And when I say frequently, I mean frequently!
Ever since I wrote about how we cured my husband’s cavity with a combination of nutrition and oil pulling, I’ve gotten dozens of questions on the subject. In fact, I get new emails every day about this method of oral health. Although I usually try to answer questions personally, either via email or in the comments, this was taking a long time. (Often I’ve done several hours of research to answer a question thoroughly.) I decided to do us both a favor and round up all your questions and my responses in once place.
Please note, although it sounds terrific and unbelievable, we really did heal my husband’s cavity, and this is not a hoax. I’ve gotten a lot of {nasty} comments from people who think I made the whole thing up and have some kind of vendetta against dentists. That is simply not the case, my own mother being a dental hygienist! I love your comments, and your questions have helped me grow and learn, but if you can’t say it nice, I won’t approve it. 😉 Also, this post contains affiliate links–thanks for helping me keep the lights on around here!
(post updated January 31, 2019)
Without further ado:
Frequently Asked Questions about Oil Pulling
What is the best oil to use for oil pulling?
This is really personal preference. Olive oil, sesame oil, and coconut oil are all recommended. I personally prefer coconut oil for its flavor and antibacterial properties.
Do I have to use the (more expensive) cold pressed, unrefined, virgin coconut oil?
It’s up to you. The cheaper, expeller-pressed coconut oil (which doesn’t smell or taste like coconut anymore) does lose some of its health properties during the refining process. Since you only use a teaspoon at a time for oil pulling, a little goes a long way–I use the cold-pressed, less refined, virgin oil.
What brand coconut oil do you recommend?
You want to choose a brand of coconut oil that is cold pressed, extra virgin, and organic, like this brand available right from Amazon.
What if I don’t like coconut oil?
Try another oil! Olive oil and sesame oil are both effective for oil pulling.
Coconut oil is solid–how do I swish it???
Coconut oil liquifies at 76 degrees–simply hold it in your mouth or chew it till it melts!
Coconut oil makes me gag–got any tips?
My dear mother in law has a severe gag reflex. So determined was she to heal her cavity, though, that she persevered. First she just held the coconut oil in her mouth. After a few days, she tried swishing for just a little bit at a time. Gradually she built up her endurance to the sensation of oil in her mouth, and was able to swish for the full 20 min. Her best tip? Melt the coconut oil first (in the oven or over the stove at very low heat) before putting it in your mouth. This ads an extra step to your routine, but she said it really helped her.
Oh, and she healed her cavity ;).
What time of day to do you oil pull?
I learned to oil pull in the morning, before eating or drinking anything. Optimal time seems up for debate, but first thing in the morning works for me–I’m less likely to forget, and it takes care of morning breath.
How long do I have to swish?
15-20 min. is usually recommended, or until the oil is so thinned by saliva that it’s very fine and able to swish through even the tiniest spaces in your teeth!
Why do I have to swish?
Well, this gets the oil into the cracks better, you know?
Twenty minutes is a long time! How do you do it?
Many people find swishing oil a rather displeasing activity, and can only manage for a few minutes. But those who stick with it find that eventually you get used to it, and you can gradually work up to the full 20 minutes. I don’t even notice the time anymore as I’m always doing 15 different things first thing in the morning! One of my friends said she watched TV while building the habit. I also like to combine my oil pulling with a workout routine from the online fitness studio, Fit2B. It’s an awesome way to start the day!
Why should you spit the oil in the trash?
Because it’s an oil, it thickens when it’s cool, which means if you oil pull daily (as we do) you could eventually clog up your drains with solidified oils. I was curious about whether oil that has been swished around with saliva for 20 min. still retained enough integrity to solidify, so one day I spit my mouthful into a cup and put it in the fridge. Sure enough–two hours later, the saliva and oil had separated and the oil was thickened. The lengths I go to for ya’ll. Short story: spit in the trash.
Why can’t I just swallow the oil?
Because it has been drawing toxins out of your teeth and gums for the last 20 min. and you don’t want to ingest that! Many studies (like this one) have shown the benefits of taking coconut oil internally. If you wanna do that, let it be a fresh, clean spoonful, not the oil you swished!
I have TMJ and have trouble swishing that long! What should I do?
I feel your pain–I’ve had severe TMJ for 25 years. My jaw muscles usually complain around the 10 minute mark, but I have built up the endurance to make it to the 20 minute mark. Don’t freak out if you can’t swish vigorously the entire time–the coconut oil can still help your teeth just by being in contact with them. Take breaks between swishing, and gradually work up to your goal.
Can I oil pull with fillings?
Neither Jeremy nor I have fillings, but my health mentor, Claire, has a few. She’s been oil pulling for over a year and reports that its had no ill affect on her fillings.
Can I oil pull with braces?
I do not have braces, so can’t lend my personal experience to that question. But I have read of others online who have done it with no ill effects to mouth gear.
Do you still brush your teeth?
Jeremy and I still brush our teeth, but with less frequency. We have become convinced that brushing roughly or too frequently can do more harm than good, especially for our gums. Besides, when we’re oil pulling each morning, we find our teeth feel cleaner and our breath is fresher than they ever did with a traditional brushing regime. So, we brush on an as-need basis–maybe once a day, but usually less than that.
What do you brush your teeth with?
As I said in my original post on oil pulling, I brushed with just water for more than a year. Then I finally found a toothpaste that didn’t have any junk in it, and since Jeremy still likes the idea of using toothpaste, I got us some to try. We loved it, and now use this toothpaste if we forget to start our day with oil pulling. The stuff is awesomely pure. I still use just water half the time because I’m rather a minimalist.
Do you still floss your teeth?
Hardly ever at all. Again, because I think that something that makes your gums bleed should be only done if absolutely necessary. The oil pulling gets between my teeth fairly effectively, even getting rid of popcorn kernels I didn’t know where there! I feel that giving up flossing has allowed my gums to take over the spaces between my teeth, and one particular spot next to my eye tooth that used to always collect nastiness never gives me problems anymore. Maybe it’s because I’m not enlarging that gap every time I shove floss up in it?
Does oil pulling help with plaque?
This is one of my favorite parts about oil pulling. The last time I went to a dentist for a cleaning, despite the discomfort, expense, and bleeding gums, I still walked out of the dentist with plaque on my molars. I thought they were supposed to get that off for me! I should have gone back and got my money back. Instead, I went home and began learning about a gentler forms of maintenance.
Oil pulling works well on plaque–the oil cuts right through the plaque to the tooth’s surface, and eventually loosens the plaque so it falls of. In chunks. Scouts honor. I had a large crumb of plaque fall off into my mouth the other day, and upon inspection, realized nearly all the plaque on my back teeth has disappeared since the last time I’d checked. Awesome. I hate plaque. Hated. Past tense. It’s gone.
Can children oil pull?
It can be done! One of my readers patiently taught his daughter how to oil pull and shares his story in the comments of this post. I have not tried it with my kids because our diet seems to be keeping their teeth healthy and strong without any added care. If your child is too young or doesn’t like to oil pull, don’t freak out! You can still focus on the other side of healthy teeth–deep nutrition.
Will oil pulling work if I’m vegan?
The author of Cure Tooth Decay explains a vegan approach to healing cavities on his website. I agree with him that certain vegans may have success in healing cavities, but that in general, a vegan diet does not support strong teeth.
What are the long term effects of oil pulling?
We’ve been oil pulling for over two years now, and our teeth look and feel great. Jeremy’s coffee stains are gone, and the sensitivity in my teeth only comes back when I slack up on oil pulling and eat more sugar (which is what happened over the holidays for me. Whoops.) Neither of us have had any more cavities, and Jeremy’s tooth, while still missing the chunk that fell off, is smooth and white with new enamel.
I feel a more holistic approach to dental care, including keeping plenty of nutrient dense foods like cow’s milk and cod liver oil in our diet has made our teeth both cleaner and stronger. We’re excited to be naturally pain free and avoid invasive dental procedures like root canals, which trap toxins in the body.
Can you get Lipoid Pneumonia by oil pulling?
The idea never crossed my mind, but apparently there are some trying to warn people against oil pulling with this possibility. This is rather ridiculous because lipoid pneumonia is caused by chronic inhalation of fat like substances into the lungs. A person capable of swallowing their own saliva and sending it down the proper tube should not have to worry about getting pneumonia from oil pulling, especially since you’re not even supposed to swallow it in the first place.
How long does it take to heal a cavity with oil pulling?
Most of the stories I’ve heard and our own personal experience says you can see a huge difference in a month.
Can I oil pull while breastfeeding or pregnant?
Oil pulling is a very gentle form of detoxing, and the toxins leave your mouth with the oil you spit out, rather than having to be flushed through any cleansing organs or going near your blood stream, so this would lessen any affect it may have on breastmilk or a child in the womb. I have oil pulled through pregnancy and breastfeeding with no ill effects. It was a blessing to have a gentler way to cleanse my teeth during pregnancy when gums are usually more sensitive.
Can I oil pull if I have a cap on my tooth?
