your new routine.
I love hearing that you studied it in school. Makes it feel less weird to me. : )
I’m addicted to oil pulling and can agree to all the positive effects described above! thanks for writing about this, Gabrielle!
just would like to add what my best friend (who is a dentist) explained to me when I told her about it… btw she didn’t laugh at me and she also did not give me an anti-oil-pulling speech ;)
the gums seem to need brushing from time to time (in order to prevent paradontosis). so she recommended that I use the toothbrush to massage my gums regularly in addition to my oil-routine.
also she was worried about the possible lack of flouride (which comes with regular tooth pastes and seems to be essential for healthy enamel). I guess, if you add a lil flouride to your dental hygiene it can’t be that wrong…
Good to know!
I am very, very interested in trying this. Do you think you’ll have your kids try it at all? I am doing lots of thinking about food as medicine lately–in fact I just wrote about it yesterday on my blog! (http://littlenestingdoll.blogspot.com/2014/01/food-as-medicine.html). I think there are a lot of natural remedies we’ve somehow gotten away from as a society, and I really want to see what I can find and incorporate.
I haven’t decided yet on the kids. They see Ben and I oil pulling on the weekends. I figure if they want to try it, they’ll ask about it.
I am a dentist and love reading design mom when I have the time. I just want to add some info about oil pulling and rebuilding teeth. A large cavity that forms in or on a tooth consists not only of bacteria but also the debris of broken down tooth structure which was effectively eaten away by the bacteria .The use of fluoride and other types of remineralizing pastes are common and I often see cavities that are small on the surface and lead to gaping deep decay once the top layer is removed. I cannot say that oil pulling is not effective at keeping healthy teeth clean and plaque free but I can tell you not to expect coconut oil to cure disease ridden teeth. The mechanical removal of debris and bacteria will prevent decay, whether that is done with oil or a brush, a thorough job must be done to prevent decay and inflammation of the gums.
Thanks for chiming in! I’d love to know if you’ve ever seen a tooth remineralize? I’ve never attempted it myself, but there’s sure a lot of talk about it out there, and apparently some success. The success stories seem to involve eating particular foods (often raw dairy products). Maybe it’s a whole-istic dentistry thing?
Just tried it with olive oil since I didn’t have coconut oil on hand. So as I went along more of my saliva mixed in with the oil. This has to be normal right? It felt like at the end the oil was significantly diluted with my saliva and there was a significantly larger amount of liquid in my mouth. Do others have the same experience?
So surprised that the oil didn’t feel oily at all!
I don’t know about anyone else, by the amount of liquid definitely increases as I go thanks to my saliva.
Okay, you got me. I’m totally going to try this.
Also, can I say Gabrielle that yours is one of the only blogs that consistently stays fresh, real and interesting. I love coming to your site. Keep up the good work!
Thank you for the kind words, Natasha!
All I have right not is sesame oil.. Does it work the same as coconut oil?
Natalie-
Some of the research suggests sesame oil! So yes.
I’m going to try this tonight! Thanks for the tip. I was going to message you last week when you spoke about vasaline and the new jelly you use. I actually use coconut oil to take off my makeup and as a moisterizer. I take a little out of the jar, melt in my palms, smooth over my face and then take a cloth or cotton pad to wipe off.
I’ve always had bad teeth (thin enamel) so I’m always trying to find a better way to manage my dental hygiene. I was intrigued when you first hinted at this, and now I think I’ll have to try it! 20 minutes sounds like such a long time though!
I have been REALLY looking forward to you writing this post! If you have any follow ups, please post them, too! I’ve oil pulled on and off for a bit. I like it, but I’m so lazy in the mornings. I’ve heard that it’s best to do it in the morning “before you swallow,” meaning before your at or drink. But I’ve been told by people (old ladies, too!) about all the great befefits, and I hope to be better at making this a habit. I hadn’t heard about it being an outright replacement for brushing your teeth, though. Interesting! I’m an over zealous tooth brusher and I’ve even pushed my gums down a bit because of it. Maybe Imshould give that up, too. Admittedly, I’m a little nervous about that. But, not as nervous as I am about brushing away my gums and having my teeth rattle about in my mouth. Eek!
Fascinating! I was very skeptical when you first mentioned this, but I’m convinced to try it. I’m thinking I could do it first thing in the morning when I’m the only one up and am busy with showering and getting ready for the day. I have 20 minutes there. We don’t have any coconut oil (yet!), but enough people mentioned olive oil that I’ll start there.
I have problems with gum recession so even if I still floss, which I do daily (and perhaps brush occasionally), I have to believe this would help preserve my gums.
Haven’t tried this, but I think I might. I would like to recommend another use for the coconut oil, though – as deodorant! I know some people mix it with baking soda and essential oil to make a more traditional deodorant, but I just rub a little bit of oil on my armpits after a shower and before I go out. I use little enough that it soaks in basically immediately. It seems to inhibit perspiring as well as anti-perspirant ever does (perhaps because it creates an oil barrier over the top of the skin?) but more importantly I find that as long as I ONLY use coconut oil I never smell like body odor. I used to sometimes “cheat” and use anti-perspirant for a day, and I would always come home stinkier than usual, and remain more stinky than usual for the next week.
I had read about this before, but I finally tried it after reading this post because of my morning sickness and this PERPETUAL nasty taste I have in my mouth all the time. It’s awful! So I tried it. And it really helped! My husband was sweet, but undoubtedly thought I was a little nuts.
I’ve been really interested in trying oil-pulling lately, especially because my teeth have been so sensitive lately…. but I’m a little nervous about stopping brushing all together! Have you heard anything about how brushing could be counter-intuitive or do you think brushing in the evening would be just fine? Maybe brushing with coconut oil rather than toothpaste in the evening?
