Oil pulling- sounds a bit like something you would hear in a processing plant, but we are talking about something much more exciting then a processing plant! Oil pulling is used to clean the mouth, teeth and gums. I do oil pulling every morning now, if I miss my oil pulling my mouth just doesn’t feel the same for the rest of the day. Lets talk more about oil pulling below.

What oils can you use?

When you do oil pulling you are going to want to use an anti-inflammatory oil, this means NO canola or vegetable or safflower or peanut oil. We want oils that are going to clean the mouth and none irritating to the mouth, body and gut. Here is a list of oils you can use for oil pulling:

• Avocado oil
• Olive oil
• Coconut oil (my favorite for oil pulling)
• Sesame oil (some people swear by this oil, I have not loved using it personally)

I almost always use coconut oil, this is because coconut oil whitens the teeth, is able to kill off and its “anti” so many things! Anti-inflammatory, (as we already said), anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic. But not anti-you (unless you have a coconut allergy or intolerance). But if you hate the taste of coconut oil or you simply don’t have it around the other oils will do. When using olive oil, make sure its from a good source and is pure olive oil. Some olive oils are sadly adulterated with seed and vegetable oils. I only use the brand “Chosen Foods” for my avocado oil. This is because there was a big study done on avocado oil and this brand was one of the only ones that came back as legit.

Are there side effects?

Oil pulling is pretty darn safe, but there are a few things to be aware of when doing oil pulling. First, if you have a gag reflex you might need to change things up from a typical oil pulling. Oil pulling can sometimes trigger that gag reflex. I am one who gags extremely easily so oil pulling was a bit of a challenge for me at first. Things that have helped are:

• Start out with a small amount, like a tsp and work up to a tablespoon.
• Be ready to spit the oil in a trashcan or carry around a disposable cup.
• Swish the oil for less time and then start over with fresh oil.

Some people say oil pulling can dislodge fillings, I don’t fully agree with this. Sadly I had a pretty high amount of cavities until started brushing my teeth with dirt https://nourishedlifestylehome.com/why-i-clean-my-teeth-with-dirt/ and started oil pulling. I have been oil pulling since 2013 and my cavities have never had any problems. I look at this way- I am chewing all day, some foods are sticky like dried fruit and my fillings do great with them. Swishing oil in my mouth is not going to dislodge a filling. Now, if there is an infection under a pervious filling, I could see this being more likely. You can always contact a holistic dentist if you are unsure, here is a list of a few holistic dentists you can contact https://holisticdental.org/find-a-holistic-dentist/?query&by&sort_field=id&sort_order=desc&page_no=12 or you can find a biological dentist here https://iabdm.org/. I have interacted and had a few appointments with a few of them and I have some that I simply love, send me an email if you would like more information about them.

How do you oil pull?

Ok, this is such a simple process. All you need is a clean spoon and 1-3 tsp of coconut oil (or another oil if you choose). Put the oil in your mouth and start swishing. Swish for as long as you can, for some people that can only be about 1-5 minutes. If you only last this long, then spit it out and start a second round. I am one who can only swish for about 5 minutes and this is after doing oil pulling for over 10 years, so I just do it twice.
When you are done swishing DO NOT SPIT THIS IN THE SINK. First, it can clog up your drain from the oil but also after a day or two, it smells horrible. The oils are pulling out bacteria and that bacteria will stink up your drain, so it is nasty! I usually have a jar I spit in or I spit in the trash as long as there is a liner or bag in it (its super nasty to clean out of the trash can if there is no bag). If you want some entertainment you can watch this video made by my favorite crunchy mama here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNYZ2fCKR-Y.

If you want to add some essential oils to your swishing you can use lemon, clove or peppermint. I get really wild and I use these trace minerals as I swish. The first few times I tried trace minerals I thought it was absolutely terrible. Now I am so used to the strong flavor and even enjoy it in my water.

I hope you try out oil pulling, it helps whiten teeth, balances the PH of the mouth and does a great job at helping with detoxing. Let me know if you try it out!

Does it really work?

If you are someone who wants the facts, that is great. I have attached a link to give you some studies about the benefits and history behind oil pulling. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=%22oil+pulling%22 If you want to know more about the benefits of coconut oil you can read more here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24328700/.