This article on oil pulling with caps or crowns or fillings says, “Oil pulling will not and cannot loosen properly placed crowns or fillings.” It goes on to explain that oil pulling would only affect crowns or fillings if the tooth underneath was infected or decayed. In that case, oil pulling would help you become aware of the problem so you could address it.
What Cod Liver Oil do you recommend?
Cod liver oil can be a great way to up nutrition when trying to address tooth decay. Whatever cod liver oil you choose, it’s important to find one that has a 10 to 1 ratio of Vitamin A to Vitamin D. This is the ratio at which these vitamins are best absorbed and utilized. When Jeremy and I feel the need to suplement, we take two capsules daily of the Twinlab brand Norwegian Cod Liver Oil which equals 5000 IU of Vitamin A and 540 IU of Vitamin D a day. (There are fancier brands, but this is what fits in our budget right now!)
Will oil pulling work for me?
I wish I could promise that oil pulling would work for everyone, but the more I study tooth health, the more I realize just how crucial a nourishing diet is to strengthen and remineralize teeth.
Our experience was that we remineralized a tooth in a month with oil pulling and a daily dose of cod liver oil, but that was on top of a nutrient-dense diet. (We cook most of our food from scratch, and focus on good fats and proteins at ever meal.)
It may be that supplementing with cod liver oil is not enough for you. Further diet changes and supplementation may be necessary. For instance, if you don’t have sufficient vitamin C in your diet, you can’t absorb enough calcium, which is a building block of strong teeth. Vitamin D, E, A, and K are fat soluble vitamins–if you’re not embracing a full fat diet, it’s likely you’re not receiving or digesting many of these nutrients.
If you want to take further steps toward nourishing your body well, I’ve got great recipes right here on the blog for these two superfoods: whole milk yogurt and homemade sauerkraut. I’ve written a book Your Real Food Journey that talks you through simple steps to adding more real food into your diet, with 50+ nutrient dense, whole food recipes your family will love, even if you’re new to real food. And you can learn even more about what my family’s diet looks like on a daily basis in my other cookbook, which has 60 of our favorite recipes for whole foods and nourishing meals.
How can I learn more about a natural approach to oral health?
Although I love helping answer your questions, my experience is limited to me and my family’s experiences. I encourage you to do your own research and offer a few good places to start:
- Curing Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition by Ramiel Nagel is a fascinating and practical guide, including the account of healing his own daughter’s cavities.
- Nutrition and Physical Degeneration This is kinda the Bible on tooth health and nutrition by the pioneer of natural tooth care, Dr. Weston A. Price.
Have you tried oil pulling? I’d love to hear your experiences!
The extra virgna coconut oil is it the same with the heated coconut curd..
I usually extra my cold press then use heat up the remaining curd to get heated coconut oil.
Can it be used ( the heated oil) please for oil pulling.
Thanks
I prefer using oil that hasn’t been heated, I believe it has more health benefits
Hi Trina,
I enjoy reading your blog. Thanks a lot for the information!
I wonder if you think it’s better to brush after oil pulling or it’s not that important in order to get rid of tartar/plaque that already exists. I have been trying oil pulling for 10 days but the tartar is still there. I don’t have a lot but I just hate tartar too…It takes at least a few months, right?
Yes, it takes at least a month, in our experience, for the plaque to disintegrate. keep going!
I also feel so many benefits from oil pulling! My teeth have that just from the dentist feeling all the time now. I’ve noticed other incredible side effects as well. I honestly think it has gotten rid of body door, or dimmed it anyway. My teeth improved immensely after going vegan 10 years ago. Animal protein, dairy especially, throws our body out of homeostasis and our bodies draw calcium out of our bones to buffer the effects. If you look at culturs that eat mostly plant based diet, you can see this to be true. I’m much healthier and happier as a vegan.
Does oil pulling help with receding gums? My gums are gone in front of my two front teeth. My teeth aren’t loose. Can oil pulling help this. I did get some activated charcoal fluoride toothpaste so I want to know how many times a day do you recommend oil pulling and brushing with the bentonite clay. Thank you for your post. It has inspired me to continue.
In response to the question regarding the difficulty in swishing for 20 minutes and getting tired jaws/mouth – you don’t have to SWISH the whole time. Enough swishing to get the oil in the cracks allows the oil to do its job everywhere, put the “pulling” of toxins is done by the oil sitting on, or making contact with the teeth and gums. Swish it into the cracks, and then relax your mouth and just let it sit there. Another little swish now and then is effective, but no reason to exhaust yourself! 🙂
Hi.I want to start oil pulling and my biggest concern is will it affect my tooth seals.I have 3 of them and i dont them to fall from my teeth.Is there any risk or the oil cant make them fall.Thank you
Hi, I’m only 14 I don’t know how long I’ve had this cavity for and don’t want a filling when I get coconut oil for oil pulling will it still get rid of my cavity no matter how long I’ve had it in for?
I don’t know, Brianna–but oil pulling is non-invasive and safe to try and see if it will work for you!
hello, can i use coconut hair oil for teeth ?
thank you!
I don’t know–I wouldn’t if it has any additives
Hi, Trina! I love your blog! I have a comment and a question. The comment is about why we don’t swallow the oil after oil pulling. It’s technically becuz the oil now contains toxins it drew from our mouths and you don’t want to ingest those bad things. So, we spit it all out, with the oil.
I have recently gotten into oil pulling. I like to lightly sweeten (sugar-free, saccharin-based) with a sweetened flavor oil and freeze the mixture in bite site pieces made in a mold. My question, is saccharin bad for your teeth?! Thank You! 🙋🏼😃
Nicole, I don’t know–i have no experience with saccharin. Maybe try googling it?
Just started oil pulling with coconut oil yesterday and I’ve completely fallen in love! I added activated charcoal, tea tree, and peppermint. My teeth were so clean and white just after one day!! Is this safe to do twice a day everyday? Also, have you considered throwing activated charcoal into the mix? The results will definitely put a smile on your face 🙂
I have brushed my teeth with charcoal and it does make you laugh when you look in the mirror! 😉 Glad you’re finding good results!
So this is going to be my first time oil pulling. However, I live in a tropical country and the coconut oil melts no matter where I rest it. I could however, refrigerate it. Is it preferable to use either form of it, or does it not matter?
doesn’t matter, Ava! it has to be liquid to swish it, anyway!
Trina. Can’t get the oul film out of my mouth. Any suggestions? Carol
I rinse with water then brush my teeth (with water) after if it is still a problem
Thanks for all the information! I’ve read that EFA’s are absorbed sublingually with oil pulling. Doesn’t that mean the bacteria that clings to the oil is also absorbed?
Carol, I believe that if you kept the oil in your mouth for longer than 20 minutes you could start absorbing, but it’s pulling bacteria out in those first 20 minutes
Hai trina. Thank u so much for this post. I have started oil pulling with seseme oil and coconut oil.
1. Can i use both oils alternatively because i wish to get max benefit from both?
2. I read somewhere that brushing after oil pulling is harmfull to teeth. I can find fluoride free toothpaste in india. All brands have foaming fluride as ingrediant.
Can i skip brushing and use only oil pulling? Coz i love this sooo much and my mouth feels soo fresh and good.
3. I have gap in my front teeth and they are strck outward. I read in google that oil pulling can also straighten teeth and close gaps. Please give me your suggession. Thanks a lotttttttttttt. ?? ur children are cute angels???
I forgot to mention this sorry
4. I read that using sea salt water to wash mouth daily will cause teeth to erode. So i only wash mouth and tongue with water. Please give me your suggession about his too. Thank you.
Rabiya,
sure, you could use both oils! And yes, I find that I don’t have to brush nearly as often, and only need to use water, when I’m oil pulling. I have not, however, heard that gaps could be filled with oil pulling. 😉
Thank you so much for this article!
Quick question:
About how many days until you feel a decrease in tooth pain due to oil pulling? I just started experiencing tooth pain a few days ago and I think I see a small cavity. I was just told of oil pulling and started tonight (will repeat in the morning). Just curious of your experience with the healing and how long during the month of healing it takes for tooth pain to subside.
Thank you!
My husband felt relief in 3 days, and that seems to be the average from what I hear from others.
Do you ever feel like it’s still oil in your mouth after oil pulling and brushing your teeth?
I don’t, Deja.
I tried oil pulling with coconut oil for the first time today. The minute I placed the oil in my mouth I wanted to throw up so bad. I stood over the toilet and gaged about four times while the oil remained in place. Fortunately, nothing came up and in my mind I began to tolerate the taste and texture for almost fifteen minutes. This method works as a great supplement to brushing and flossing if done poperly. The coconut oil may take some getting used to but my teeth feel fresh, Shrek breath is gone, and can see a fair amount of plaque removed from the outside of my teeth. I forget sometimes to brush/floss consistently twice a day and for this my dentist yells at me for it. Is he wrong? Nah, he’s just tryna look out for me. I just hope he lays off a little the next time I go for a deep cleaning. In the meantime I’ll add this to my oral health care.
