Oil pulling should work with pretty much any oil, but extra-virgin coconut oil is a popular choice due to its pleasant taste. It also has a favorable fatty acid profile, containing high amounts of lauric acid, which has antimicrobial properties ( 1 ).
For maximum effectiveness with whitening your teeth and promoting good oral health, it's important to use unrefined coconut oil for oil pulling!
Many natural oils like virgin coconut oil, sesame oil, olive oil and sunflower oil are best for oil pulling.
You do not need to brush your teeth before oil pulling as the practice will remove food and bacteria from the mouth. However, it is important to brush afterwards to ensure that all of the toxins that are drawn out of the mouth are removed. If it feels weird, keep going. There's no right or wrong way to oil pull.
After you're through oil pulling, rinse thoroughly with water to get rid of the filmy coating across your gums and teeth. Some self-proclaimed experts say to rinse with salt water.
Safe method for performing Oil Pulling
Take 1-2 tablespoons of Liquid Coconut Oil into your mouth. Start swishing the oil in the mouth for some minutes in the beginning, then gradually increase the time to around 10-20 minutes.
Dentist's verdict: Oil pulling with coconut oil can help with more mild forms of gingivitis when used in conjunction with flossing. This is (again) due to the lauric acid in coconut oil. It should not be seen as a way of treating more serious gum disease or as a replacement of flossing.
The process of emulsification of oil begins upon 5 min of oil pulling. This oil will coat the teeth and gingiva and inhibits bacterial co-aggregation and plaque formation. Thus plaque building bacteria responsible for dental caries, gingivitis, periodontitis and bad breath are removed from the oral cavity.
Proponents of oil pulling claim that, when practiced properly and with regularity, users can expect to start seeing results such as reduced plaque, cavity prevention and stronger gums in 2 – 3 months. Some users also claim that oil pulling helped remove stains from their teeth.
Oil-Pulling Tips
Start with just 5 minutes a day. Twenty minutes of swishing is a long time, and while the longer you pull, the more bacteria you'll remove, 5 or 10 minutes will still offer some benefit.
It's recommended that you perform oil pulling once per day, every day. Doing this on a regular basis can help prevent oral health problems by removing harmful bacteria from your mouth. However, don't do it more than once daily, as it can cause tiredness or soreness of the jaws.
Promotes Healthy Teeth and Gums
One of the most common culprits of tooth decay is Streptococcus mutans, a type of microorganism in your mouth. Daily oil pulling for 10-15 minutes can help reduce S. mutans count in your mouth and prevent tooth problems.
The longer you push and pull the oil through your mouth, the more microbes are pulled free. The oil needs to be swished around long enough for it to turn a milky white, which indicates that the bacteria has been “pulled” off.
At room temperature, both unrefined and refined coconut oil are solid and white in appearance, so you won't be able to identify unrefined coconut oil on sight. Instead, read the label—if you see the words “virgin” or cold-pressed, then the coconut oil is unrefined.
Unrefined oils have more pronounced flavors, colors and fragrances than refined oils. Like unrefined whole grain flours, unrefined oils are more nutritious and have a shorter storage life than refined. Unrefined oils are best used unheated in dressings or with low heat sauteing or baking.
Most guides suggest brushing the teeth immediately afterward. Others say that it is better to wait a bit to promote the retention of good bacteria and the rebalancing of the oral microbiome. In any case, use a different toothbrush after oil pulling to the one used for daily teeth cleaning.
Oil pulling is best incorporated in the morning, upon rising, and on an empty stomach, as it helps to stimulate the appetite and enhance the sense of taste. Some suggest swishing before brushing, while others suggest brushing before swishing.
Once you have finished pulling, spit the solution into the trash. Do not discard the oil in the sink or down the toilet because over time the oil may build up and clog the pipes. Do not drink anything before rinsing your mouth. Rinse with water first before consuming a beverage.
To maximize results, try to oil pull at least a few times per week or up to three times per day. When you first start, you can swish for about five minutes and gradually increase the duration until you are at 20 minutes. Keep in mind that oil pulling doesn't replace traditional oral care.
DO oil pull with an empty stomach, don't even drink water beforehand, first thing in the morning is the easiest. Pulling on an empty stomach triggers the release of the maximum amount of the enzyme-containing saliva. These enzymes remove toxins & bacteria out of the lymph fluids & bloods.
The fatty acids in the oil attract and trap bacteria so each time you oil pull, you're removing harmful bacteria and plaque from your mouth. It's best to do this right away in the morning, before you eat or drink anything.
How often should you oil pull? If you suffer from gingivitis or gum disease, oil pull once a day to improve gum health. If you have good oral health, oil pull 1-2 times each week.
It is important to understand that during the oil pulling/oil swishing process one's metabolism is intensified. This leads to improved health. One of the most striking results of this process is the fastening of loose teeth, the elimination of bleeding gums and the visible whitening of the teeth.
But the evidence-based bottom line on oil pulling is this: Oil pulling can't substitute for brushing twice a day and flossing. In fact, there's no evidence that oil pulling actually cures anything. But wait! While the practice was undeniably overhyped over the past several years, it does appear to have a few benefits.