7 Benefits of oil pulling for improving oral health

Improving oral health is crucial for maintaining proper overall health and feeling your best daily. Of course, many effective ways exist to maintain adequate dental hygiene, like brushing your teeth twice daily (I’ve used this electric toothbrush* for years and still love it very much) and using mouthwash, floss and a tongue scraper* regularly. 

But especially if you tend to react sensitively to regular mouthwashes containing several chemicals and other potentially harsh ingredients, trying a more holistic approach to improving oral health can be helpful. Oil pulling is an excellent yet gentle, natural and holistic way of keeping your mouth area healthy!

What is oil pulling?

The practice of oil pulling is thousands of years old and originated in Ayurveda, an alternative medicine system that originated in India. This ritual is said to be extraordinary for absorbing toxins and eliminating harmful bacteria found in the mouth area. The oil, the swishing motion in your mouth and the time you invest in this ritual make oil pulling highly beneficial for your oral health. 

Practising oil pulling couldn’t be more straightforward: you take a tablespoon full of oil – usually organic sesame oil*, but organic coconut oil* is a delicious alternative – into your mouth and swish it for about 15 to 20 minutes through your teeth, then spit it out, and you’re done! 

The 20 minutes are worth the effort.

The 20-minute aspect of oil pulling is crucial because, given this much time, the healing benefits of your preferred oil can reach every corner of your mouth and, therefore, can be entirely beneficial for eliminating harmful bacteria and toxins from your mouth area.

With a regular mouthwash or mouth rinse from any supermarket, you may experience difficulty getting the fluid into every corner of your mouth since you usually only use it for a maximum of 60 seconds. This does not mean that it wouldn’t work appropriately in preventing caries and other oral diseases, which it indeed does, as many studies prove. 

But if a fluid, like the combined oil and saliva, can work for 20 minutes in your mouth, it’s more likely to help generate all the benefits discussed in today’s blog post. 

I know that 20 minutes of swishing a fluid in your mouth can sound repelling at first, but as always here on Gloriously Her, I highly encourage you to try something new and give new rituals like the oil pulling a proper chance. You will shortly see results with this one.

Improving your dental health with the support of oil pulling is affordable, practical, and can support your oral and overall health.

The practice of oil-pulling is the perfect addition to your already existing dental routine. 

Basically, you can practise oil pulling whenever you need extra care for your oral health, but ideally, it makes the most sense either in the morning and/or evening. 

In the evening, it’s the perfect aftercare for your dental area. After you’ve brushed your teeth, after using floss and a tongue scraper, you can take a spoonful of oil and do the swishing. 

Practising oil pulling in the morning is said to be the most effective. If you choose this time of the day as your preferred oil-pulling time, it would be best to do it first thing after waking up. Don’t brush your teeth, especially don’t drink water before; go straight for the ritual. 

This is because the bacteria and toxins in your mouth can spread all over your oral area overnight. Oil pulling is the most effective if you do not allow these bacteria and toxins to get into your digestive system, as it would happen if you swallow them by drinking water in the morning. After the procedure, you go on with your usual dental care.

What are the actual benefits of regular oil pulling? 

1. It’s natural

By swishing an oil of your preferences in your mouth regularly, you can support your overall health while concurrently not exposing your body to potentially harmful chemicals or other substances. 

With oil pulling, you have complete control of the ingredients you put into your mouth. Because you’re responsible for the quality of your preferred oil, you know what ingredients you’re using for your oil-pulling ritual at any moment. 

This way, you can prevent getting into contact with anything that may be harmful to your body or could potentially trigger an allergic reaction from your body. 

2. Brighten your teeth

Oil pulling can help you brighten your teeth the natural way. This is because the oil, in combination with your natural saliva flow, acts as a natural cleanser, removing surface stains and promoting the growth of healthy gums and teeth. 

Additionally, the swishing motion stimulates saliva production, which helps to counteract the acids that cause tooth decay and bad breath.

Also, while swishing the oil in your mouth, the oil and the saliva flow you naturally have are involved in saponification, which supports the cleansing benefits of oil pulling in your mouth. As a result, you can get brighter teeth without using potentially harmful chemicals.

3. Prevent bad breath

Bad breath, also known as halitosis, can be caused by a variety of factors, including poor oral hygiene, smoking, and certain medical conditions. Usually, in such cases, you can use mouth rinses to eliminate the bad breath. However, this can cause various adverse side effects, like allergic reactions. One effective yet natural and healthy way to prevent bad breath is by practising oil pulling. 

The swishing of oil helps remove harmful bacteria and toxins from the mouth, often the underlying causes of bad breath. By reducing the number of bacteria in the mouth, oil pulling can help prevent plaque and food debris build-up, leading to bad breath, gum disease and other oral health problems.

4. Get rid of harmful bacteria

In your mouth area, you naturally have a so-called microbiome, with approximately 700 different species of bacteria found. Some are beneficial for your health, and others are potentially harmful under certain circumstances. To keep the equilibrium of your oral area and prevent harmful bacteria involved in caries and other diseases, oil pulling is a gentle yet effective method to eliminate harmful bacteria and toxins from the mouth and regain the natural balance of your microbiome crucial for oral and overall health.