Can u use baby oil?
um, no. Coconut oil is recommended for its antimicrobial properties.
Hi, i had bonding done on my front teeth and the little one on the side is hurting badly a the gum above it from inside the palate hurts to touch. I think i have pulpitis from the trauma. Would oil pulling heal it? Thanks
yes, oil pulling is great for anyone!
I actually appreciated this article and have been a big fan of oil pulling. To note I still brush and floss regularly. I do disagree with the comment on flossing in the article. Healthy gums don’t bleed when you floss…bleeding gums is a sign of gingivitis and a sign you should be flossing more! I would recommend oil pulling followed by brushing and flossing in the AM!
I tried to read all through the comments to see if my question was there, but there were MANY many posts on the subject and I got impatient… Sorry! So my BIG issue with oil pulling is that my mouth fills up with saliva immediately and I don’t know what to do. Seriously. Within 1-2 minutes of swishing the oil my mouth becomes so FULL that I am frozen. No more swishing can occur unless I spit some out. Which I then had to do. After this happened on repeated attempts I gave up. Has this happened to anyone else??? Do I have some kind of overly active salivary glands or something? If so, what do I do? Help! I’m motivated to try oil pulling but I’m not sure I can get past this issue.
your saliva glands get used to it eventually, and until then, you can spit out excess!
When I swish my mouth fills up with air and saliva. I have to be still, open my mouth a little, blow the air out, and continue swishing. My mouth feels so clean afterward.
I just have to say that I LOVE your articles and appreciated your down to earth advice so much!
I have been oil pulling for over a year and I haven’t had many changes but one thing I can attest to is MUCH whiter teeth and less to no gum bleeding! It also rids phlegm I’ve noticed if I’m ever sick.
One thing that I extra appricated about your article is that you explained the notorious spit it in the trash, not down the drain rule. I couldn’t find the reason anywhere! I personally thought it might be bad to spit those toxins and something as thick as oil (even after pulling) down into the drains due to water quality and filtering in cities? Thank you! Much love!
I love oil pulling and would love your input on mixing essential oils with the coconut. Mainly for better taste, like peppermint oil…has anyone tried this and if so how much do you use and can it be premixed and used as needed? Thanks!
Amber, yes! you can put essential oils into the coconut oil. I have heard of people using thieves or peppermint. I would use one drop per several tbsp. oil , and use a high quality oil since you’re putting it in your mouth!
I’ve used a coconut pulling oil product called Kavala Oils that has four different essential oil flavors. I really enjoyed the lavender lemon. The flavor is subtle, but leaves you with the perfect amount of flavor. I highly recommend it!
Oh, that sounds awesome! I will have to try flavoring my oil!
A naturopath recommended to me to use 1 drop of clove essential oil and 1 drop of tea tree essential oil in coconut oil for oil pulling. Apparently clove essential oil is very good for dental issues and tooth pain. It seemed to help as I have receding gums and some of my rear teeth have the some root exposure and can be quite sensitive.
Helen, essential oils can be good for oral support–just be sure to get a pure brand if you’re gonna put it in your mouth!
Can you use liquid coconut oil instead of solid form?
sherrie, liquid (or ‘fractionated’) coconut oil has been processed so much that it is not nearly as beneficial.
can you use coconut cooking oil for pulling
“a vegan diet does not support strong teeth”
Not true. Please check out these facts
http://nutritionfacts.org/2013/07/25/do-vegans-get-more-cavities/
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/plant-based-diets-dental-health/
I keep hearing that eating grains, nuts, and legumes are bad bc of phytic acid and are even bad when soaked or sprouted, can we eat them or is it bad?? Also, I heard wheatgrass pulling is more effective and it takes less time. Since I am new I am gonna start doing both each morning.
Mike, there’s an ongoing debate over phytic acid. I personally soak and sprout some grains, but don’t obsess about it. I think proper grain prep is just one part of a nourishing diet, and there’s lots of foods you can be sure are truly good for you (bone broths, cultured foods, etc.)
What is the debate over phytic acid — is it about whether soaking really works to eliminate phytic acid in beans/nuts/seeds/legumes, or whether phytic acid is a big problem? I’ve been soaking nuts and beans, then storing them for future use as an occasional snack (nuts) or to add to soups. But if the soaking isn’t working then I have 2 choices: either eliminate them altogether, or eat them anyway and hope for the best. I just don’t want to be wasting my time and money (heating beans and nuts for many hours) if it doesn’t work. I’d like to know exactly what the debate is about.
I had my mom oil pull with coconut oil and a drop or two of Thieves essential oil. She did it at night. When she brushed her teeth the next morning, her gums bled. Any ideas about why?
I don’t see how the two are related. Does she usually bleed a little when brushing, or was this truly an isolated incident? Softer toothbrush is really recommended.
Can I oil pull at night instead of the morning, or will the effect be different? I’m really hoping that this heals my cavities. Do you know approx. how long it takes to heal cavities?
Thanks~
It’s up to you! It’s a great mouth-freshener, that’s why I do it in the morning. And healing will be different for everyone, but several weeks is the report I have had back from many of my readers!
Can I use Coconut cooking oil? I had my brother buy me some & he purchased that kind instead of the solid form.
Alayna,
if it smells like coconut, you’re good to go. But the liquid-at-room-temp, or ‘fractionated’ coconut oil does not have the same properties as the less refined coconut oil.
Hello! 🙂 – If coconut oil removes plaque and has antibacterial effects, can’t I do oil pulling after every meal for about two minutes only instead of twenty minutes every morning? It should work, shouldn’t it?
Fabio, the oil changes in consistency and effectiveness over the course of the 20 minutes. I don’t think you’d get the same detox results from a shorter period of swishing.
Hey…well I woke up with an abcess and immediately called my dentist and without even looking he order antibiotics period..not a believer in meds I researched any and all homeopathic cures and came across oil pulling!!! Not only did I start oil pulling with coconut oil I also did warm water sea salt rinses and literally within a day and a half it was completely gone! A day after that my dentist had a cancellation and so I went in..X-rays were taken and there was no sign of infection to be seen! I oil pull twice a day everyday for 20 minutes and also notice chucks of plaque coming off! I’ll continue for life!
This is AWESOME, Deborah! Thanks for sharing your success story!
I just read your blogs and I’m starting oil pulling ( even though I just got my braces yesterday ) and I my teeth are petty week ( I have a few cavities and fillings). I’m 13 and when a tried oil filling a lot of saliva builds up. Is this normal or … and will coconut oil ~ cheapest one cause I wasn’t sure it I’d keep using it ~ cure my sensitive tooth ? ~ like really sensitive after I chipped it.
Sophie, you can spit excess saliva out as it builds during pulling.
Forgot to mention that one drop of Oil of Oregano (80% Carvacrol) makes an amazing toothpaste. Your mouth feels like its been scrubbed after a few minutes. I find if I brush longer but much more gently, and along the gumline with the brush at about a 45 degree angle, staying in one place, moving just slightly which kind of lightly scrubs that tooth/gum area, gives the best results. Don’t brush standing up in a bathroom. In that situation you are just trying to get it done and leave. Take a large bowl and hold it below your mouth and watch a video while brushing. Take your time. Of course the toothbrush should be soft. Soaking it in hot water often makes it softer before using.
Can I do coconut oil pulling more than once a day?
You can, but we have not found it necessary. We saw results with once-daily pulling.
Can i use liquide coconut oil for oil pulling and can i use coconut hair oil for oil pulling.
liquid or hair oil made from coconut oil will be more processed and may not deliver the same anti-bacterial benefits.
Can you use fractionated coconut oil?
Lori, fractionated coconut oil is more processed and likely doesn’t have the anti-bacterial properties of virgin coconut oil.
I made a mistake and swallowed coconut oil after 20 minutes of pulling, This was a one time occurrence. Did I do myself an signifcant harm? Thanks, Stu
Ooops! Probably not a big deal, but I wouldn’t make a habit of it!
I would like to make a couple of comments about your article. While I am in favor of oil pulling, please, do your research before you publish words out there. First of all: TMJ is NOT an illness. It stands for tamporomandibular joint, which hopefully all of us have. What you are referring to is TMD, which stands for temporomandibular disorder. Very different.
The other point I would like to make is that I hope your mom, as a hygienist, could tell you that your gums really only bleed when they are inflamed. They would not bleed just because you are flossing and flossing does not make them bleed unless they are inflamed.
Just my 2 cents.