Mostly just wondering if you had any thoughts, thanks! Can’t wait to start oil-pulling soon!
I am very intrigued by oil pulling but have never tried it due to he fact that as I was researching it, I discovered a few articles that said if you have amalgam fillings (the silver ones) you should avoid this practice because it can leech the toxins from the fillings. Has anyone else heard of / have any insight on this?
I am curious about oil pulling but have avoided it as I read in a couple of places it was unadvisable to take on the practice if you had the amalgam (silver) fillings as it can cause the fillings to release their toxins. Has anyone else heard of / have any experience with this? (I imagine everyone that commented is not filling free! ;). )
Please don’t advise people not to floss because you deem it inconvenient in your life. Science tells us flossing is better than brushing, oil-pulling aside. One could floss only and never brush again, and they’d have healthier teeth. Please research this.
i’d love to see articles pls post links
I’m really intrigued by this oil pulling and would love to give it a go but I’m a little worried as I have the worst teeth ever! Seriously, I just have to look at sugar and a cavity starts to form! I’d be hesitant to give up the flouride from toothpaste.
For about 15 years I’ve been using a prescription only high flouride toothpaste but despite this I still need an average of 6 or so fillings per year :( Admittedly many of those are replacements as my teeth don’t seem to hold fillings in properly and I usually loose a couple (fillings, not teeth!) per year.
Who knows, maybe the oil pulling might help keep my existing fillings in place? I would love to hear from anyone who has this same problem and has tried oil pulling.
Like a few other readers who’ve commented, I also suffer from receding gums due to overly vigorous brushing over the years. I imagine that oil pulling would definitely be more gentle, especially seeing as the newly exposed tooth enamel is super, super sensitive.
Oh, and you mentioned in the post that some people who claim that their own oil pulling has filled cavities have done this in conjunction with drinking raw milk. I grew up drinking raw milk fresh from a dairy farm until the age of 17. When we moved the city and had to switch to regular milk (which I could NOT stand for at least a year!) it didn’t seem to make any difference to the quality of my teeth or my younger brother and sister’s teeth. I guess it doesn’t hurt to try though. At the very least, raw milk does taste a whole lot better :)
I was so interested so I tried it this morning and my teeth and mouth feel so…not fresh all day. Has anyone had a bad experience with it? Did you have a good experience right away, Gabrielle? I don’t want to give up after one try! But my breath and teeth do not feel clean at all.
Claire, I’ve been oil pulling (or “swishing,” as we call it at our house) with coconut oil for almost a month. I had read that it is important to rinse your mouth after oil pulling. What I do is: after twenty minutes, I spit out the oil in the trash (it can clog your drains); rinse my mouth and spit (two times); and then follow with a big glass of water with lemon juice in it. I am usually so thirsty for that water since I avoid drinking anything before oil pulling! My husband, who does it too, and I both still brush our teeth twice a day. I don’t think you have to give up brushing as part of oil pulling unless you want to. Hope that helps.
I started oil pulling a few weeks back. Because of time, I am not very conisten with it. I oil pull before I go to bed.
I am a scientist an so I was thrilled when I found the link to the peer reviewed PubMed article that one of the commentors had posted!
I like the taste of coconut oil in my mouth. It sounded gross at first but actually is pleasant and also sort of meditative since I cannot talk for 15 mins!
In response to other comments about how ancient people brushed their teeth….I know that in India people used to use neem twigs to brush their teeth. Even now poor people in villages do so as they cannot bear the cost of toothpaste. Neem has antibiotic properties as does coconut oil. I wish I could keep up the habit and get my family involved too.
I have been very curious about this for about a year now. I might just have to try it!
here is a nice, natural mouthwash that my husband likes to use when he feels he needs it – “tooth and gums tonic” by the Dental Herb Company
I just tried it this morning, man are my cheeks tired! I really struggled to make it the full 20 minutes and spilled some on my pajamas. (eew!) But I’m fascinated by the idea! Especially the breath benefits (a certain husband could really use it, if I can pursuance him to try it!)
I was intrigued by your initial mention of oil-pulling, and started it then, mostly because I have ongoing pain in one part of my mouth. The first time I tried it, I definitely had to fight the gag reflex, using less oil has stopped that. I wasn’t brave enough to stop brushing or flossing…even though my teeth didn’t really feel like they needed it after the oil-pulling, we’ll see if I decide to do that later. I love how clean my mouth feels after I’m done, and it really does seem to last most of the day. I will state that the pain is not gone, and I cannot tell if it is less…have you ever been in pain so long that you stop noticing it except as an afterthought? Anyway, I’m off to the dentist tomorrow, we’ll see what he says about the health of my mouth!
I’ll have to read up in the thread but the main question that pops into my head is would it work with anything? Because 20 min. of swishing is a lot of swishing and I wonder how much of the effectiveness is the swishing.
Floride, which is a by-product/waste/toxin that comes from making aluminium, plays a huge role in dental health today. It actually makes your teeth harder but more brittle as Floride replaces calcium in the body (bones and teeth). It closely resembles calcium molecule, but is actually a Neuro toxin that is a waste product from aluminum manufacturing. It is added into the public city water instead of treated like a waste product like it should be. Too expensive for that lets just convice the public that Floride is actually good for your teeth and not harmful that way we can profit off both aluminum and its by product. Meanwhile this is unheard of or banned in almost every other country on earth. Also PVC piping is illegal In many countries because it is very toxic, but that’s another topic and doesnt involve dental health.
Wow–I’ve never heard of oil-pulling, ever. I’m fascinated and am going to try it. It seems counter to clean teeth. I also have a hard time flossing consistently and want to see how this feels. Makes me wonder what else I have no clue about!