Harmful bacteria can accumulate in the mouth due to poor oral hygiene, smoking, counterproductive nutrition with lots of acids and sugar and certain medical conditions. These bacteria can cause gum disease, tooth decay, and other oral health problems over time. 

By practising oil pulling, you can help your microbiome get back in balance by significantly reducing the number of harmful bacteria in the mouth and preventing the build-up of plaque and tartar.

Incorporating oil-pulling into your daily routine can help eliminate harmful bacteria and improve oral health. This simple practice is a safe and effective way to eliminate harmful bacteria and toxins from the mouth, promoting healthy gums and teeth.

5. Reduces inflammation in your mouth

Inflammation can occur for various reasons, such as gum disease, oral infections, and other medical conditions. When your microbiome gets out of balance and harmful bacteria accumulate in the mouth, they can cause inflammation. Due to their reaction to food debris and plaque left in the mouth, harmful bacteria can lead to gum disease and other oral health problems left untreated.

Oil pulling helps to reduce the number of harmful bacteria and the number of toxins in the mouth, which in turn reduces inflammation. Additionally, oil-swishing movement while oil-pulling massages your gums and stimulates saliva production, which helps to counteract the acids that cause inflammation and other oral health problems.

6. Improves gum health

Gum disease is a common oral health problem that can lead to tooth loss if left untreated. When harmful bacteria accumulate in the mouth, they can cause inflammation, leading to gum disease and other oral health problems. 

Oil pulling helps eliminate these harmful bacteria and toxins and supports your microbiome in getting back to its equilibrium. Also, through the swishing motion, while oil-pulling, you massage your gums and stimulate saliva production, which helps your oral area regain a healthy balance. This can then help reduce inflammation and prevent gum disease.

7. It’s cost-effective, readily available and straightforward to use

Another benefit of implementing oil pulling in your already existing dental health care is the cost factor. Purchasing eatable oils, like organic coconut or sesame oil, can cost much less than traditional mouthwashes or rinses. 

Also, there is a high likelihood that you already have an eatable oil at home. Therefore, there is no need to buy extra equipment to keep your dental health high. With this factor in mind, oil pulling couldn’t be more affordable yet accessible.

Of course, oil pulling requires much more time than the usual mouthwash you usually use only for a few seconds. But it’s also straightforward to use, without any known potential side effects and natural. Also, as soon as you get used to the new routine, you’ll learn that the 20 minutes of oil pulling is worth the effort. 

How to do oil pulling in 4 easy steps

After you finish your usual dental health routine in the evening, ideally including brushing your teeth with toothpaste, floss, and a tongue scraper, you can start with the oil pulling. 

In the morning, you want to practice oil pulling first after you wake up to benefit from this ritual the most.

Step 1

Choose your oil. Organic coconut oil* is popular due to its taste and antibacterial properties. Still, other oils, such as organic sesame* or olive oil, can also be used and have health benefits for your oral area.

Step 2

Swish 1-2 tablespoons (approximately 10ml) of oil around your mouth for 15 to 20 minutes. Swish the oil between your teeth and all around your mouth. Never swallow the oil! This is because the oil absorbs toxins and harmful bacteria during the oil-pulling procedure, and these substances should not come into contact with your digestive system. 

Step 3

Spit the oil into a tissue or toilet paper and throw it into the trash can, as oils can clog pipes if disposed of in the sink or toilet.

Step 4

Rinse your mouth with warm water; you’re done if it’s your evening routine. You can return to your usual dental healthcare routine in the morning.

Remember that oil pulling is a natural yet holistic approach to improving oral health. Practising oil pulling daily for at least 30 days would generate the best results and improve your oral health. Oil pulling is not a short-term solution if you struggle with oral diseases. It would be best to practice oil pulling long-term, ideally daily, to improve oral health. 

Also, if you experience any oral diseases or have other issues or concerns, please talk to your physician before implementing oil pulling into your routine. 

Oil pulling is a great dental hygiene tool because it helps remove harmful bacteria from the mouth while being natural without any known harmful side effects. 

While oil pulling should not replace brushing and flossing, it can be a great addition to your dental hygiene routine. It is easy to do and can be done while you’re getting ready in the morning or winding down at night. 

Only ever take with you what resonates positively with you.

But as with everything discussed on Gloriously Her, only try out or implement into your routine that resonates with you. Firstly, everything is okay if you choose not to try something alternative, such as oil pulling. Secondly, it’s also okay to try it out and later reconsider that it’s nothing for your lifestyle.

You live your life to your very personal terms. And this is awesome! Never let anybody make you feel like you have to change anything about your life if your decisions are precisely what makes you truly happy. 

Hopefully, today’s blog post could bring you valuable information about a topic that I think can be useful. 

So why not try oil pulling today and see if it makes a difference in your dental health?

Until next time,

Keep evolving into your most glorious self!