I also feel you need to do your research. As I’m sure there are benefits from Coconut Oil, which I use also, you cannot claim it HEALS Cavities. I’m a retread Hygienist of 34 years with a tremendous amount of Continued Education Hours, I can tell you that this is misleading information. I’m sure your intentions are good but this is misleading in so many ways. People are always looking for a quick fix and this is not one of them. Prevention of cavities is by Brushing, flossing, antimicrobials and Diet.Flouride although is controversial, is a large benefit in Hardening the enamel which in turn makes it harder for bacteria to break through. My point is that fluoride rinses, brushing and flossing can indeed sometimes harden an area that is beginning a small cavity. But, large cavities that have broken through the enamel will NOT heal themselves without the decay being removed, the tooth medicated and then filled I have NO interest in trying to discredit you but to ask you to please not mislead people to believe their Large cavities will just heal themselves by pulling. They will end up loosing their teeth and I dint think that is your intention to mislead people and allow that to happen it is an interesting perception though. ?
Teresa,
With complete respect to your profession, I’ve seen teeth heal themselves with this method repeatedly as my family and friends have tried oil pulling. I am not content to wait for the research that will confirm this new approach to oral health, but would rather try and share what works for me, especially if the technique is not harmful or invasive. Thanks for sharing your concerns.
Hello there,
I’m doing oil pooling since almost a month and I’m really happy with the outcome and here I’m writing for little information about oil pooling just after root canal treatment.. Is it safe to do it the same day after some time of treatment.
Please provide information as I have another teeth with infection and for that I need to do oil pooling ..
Thanks and regards
Kavya
I’d talk to your dentist about your oral care routine and ask him if he things the swishing motion would do damage.
I have a question, you mention that you had a crumb of plaque fall off just the other day. When you wrote that, hadn’t you already been doing this for 2 years? I’m wondering why there was even a crumb built up if your pulling everyday for 2 years? I’m not doubting this works, I’m just trying to understand. Thanks for all the helpful info on your page.
Gigi, these posts have been added to over the two year period as I gained more information and experience with oil pulling. I’m sorry that the tense of that sentence confused you. I had the last large chunk of plaque fall off after a few months of oil pulling, and it has not built back up when I am consistent with my oil pulling routine.
I have a lot of cavities and have spent thousands of dollars on my teeth and I am not spending anymore money on my teeth. My daughter told me about oil pulling and so I thought I will try it , what have I got to loose,, right. I have extreme sensitivity too.
Hopefully this will help and keep me out of the dentist chair getting all my teeth pulled!!!
If you have gum disease as well as cavities that are possibly infected, will this oil pulling work for both?
Thanks for all the information and hard work.
Doris, I cannot diagnose you, but only suggest that it can’t hurt to try it!
I have developed very painful sores on my tongue as well as my gums since oil pulling. When I first tried I used a cheaper coconut oil but switching to refined cold pressed one the sores are almost unbearable. Any suggestions? And could this be?
Claudine, I’m sorry about the sores. I have never heard of this happening with oil pulling–perhaps you are allergic to coconut oil? If so, you could use sesame oil.
Hello,
I have been oil pulling for 3 days with coconut oil and my teeth have actually became extremely sensitive, to the point that I have to use my sentive tooth paste to numb it. My molar that the dentist wants to do a root canal, hurts as well as some of my other teeth. I really like how it cleans my mouth but the sensitivity and occasion sore throat isn’t helping me.
Has anybody else gone through this, is this the aftermath of my mouth getting rid of the bad toxins?
I am currently in the process of having old silver fillings removed & new resin fillings put in their place. The dentist sees signs of cavities or “leaking” happening under the current old fillings. I use oil pulling occasionally but don’t follow a healthy diet.
I’m just wondering if having cavities removed & replaced is the way to go?
My Dentist is also recommending 5 crowns because those teeth have large amounts gone from prior fillings & have cracks in them from grinding at night. She says crowns will ensure the teeth won’t completely break apart into pieces to the point where I lose the whole tooth.
I’m just not sure what the best course of action is.
Also, how long would it take for oil pulling to heal any or all of these issues? Is it possible I could keep the silver fillings in place & the underneath cavity or leaking would be healed?
Thanks for any and all input!
Sorry, Dianna, I have no experience with fillings. I do suggest looking for a holistic dentist to help you with your journey toward natural treatments.
Hey, just wondering: so, from what I understood you oil pull when you wake up. After this you eat breakfast? Do you oil pull again or just brush?
right before I eat. I don’t brush daily.
Hi Trina. I’ve been Oil Pulling around 2 weeks now and I gotta say so far I’m disappointed. My two front teeth and 4 at the bottom became translucent, rigth at the edge where the teeth meet. How can I get rid of this problem now, stop oil pulling and see what happens ?
Everyone’s body is different–you’ll need to experiment with what works for you!
Thanks for the tips! I’m experiencing some tooth sensitivity to cold and want to nip it in the bud.
I think oil pulling today and gagged right away. I’m gonna try your tips though!
I am fed up with the dentist I have seen for the past 5 years. The last time I had a filling it lasted 3 hours. They has the nerve to charge me to come back in the same day to have it replaced. While a filling I had when I was 15 years old (51 now) Is still there sealed tight. Rambling, sorry. I had Gastric By Pass several years ago and lost 150 pounds. I have kept 130 off for 4 years 6 years now. However I am unable to eat sugar and fats. Sugar will make me scream like a little girl with the cramps it gives me. So I do not eat or drink anything with more that 8 – 10 grams of sugar. I have to eat lots of protein shooting for 60 grams a day but actually getting 30-40. I can not eat fats, sorry to be crude but they go right through me. So my question is I can tolerate Greek yogurt Oakois, and chioban (sorry spelling) low fat or fat free and sugar free. I can not tolerate Milk. Even skin milk causes me issues. Almond milk is OK but I have to get the unsweetened. So, is Greek yogurt OK? Can I just double up on it to replace milk? I am very excited about starting this. My teeth are super sensitive and have soft spots at the gum line. I don’t expect a complete reversal and complete repair . But some relief is anticipated. Thanks for any help you can offer.
Amanda, anything you can do to increase the amount of true, deeply nourishing food in your diet is essential to tooth health. I’d look into supplementing with cod liver oil, too!
I appreciate very much the compilation of all the comments. One question I didn’t see addressed:
Why does the “op” work? I’d love to know why the oil pulls out the toxins and cleans the teeth. Is it only the swishing action? Just to let you know, though, my wife and I are going to do the op. I just wanted to know the reasons why it works.
Thanks. – Larry
I recently got 4-6 fillings, some probably contain mercury, which i hear (from some) could “come out” in some amount in some way with oil pulling. is your friend who did OP (oil pulling) for a year having fillings that contain any mercury? is it still no problems?
you linked an article saying it should not be a problem unless the tooth has decay or infection…what if it does? what do you mean OP will help you aware of that problem? how so? i already know i have 1 tooth that the dentist suggested a root canal for because the cavity was deep and sensitive or something…does OP not help resolve this? or will it simply “let me know” when i already know? does it let me know by resolving it and/or with pain and/or with the fillings coming out or what?
i hope you reply and i get notified that you did in my email’s inbox. thanks
Arun, I really do not have the experience to answer your questions as I do not have fillings myself. You will have to continue to research. Also, I would recommend finding a holistic dentist–they can resolve decay issues without the toxic options like mercury.
OhMyGoodness! You, my dear, are AMAZING! You sound like such a wonderful person and I love the articles you write. They are so honest and kind. You seem like the kind of person I would have as a close friend although, I hope we are sisters through Christ! => Thank you Thank you Thank you for your tremendous efforts and your help. I am trying to heal 9 cavities through diet and oil pulling! Most natural remedies for various things have not worked for me, BUT the other day a chunk of plaque fell off my tooth! I told my husband (who is graciously on board with it) and he said ” oh yeah, I`ve been reading that it can happen.” I am so excited! Yay! Thank you again and may the LORD bless you and your sweet family!
Lee-Ann, so excited that you are willing to try healing naturally, and hooray for plaque falling off! It’s lovely to meet you, too, and I appreciate your sweet comment.
Today was my first time oil pulling with virgin coconut oil, not nearly as bad as I expected!
The reason I found out about oil pulling is that I had a root canal years ago and a recent trip to the dentist with x-rays showed that one of the roots was infected, it appears they left part of the file in my root. I don’t have the funds to fix it right now, but my jaw and upper neck are in pain from the tooth. Until I can get it down I wanted to find something to help keep my other teeth health and hopefully the infection from spreading. I have read stories of infections being cured, I am a bit skeptic about that, but anything to help before I can determine the next course of action.
I am trying to find oil of oregano to add as I read that it has the same affect as antibiotics. Have you tried this?
Stacey, I have not tried oil of oregano in oil pulling yet. I hope you find something that helps with the pain and infection!
Do you still make regular visits to the dentist for cleanings and exams? Just curious as to whether it would be necessary or even maybe damaging to have them cleaning and flossing and x-raying our teeth. Thank you for this information on oil pulling. I am going to try this. My dentist said I have two cavities and 7 other “spots” to watch. I can’t afford the fillings at this time and am going to try this to see if I can avoid them all together.
