Oil Pulling

By: Andrea Sipcic

What is it and how does it work?

Oil pulling is a traditional Ayurvedic remedy that involves swishing oil in the mouth as you would a mouthwash. The bacteria and toxins get “ pulled” away as a result of the swishing and dissolved in the oil.

What are some of the benefits?

- Reduces the amount of harmful bacteria in the mouth

- Thoroughly cleans the mouth

- Reduces plaque

- Can prevent bad breath, gingivitis, cavities and gum inflammation

- Can help to whiten teeth

- Can help heal bleeding gums

The Experience

As with so many amazing ancient remedies, oil pulling has returned. With the benefits of this practice becoming more well known, oil pulling is becoming more and more popular. As most of us have always been conditioned to just brush, try to floss every night and see the dentist regularly, I thought that was as good as it got. I was urged by others years ago to oil pull and have been doing so ever since.

Commonly, it is said that pretty much any oil will do. However, coconut and sesame seem to be the most common. Personally, I prefer to use coconut oil. I also like to consider the properties and qualities of the different oils. Coconut and sesame are amazing, so I wouldn ’t stray from those. You can even mix them so you have the best of both worlds.

Speaking of mixing, if you like to experiment and add an extra oomph to your cleansing, there are a few options to try out. With so many people (especially natural healthcare practitioners) realizing the benefits to oil pulling, there are now plenty of concoctions available with essential oils mixed into the carrier oil/s (coconut and/or sesame), such as peppermint, neem, clove and cinnamon. I like the added taste and benefits they provide, making the experience more enjoyable. You can definitely make your own as well, especially if you know which oils you like and suit you best. I recommend using fractionated coconut oil and you can even mix in some sesame oil if desired. I prefer to use essential oils if I’ m going to add anything to it. I actually really like some of the essential oil concoctions from a lovely

company called Living Libations, where they have a few products specifically for the mouth and gums. (My favourite is Happy Gum Drops.) If adding your own essential oils, be mindful of using ones that are safe for oral usage, as some essential oils are very potent and not suitable for this.

It is common to hear that you need to swish for 15-20 minutes, and while this is ideal, if you are doing this daily (as is also recommended) and sometimes only have a few minutes, then a few minutes is good enough and better than not doing it at all. It is also standard to hear 1 tbsp as the ideal amount needed. I have personally found that amount to be a little too much for me at once. It’ s always best to try it and feel out the amount that works for you. It is recommended to oil pull first thing in the morning, before you eat anything. Keep in mind, if you ’ re sensitive like me, it is possible for oil pulling to trigger your gagging reflexes. If this happens and you can ’t get over it, oil pulling at another time of day like evening or night works as well. Be sure to spit out the oil when complete, into the garbage as opposed to down the drain to prevent any clogging over time.

Since oil pulling, I have found my teeth to be, feel and stay cleaner for longer, with little to no plaque. I used to feel that I needed to floss every night in order for my teeth to be clean, and although I don ’t necessarily recommend substituting flossing for oil pulling, I do find that on the nights I don ’t get to flossing and just oil pull, my teeth and mouth feel nice and clean.