Vanessa,
It was what I learned about cleanings and exams that led me to trying natural healing for my teeth. I do think that modern dentistry and even routine cleaning is invasive and may do more harm than good. I have not been back to the dentist since I started oil pulling–I can see and feel for myself that my teeth are healthy and clean, I do not need to pay someone else to tell me that. 😉
I would like to know how often can i oil pull in a day with coconut oil
I have heard of people doing it several times a day. I myself pull once a day.
pls Mrs Trina,I would like to ask one last question.Which should I use a, flouride toothpaste or a non flouride tooth paste after oil pulling.God bless you greatly that you share your great ideas with us .thank you.
skip the flouride, glazya!
I’ve been reading up on oil pulling for a little while now. There was a case of a woman(with severe gingivitis) who oil pulled with sunflower oil and it caused her gum problems and gum pockets,(it appears that the oil remained in her gums) which resolved when she stopped the oil- pulling treatment. Anyone have any idea why or how that could happen? Just so you know, I’m not against oil-pulling; I’ve read lots of positive, impressive reports.
When you oil pull does the oil go though your skin and cause cholestol in your bloodstream Thank you
Nope.
Great answers to some tough questions. I have been oil pulling now for about six months. I started right after I caught a cold, and I swear it made the cold go away faster. Within a couple days, I was feeling almost normal with minimal congestion.
pls I need an urgent answer.can I use coconut cooking oil to do oil pulling
you can, but extra virgin, cold pressed is best!
can I use a coconut cooking oil to oil pull
Does oil pulling have any negative side effects?
I started oil pulling last month and only until recently I started having this after taste of sesame oil. Is this a good sign or bad?
Thank You for your story
because I never had cavities until last month I went to the dentist and he identified a small cavity on my second molar. I don’t really like the sound of a needle being injected into my mouth to numb me. So I researched about oil pulling and thanks to you, I was convinced in trying it out too.
I have yet to hear of negative side effects of oil pulling–it is a non-invasive, natural therapy
If I try oil pulling, should I also take cod liver oil?
it’s the combo that worked for us, drakcarlo!
My son has a fish allergy so can’t take cod liver oil… ANyone have experience with algal sources of oils for Omegas?
It’s hard to do research on this subject because of the predominant idea that cavities can’t be cured, so I was wondering if you would have any idea if already filled cavities could be healed? I hate the idea that I have three fillings in my adult teeth and would love to be able to fix them. I know that it’s probably impossible but I figured I might as well look into it.
Luna, I can only share my own experiences–I have no fillings so I can’t answer your question.
I was having terrible tooth pain. Being on SS dentistry was not available . My daughter started me on the oil pulling. It did what no antibiotics or pain medications were not doing. After the first few pulling some the pain was already easing up. I continued within two weeks no London her any pain. And gums were looking back to normal color. It has been 6 months now I used to pull 3 times a day at first now only once in the morning. Where as I don’t have the greatest teeth . They are whiter and pain free . No gum problems anymore. Iam 63 years old and will continue to use oil pulling from now on.. I have read every article I could find on oil pulling when my daughter told me about it. Best thing I’ve done for my teeth . No more outrageous priced toothpaste and mouth washes. And the oils are not that expensive.
I add a drop of Thieves or Pepperemint essential oil (from Young Living) to my coconut oil before I pull because it adds more antibacterial and antiviral properties. And it tastes really good!
Can I oil pull more than once a day???
Dr. Mercola says up to 3 times a day.
Hi there,
Thank you for your article and all the info and support!! Currently I have a HUGE cavity that is extremely painful. The dentist said I need 4 root canals, which I am naturally not very excited about. This means 5 visits to the dentist office, a ton of anesthesia and drilling… plus the cost of it all.
I am determined to avoid all of that!! I’ve been using several methods (mostly xylitol and essential oils, visualizing, plus oil pulling) and honestly, nothing seems to be working. Some days the pain is so bad I can’t even leave the house.
I’m glad I came across your blog again because it helps me believe that it can be done.
My biggest issue, though, is that I cannot oil pull for longer than 2 minutes. No matter what I do (more oil, less oil, more swishing or less…) after about 2 minutes my mouth is so full it hurts and I have to spit out the oil!! And actually… it’s full of AIR!! That’s what makes it so painful, I think.
My kids have been oil pulling for over a year now and they can do it for longer than 20 minutes without any issues. Is it because they don’t swish as much? Should I try to just hold the oil in my mouth most of the time? It’s very frustrating because I want to take care of this cavity and just can’t seem to be able to do so properly. Obviously the benefits aren’t as good if I swish for 2 minutes instead of 20 :(.
By the way, I’d like to point out that there are many wonderful vegetarian alternatives to cod liver fish oil!
Here are some ideas: http://www.nuique.com/blog/index.php/2012/02/10-reasons-why-vegetarian-omega-3-dha-beats-cod-liver-oil/
A few days ago two of my molars crowns fell from my teeth and I had to go to the dentist to put them back. Does this have anything to do with the oil pulling? I also wash my teeth with a little baking soda on top of the toothpaste. Is this okay?
Carlos, I do not have fillings so have no personal advice to share in this area. I am simply sharing my story.
I have fillings on my front teeth if I oil pull will it create a shadow of my fillings or will my fillings change colour with my teeth?
I don’t know, Anna ,I don’t have fillings–I’m simply writing from personal experience.
Thank you so much for the great information on oil pulling. I tried it for the first time this morning. I only managed to do 10 minutes the first time, but plan to add a minute daily. I was surprised to feel and see, that my teeth and tongue seemed to be even cleaner than after brushing and using conventional mouth wash. I will definitely keep this up. I wish I had known about this sooner.
Thanks!
Annette
I already had a root canal is it safe to oil pull with one already? Or do i have to get the tooth pulled Out?
Samantha, several of my friends and family have oil pulled with root canals and haven’t had a problem.
Okay ont more questions do i brush my teeth then oil pull or do i oil pull then brush?
Hello. I was really intrigued when I first saw your story on Pinterest a few weeks ago & had noticed a black spot on my back molar. I have been oil pulling for almost two weeks every morning & have noticed whiter teeth, and hardly any tooth pain. I am hoping my cavity will become smaller. I will continue to oil pull as I am liking the results so far.
Very informative concerning oil pulling. I have receding gums above 6 front teeth crowns. Trying to heal the gums before replacing the crowns. Oil pulling One month and the gums look pinker than before, but I cannot tell for sure. I am up to one tablespoon 2, or 3 times a day.
Thanks
Hey,
I have braces for more than 5 years now and prior to getting braces, I had got Root Canal done in two front teeth. Now when I’m on the verge of getting my braces off, I feel the same pain that I had before getting root canal in one of those teeth. My dentist says, we might have to perform root canal again. I was wondering, with all of these things that have been performed on my teeth, can I do Oil Pulling? I would be very very grateful if you can answer since I don’t wish to go through root canal again and then get braces again!
I’m from India btw.
wouldn’t hurt to try! oil pulling is non invasive and non toxic.
Thank you for this article, apart from anything else I love your writing style. I’ve been oil pulling with cold pressed olive oil for about a month and my mouth feels so clean, my gums have stopped bleeding (which they used to do every time I brushed them), and I think they’re getting that little bit whiter, but it’s hard to tell because they were pretty stained from 15 years of smoking before I quit this year. It’s great to read about your nutritional approach to dental health. Reading your article and advise has inspired me to take regular cod liver oil. But, as a (mostly) vegan (I eat fish), I’d say that you don’t need milk to get enough calcium. I use a website called cronometer to ensure I get enough of all the nutrients I need each day. I eat lots of healthy fats too, in moderation of course. I just wanted other vegans to know they can have healthy strong teeth without having to drink milk, but as you say it is vital to make sure to get the right nutrition and in the right balance. Thanks again for the brilliant article x
Kate,
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with healing your teeth on a vegan diet!
Hi , I was just wondering if you can oil pull if you have braces??
I do not have braces myself, but I have heard from people who do that it did not do any damage.
I have type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol, is oil pulling safe for me or will it raise my bad cholesterol. I use organic coconut oil.
Trish, you do not ingest the oil, so it should not affect cholesterol.
I’ve been oil pulling for just 3 days now and It’s made my face so smooth and my mouth definitely feels cleaner. But will it really help with gum disease if I continue every day?
This is so exciting to hear, Angela! Each individual is different, and there can be many factors to gum disease, but I would continue and see what happens!
This was a great post! So many of my questions answered in one spot. I saw the question about fillings and that others you know haven’t had a problem. On top of a few fillings, I also have had a root canal. I’ve always taken care of my teeth…in the sense of what dentists recommend. Brushing, flossing, mouthwash…but despite the best efforts, my teeth have still caused several problems and I’ve spent lot of $$$ in correcting the issues. I’m now learning just how much nutrition (other than the obvious sugar damage), can play a factor. Although I’ve considered myself a relatively healthy eater, I plan on adding (cod liver oil, bone broth, etc) and changing a few things to our daily routines. Thanks for all the advice 🙂
Hooray, Emily! It sounds like you are totally on the right track!
Can I oil pull with braces? Will it loosen them? Will it still work?
Aslesha, I don’t have braces, but I have heard from people who do that it hasn’t harmed their braces.
Can you over do it? I am currently pregnant and my gums are VERY sore and swollen and I seem to have canker sores all over. I swished coconut oil this morning and it helped with the pain, is this something I can do several times per day, or would you say limit it to once?
Rylee, great question! Dr. Mercola has suggested oil pulling with every meal if your teeth are in bad shape.
My daughter has braces, can she do oil pulling?
Pam, I haven’t tried oil pulling with braces, but I have heard of people who have with no ill effects.
What happens if you swallow oil pulling
the world does not end, but you do want to avoid it because it’s got toxins in it. 😉
Hi there,
I have a silly question..
But I will have atleast 2 coffees a day and am also a light smoker (which I’m hoping to give up soon anyway).
Will oil pulling still have an affect of whitening my teeth even while drinking coffee?
I’m worried if I do this first thing in the morning and than have a coffee?
Can I do at night before I go to bed?
Thank you
Adele, oil pulling is not a quick fix for deeper problems. Diet is a huge factor in tooth health, and goes hand in hand with this cleaning technique. And yes, you can do it at night if that works better for you.
Hello!
Thanks for your oil pulling article, I am interested in trying it! I have a question for ya. I was wondering if it would work as well if you added a drop or two of theives oil to the coconut oil? Have you had any comments where people had done it?
Thank you,
Andi
Andi, it’s totally up to you if you have a quality essential oil on hand. we’ve tried peppermint oil and it’s very refreshing.
I tried Thieves and burned my mouth with it. You have to be really careful with it. I also tried peppermint and it did not burn my mouth.
I think the length of time I used the Thieves (almost 20 minutes) was a factor. I could feel the essential oil in my mouth, however clove and cinnamon are considered hot oils. I am not going to repeat that again. My ratio was one large spoonful of coconut oil to one drop Thieves.
may i use cococnut cooking oil?
a less refined oil will have more benefits.
I have had a cap on my front tooth, I have had it for 10 years, throughout these 10 years I have smoked. When oil pulling will it discolour my cap in any way different to my other teeth?
Katie, I really don’t know. This post is based on my own personal experience and I have no caps.
All this is so hard to wrap my head around. Growing up my parents never taught me proper oral care, and because of that I have suffered. I have a yellow smile and many cavities! Will oil pulling still work for me? Or am I a lost cause? I’m 21, have a 10 month old, and eat a healthy diet!
Beth,
there is hope for you, but you will have to make the mindset shift that nutrition is the key to strong teeth. It’s great to hear your diet is already healthy, but is it deeply nourishing? You’ll need to add in cod liver oil, raw milk, bone broths, and other foods that will enable your body to rebuild–in addition to the oil pulling. It’s not too late–your teeth are a live thing, and can respond to a new environment.
Hi I just started researching oil pulling my daughter has 5 cavities and one has a visable hole on it , today the dentist said he wanted her to come back to get them drilled and filled and I feed and care for my kids with natural organics , so the thought of poisoning my kid was not the only and best soulution her dentist said natural remedies don’t work , he says its here say and I told him well the facts are there and the price is in the puddling I told him I’ll try with the natural route and walked out in my merry way , she started piling pulling with organic raw coconut oil today twice a day for 20 mins each time morning and night , if you have any feed back to give me that would be awesome I want to avoid the lil ppl by knowing what’s best it’s hard dealing with all these toxins we deal with daily so if there’s any other way I can heal her teeth without the chemicals that harm her body I will do so, please respond asap thank you I want to heal these bad babies as fast as I can !
Marisa, good for you, getting your daughter to oil pull, and showing caution with the toxic procedures at the dentist. I would get your daughter a high quality cod liver oil, read the book I recommended because he actually shares how he healed his young daughter’s cavities, and look for a source for raw milk. You need to up her nutrition!
Hi,
i am planning to do oil pulling. But i also doubt that i have cavity in a tooth. So soon i will visit my dentist and if it is decayed i will fill it. i also have two teeth filled. My question is once the cavity is removed and filled, when it is safe to continue doing oil pulling. Please give a response to my email address. It wil be very helpful. Thank you
do you know which is the best coconut oil with kosher certification?
Bats, I’m not familiar with kosher standards, but I will say that coconut oil is entirely plant based.
i found barleans or nutiva. which do you reccomend
I’m not familiar with barleans, but if it’s cold pressed, virgin, and/or organic, you are good to go!
Hi, I want to give oil pulling a try. However I have fillings and I am affraif it will affect them. I have read your previous comments on how it shouldn’t affect them. However I don’t think I was at the best dentist when I was given my fillings and I’m afraid that I may still have plaque or cavities underneath them, if this is the case will my fillings fall out or become loose? I am terrified of dentists and fo noy want my fillings to fall out and having to pay for each tooth to be refilled. If you could get back to me as soon as possible that would be great, thanks.
Becca, this is something you’ll have to research yourself. Some sources I have read say that if oil pulling loosens a filling, it is a sign that the filling wasn’t secure and healthy and needs replacing.
Thank you very much! I came across your page this morning and I just love how my teeth feel right now
hello…i ‘am here in the Philippines..coconut is abundant here…if i do not have coconut oil can i use crush fresh coconut the chew the meat and get its liquid the do the “oil pulling procedure”….please advise. Thank you & regards
yda, I’m sure fresh coconut has health benefits, too, but I have no idea if you can expect the same results as you would swishing the oil.
Is it possible to do oil pulling at night? And only once a day?
Isabelle, sure, you can do it at night! We just prefer doing it on an empty stomach.
We discovered oil pulling several years ago and regular use does have remarkable benefits. I’ll try coconut oil tomorrow, my husband prefers olive oil and I use safflower oil (cold pressed) and I feel it helps to reduce arthritis pain. I don’t feel my teeth are getting any better, they are whiter and less stained, but I know they are not getting any worse. When my daughter was using oil regularly her dentist accused her of “over-using” teeth whiting products, yet admitted her teeth were in great shape. I’m not sure she told him about oil pulling.
Kathy, I loved hearing this! Thanks for sharing!
Hello. Thank you for the FAQ . I had a concern on one of the questions though. You linked a site about root canals being bad, I did read the article but it seems full of holes with the facts. I’m doing my research as well, just concerned because I was advised on having a root canal too.
Gina,
everyone should do their own research–I commend you on reading up on this topic!
I know I could never get my 9 year old son to swish oil in his mouth, but I think I’ll start brushing his teeth with it. It’s better than nothing, right? Gotta start somewhere, and the boy has horrible teeth. You’d think that, by the age of nearly 10, mommy and daddy wouldn’t have to brush his teeth for him. *groaning* He’s always terrified that he’ll lose a tooth (despite the fact that he has no loose ones).
I’m not sure how much good brushing with coconut oil will do, except to get him used to the flavor of the oil. I would look into a natural tooth paste like earthpaste!
Wassup thank you for this wonderful article regarding tooth decay. Afew monthss back I had a wisdom tooth removed because it had become decayed the level of pain Iwas Iin was excruciating ti say the least iam certain I would have been able to save my tooth if I had.Known about the art of oil pulling sooner but now is my chance iam starting asap my question however is what diet should I follow for oil-pulling? If any at all thanks again.
Interesting, I have to laugh because up to this moment I realized that I’m so anti pharmaceutical and I always take care if my illnesses the natural way I do detox at least 3 times a year and I try to eat S healthy as I can. However I have not found many natural ways to heal and take care of my teeth. I have been using natural toothpaste for years and my mom cut fluoride use in the dentist office since I can remember. I’m feeling a little sensitivity in one of my molars and plaque buildup on my teeth as well. Today I will start oil pulling and will definitely keep you posted. I’m also expecting so now more then ever I’m being extra careful and going as natural as I can to be able to give this baby the beat and healthiest start that I can possibly give. Wish me luck!! So excited
I read through all the questions/answers but, still have one. I have been contemplating this method for months and you have convinced me to try. My question…after you spit it out, won’t there be a weird, oily film in your mouth? It’s it okay to brush with water or will that simply defeat all your swishing-work you’ve just done the last 20 minutes?
Helen, by the time you’ve swished the coconut oil for 20 minutes, your saliva has broken down the oil and what you have left in your mouth does not resemble oil much anymore. And, yes, you can brush your teeth afterward–you don’t need to leave the oil on–its work is done. I usually swish with water once or twice and find that is sufficient to rinse my mouth.
Hi, it’s recomended to swish mouth out with salt water, or scrape your tongue as to remove any toxins left in your mouth, normal water won’t remove this.
I too have been waiting. So glad to come across your post to tell me how I might get over the gagging and the taste of the coconut oil.
Sorry to hear that the refined oil isn’t as good, because it is easier to manage than the unrefined. I will persist though.
Does oil pulling have to be done in the morning on an empty stomach? What are the advantages to doing it that way?
Hey Trina
I just wanted to ask, if there’s an infection in the tooth under a filing, can it be sorted with oil pulling?
Thanks
Jess 🙂
Jess, I’m really not sure because I have no fillings.
I currently work at a cupcake place in which I have overly consumed sweets and last night I woke up
To excruciating cavity pain in my mouth , do you have any suggesting for me. I am severely terrified of the dentist do to former experiences and I truly need help to cure my pain
I recommend oil pulling and adding some deeply nourishing things to your diet–like whole, raw milk, bone broth, and cod liver oil. Adding those things in could also help curb your sweets craving. It must be really hard to work in a cupcake place!
I’m about to start oil pulling tomorrow thanks to this article! I shall keep you posted with my results.
Glad to hear it, Tony!
I find that my mouth gets too full with saliva, while pulling. Is it okay to spit excess out ocationally during swishing?
Yup, I had to do that in the beginning, as well, then my mouth got used to the coconut flavor and quit salivating. 😉
My mouth fills up with saliva, to the point I have to spit or swallow.
I’m unclear why no mention of this in other people’s comments.
Is it safe with braces?
Nikolas, from what I have read, yes.
I just started oil pulling about a week ago and I’m excited to see the results. My throat is a little sore afterward and I’m prone to cough. I’ve read this is because the toxins are being removed. Anyway, I’m glad to find this information… and your site!
Shannon, great to meet you! Thanks for your encouraging comment. Yeah, sounds like some detoxing going on. I often have to cough a little when I am done, too–and /or blow my nose. Good stuff. 😉
I am n Montego Bay, Jamaica and a co-worker introduced me to oil pulling and I love it! It works! Cleaner, whiter and shinier teeth that squeaks when i rub it in just a matter of days….it’s now squeaky clean! Bad breath and plaque build up is gone, especially morning breath. I use the coconut oil and have no problems swishing it for 20 mins. Today is my 10th day of oil pulling which I have been doing twice per day….morning and evening. I had decided to stop today but now I’m not so sure. I’m loving this too much. You just have to try it!
I started oil pulling about 3 months ago. I first learned of this from a cousin of mine that had great success and said that her dental cleanings are not less severe. So I purchased some organic coconut oil from Trader Joe’s and began oil pulling every morning on an empty stomach for 20 minutes.
My mouth felt clean and my teeth began to look whiter, it also change my appetite. I didn’t crave the sugar and carbs that I so enjoyed prior to oil pulling. Overall a great experience until…my prior dental work began to fall apart. I have loosened 2 crowns, maybe 3 and now I must have those teeth pulled because of what was discovered under the crown…such as infection or just poor tooth structure. The downfall is that the teeth have to be pulled and implants are recommended due to my age and good bone structure, however it is quite costly.
I wont be oil pulling until I have my dental procedures done because I have a few more crowns that I don’t want to shake loose.
Thank you for sharing such valuable information. My daughter’s dentist says that she is cavity prone and for what will be the third time, she will have to be put to sleep and have her teeth filled that way. (She is only 5) I plan to slowly build her up to 20 minutes of oil pulling add liver oil, and vitamin D. How much cod liver oil and vitamin D do you suggest? Also, any tips on how to phase in 20 minutes of oil pulling? Thank you!
Chris, Green Pastures Cod Liver Oil would have child dosage recommendations on their site, I believe. And I would make a game out of the oil pulling, with a chart, a prize, a timer, a clock to race, competition (you could oil pull, too!)–anything that makes the oil pulling fun. Maybe you could put a tv program or movie on for her, and you can stand beside her and encourage her to keep swishing while the movie distracts her? I have several friends who have taught their young children to oil pull, so I know it can be done!
Thank you so much this stuff is amazing I went to the dentist recently and was told I have to remove tow of my wisdom teeth on top because of tooth decay and I was told I needed filling on my two teeth and ofcourse the cost of 1000 dollars. I was very upset because I never had any cavitites before and I wanted to do some research to find natural home remedies. I came across your website and did more reserach and I have been oil pulling for about 2 weeks now. So I went to the dentist again and amazing three of my teeth are healed and only one remaining the top wisdom tooth which I am pretty sure will heal. you won’t beleive what the dentist told me he said i got filling on one of my top wisdom teeth lik a silver one and I told him no I have not but he calims that I was surprised too I am assuming that is part of natural healing. Not only that I have a clear skin now no acne which I love. I wanted to share my experience so others can benefit. I am having all my family do this if not dailey atleast 2-3 times a week. I am thank ful to God for shwoing me this way. Hope this helps others as well!
Hajra, thank you for sharing your story! That is so exciting! Praise God!
Hajra your experience has inspired me to begin oil pulling. I am in need of a few fillings, but before that I will give this a try for a few weeks. One thing, may I please know which oil you were using?? Also did you do it first thing in the morning?
Hi, was just curious which oil did you use?
thanks
Can one oil pull with dentures
Yes but take out the dentures first.
Trina, do you know or do you know where I could find whether it’s safe to oil pull while on prescription meds (nothing life-dependent…a low dose blood pressure medication and a PPI for GERD)? I’m curious since it’s described as a “gentle detox”. But I know you explained in some of the comments that it’s safe during nursing because it doesn’t effect the bloodstream…so maybe it would be okay while taking prescription drugs? Thanks so much! I’m eager to try this as I HATE flossing and it’s so hard to motivate myself to do it.
Karen, I don’t know, but I’ll just affirm what you said–it’s a VERY gentle form of detox. I have never had detox symptoms while oil pulling, but I know some people say it drains their sinuses.
Hello, I’ve just read Dr. Bruce Fife’s book ‘Oil Pulling’ and became really interested in oil pulling. But I got confused because I’m wearing braces. This book doesn’t have any comments on that. So do you know any people do oil pull while wearing braces? Would it be okay for me to do oil pull?
Hi,
I have two questions to ask. FIrst, do you rinse your mouth off after oil pulling. Lastly, how long after, oil pulling could you eat?
Thank you
I am just starting oil pulling and have chosen coconut oil. I bought liquid coconut oil made by natures way. It says great for cooking and that its expeller pressed. Is this what im supposed to be using? I just wanna make sure im using the right stuff! Thanks for the advice!
Jade, I use cold pressed coconut oil myself–but if expeller pressed is what you have, I think it’s a great start!
One question, can I spit out the oil in the toilet and flush it or will it also clog my drain?
um i am vegetarian and on the top of that i am from India so we eat rice and chapatti everyday so is that bad for the teeth as i read in one of the articles that a grain free helps
but that is the only source of proteins in our diet so should i really stop it or should i eat it or should i do oil pulling after i eat or after break fast.
I find cold-pressed sunflower oil pulling to be excellent. I can’t speak to other oils. I find a folded kitchen paper towel in front of my mouth helps with ‘security’ if I need to disgorge some liquid. I find the tablespoon measure is for guys, so I use whatever fits comfortably in my mouth.
For those new to pulling who are in mouth pain or have many health challenges, I wonder if it would help to literally pull every hour or so (or whatever suits)? It’s what I do for a few hours until I feel better. I wonder if you know of that technique? I’ve only ever heard of 20 minutes in the morning as a technique, though personally I pull when it suits or when I think of it, so thank you for a great article.
Homeopathic Ledum Pal (Wild Rosemary) in a high dose prescribed by a homeopath got rid of – overnight – a tooth abscess. I had to travel across town in pain to pick up the remedy, heavy resentment at her insistence. I use homeopathy but no way did believe one word of her promise of overnight relief. My homeopath was preaching to the converted, and I didn’t believe her. It worked as she said it would. To this day the dentist just shakes his head, without curiosity, and it’s been ten years since the event. The tooth is fine, and I get we’re talking different systems. This may be worth thinking about / exploring for those on slim budgets.
I was excited to try oil pulling and did it for about a week. I thought my teeth were whiter and felt cleaner but because my teeth are so close together I wondered if it was actually doing anything? I have a hard time even flossing but try to do it every day. Thanks.
hello trina. i just read all the post and comments in here. this really is very interesting i have to admit once the dentist guy wrote the longest reply and information i kinda got worried and had a second thought if i want to try it or not. but on the other side i really wanted too. im just scared to have problems if i start doing this as i cannot afford any cost for treatment from dentist. i have gum problems, reallt bad breath no matter how i brush and mouth wash the bad breath seems to come back just after a few minutes after i brush. and also few cavities that i really badly wants to get rid off. how did your husband got rid of the cavity if they are stuck on our teeh? i hope you dont mind me asking. im just curious. and also will this help me healed my bleeding gums and other gum problems? my thought of doing oil pull is 80 percent and not doing it is 20 percent i really want to be 100 percent before i can finally try this. thank you trina for all your hardwork on letting everyone know about this technique. i hope to hear from you soon.
Great article. Thank you. I recently started oil pulling after a friends suggestion. I have a very active toddler that is up early in the morning. So I have been oil pulling at night since it would be impossible to be quite for that long in the morning. Is this ok? Everyone recommends doing this in the morning. Also, my husband is now interested in doing this too although he has some questionable dental work (fillings and a crown) from when he was younger that we are not sure if they need more work. Do you think this would be more harmful then helpful due to this?
I find this very interesting and decided to look into it further. I found this article http://www.grotondentalwellness.com/sites/default/files/DentalHealthOilSwishing.pdf
that sites a study that was published in the Journal of Oral Health and Dentistry. It also gives examples of people who had success that was confirmed at the dentist office.
Hi! I’ve been oil pulling for 7-8 months now. I do still brush with homemade toothpaste as well. The upside, it’s made my teeth are insanely white. The medium side, it did bring to light that I had some fillings that had gone bad. Yes, I’m glad to know and have it fixed but painful moments in the dentists chair are never fun. That said Im grateful pulling brought the issues to light before things got worse.
I am oil pulling for more than a week now, after reading your family experience, and have not used toothpaste since. It feels great. Brushing was damaging my gums a lot. Thank you. .
I was wondering if I could do pulling twice a day. Will it have any adverse effect on my teeth. Because I am an old person with most teeth still intact and healthy.
Thanks for your reply.
Mohammed, I’m so glad oil pulling has helped you! to my knowledge, oil pulling more frequently is not dangerous.
Thanks for the post, I have learned a lot on your site. I have been pulling oil for about 6 months and find that it greatly improves my mouth health. I use both sunflower and coconut oil (at different times), usually once or twice per day, at no set times. I usually make it a full 20 minutes. I spit the pulled oil into empty food containers, store in the fridge and after a few days throw them in the trash. I take an occasional break from pulling and I start again when sensations in my gums and teeth start, it is like my mouth is asking to start again. I have better oral health – gums feel good and are less receded, gums are pinker and 2 places where gums were blackish and very receded are almost normal, bite “calluses” on the inside of my mouth are almost gone, less sensitivity and my teeth seem whiter. My gums did not bleed, so I can not speak to that. I wish I had before pics, but I do not. The biggest improvement was in my first month of oil pulling and it continues. For years, I have used an essential oil blend for toothpaste and sometimes just water, a powered tooth brush and an oral irrigator, so although they may have contributed to my oral health, the noticable healing started when I began pulling oil. I have not seen a dentist since pulling oil, but I know that an exam will show improvement, perhaps including healed cavities! I appreciate your posting and sharing your husband’s cavity being healed and the role nutrition plays.
Thank you for this! I love that you hit all the most FAQs in this one post. I haven’t been oil pulling while pregnant because I was concerned about the detoxing effects, but I will be starting up again this week. Before I got pregnant this time, I saw significant improvement in a couple of cavities that I had from my first pregnancy. For me, oil pulling really works!
If you can only do it every other day or even 2-3 times a week at first (developing a habit, getting used to the idea, etc), then start there! It’s amazing how it can help your teeth. I also loved how it felt like I was having my teeth professionally cleaned on a (nearly) daily basis. Nothing can beat that. 🙂
My brother-in-law, who is in dental school, has learned a lot about the benefits of oil pulling. He says the biggest reason dentists don’t recommend it to their patients is the lack of patient follow-through. For me, I will gladly swish some coconut oil on a daily basis to avoid several hundred dollars in fillings!
Even when we don’t understand everything — because we’re still learning — I’ve learned that many people like learning along with us. Keep up the good work!
I LOVE Oil Pulling!!! last year(2013) I went to a dentist and was told I needed a root canal. I was pregnant at the time and was afraid to get any dental work done. 6 months later I heard about oil pulling and did some research. I was 1 week away from having my baby and I started oil pulling. 5 months later i went to see the dentist and the tooth that was supposed to have a root canal now only has a tiny cavity!!!
thank you for all your information you have posted!!
Thank you so much for sharing your success. I have read much about younger children, but my toddler 19 months has a lip tie, which we just discovered. It has caused her four front teeth to begin decaying. I know oil pulling doesn’t cure, but I am determined to educate her on ways we can start taking care of her teeth.
She can’t swish and I know won’t let me rub for 20 min. Do you have any advice?
Thanks, Alisa.
If we have any success, I will share!
Alisa, you can look into addressing her diet–up her nutrition!!!
I use a coconut oil safe to swallow I use 2Tbls is this ok to use or is the solid cooking kind only ok for this.
don’t swallow if you’ve been swishing with it!
I heard you want to take a break from oil pulling every 3 weeks, have you heard anything about this?
Nope! We oil pull consistently and have done so for over a year.
Hello,
I am quite the health nut and find myself doing some of the many things that you suggest on your blog; I only wear clothes that utilize natural dyes, I make my own soaps, etc etc.
That being said, this entry, the entry about curing a cavity, and the entry about drinking “natural milk” were a little hard for me to swallow.
Full disclosure, I have an MS in microbiology and I am also a DMD (Dentist)/MD (Physician) [A dual degree – 10 year program]. My science and research background is probably 99% of the reason I am having trouble with your blog entries.
I value your stance on healthy living; however, I have to discourage you from making some of the statements you have been making.
Sadly, with blogs like this it is easy for someone to over-simplify and over-celebrate their “new find” (in this case; oil pulling). I can’t explain to you enough how many people we get in the ER that were simply trying a home-remedy they saw mentioned online.
Here are some things that I have read in your posts or in your comments that should be clarified:
1.) No, oil pulling will not help with gum recession. Gum recession is actually the loss of alveolar bone from beneath the gingiva. There is NO getting this bone back. There are methods of reattaching the junctional epithelium to the cementum of the tooth; however, the overall recession of the gums (beyond ~2mm) is a permanent feature.
2.) Simply oil pulling will not get rid of all of the bacteria that cause gingivitis or periodontitis. F. Nucleatum, P. Gingivalis, and T. Denticola will be abundantly present in your mouth after a 20-30 minute oil pull. We can think of it this way, if the alcohol in most mouth rinses do not kill the bacteria, the oil most definitely will not.
3.) Bacteria are HIGHLY resistant to the simple motion of oil/liquids in the mouth. They form what is known as a biofilm. A biofilm is an intense community of intercommunicating bacteria and only physical force will take those bacteria off. So, if you are oil pulling and refuse to stop, make sure you are using a “rubber tip” or a tooth brush as well as flossing to rid of those biofilms.
4.) Oil pulling can loosen crowns and other restoration in the mouth and should be absolutely avoided if you have extensive restorations.
5.) Nothing in the oil is remineralizing your teeth. The only things that do this are fluoride (which is totally fine for your body at 0.7ppm) and hydroxyapatite (HA).
6.) OIL PULLING SHOULD NEVER BE USED IN LIEU OF VISITING A DENTAL PROFESSIONAL. SO SO SO many of your guest’s comments read something like “I’m glad I don’t have to visit the ::sarcastic tone:: DENTISSSSSST again” and this is absolutely the opposite of what you want to do. Always, if you can afford it, visit your dentist for a check-up twice each year. Dentists receive years of training (as many as any physician) to not only restore your teeth, but to catch the many oral manifestations of disease. In my 12 years examining people, I have found early signs of cancer (and even other diseases that result in xerostomia) in more than 100 patients. Sadly, over the years, I have met four patients that came to me a little to late and are no longer alive today (one patient passed away at 26 years old). Once I saw the lesions in their oral cavities, I immediately sent them to a specialist, only for them to find out that the cancers were all stage 4+. Keep in mind, these are not OBVIOUS lesions, these are only things that a dental professional is trained to find.
I am a supporter of oil pulling as a supplement to brushing/flossing (there are non-fluoridated pastes out there).’
To be clear, oil pulling can indeed reduce pain, but, cavities, periodontal disease (periodontitis), bone loss, demineralization that has been compacted, attrition, abrasion, abfraction, and erosion of the tooth are all permanent. Never in millions of years will oil pulling help/reverse these things.
Why am I so invested in this?
I am actually in a research lab studying the effects of ancient therapies on modern dental problems and (as you may have guessed) oil pulling is something we have looked deep into.
If anybody has questions, I would love to answer them.
Off to make some soap,
-Johnathan
p.s. Streptococcus Mutans (the primary cavity causing bacteria that lives in almost everyone’s mouth) creates acid from and survives on sugar. If you have no sugar in your diet, your mouth will never have another cavity in it.
Johnathan,
I and many of my readers believe that deep nutrition is the real secret behind healthy bodies and strong teeth. I am in no way discounting your years of study, but I would love to hear dentists start talking about what builds teeth instead of just a topical approach. In our experience, oil pulling has reduced pain and drawn infection from a deep cavity, and ramping up our nutrition has allowed the tooth to grow stronger again. (bones heal, why not teeth?) I simply represent oil pulling as a technique one can add to their repertoire of non-toxic ways to support the body’s natural functions. I am not and never will be a fan of putting toxins like fluoride on our teeth.
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment.
Hello again,
Just a few things to clarify. I too believe that deep nutrition is great way to obtain a healthy body and strong teeth. The research shows that this is true.
So, let me start talking about what builds teeth. Permanent (adult) teeth are made once and never made again (this is unlike the rest of the bones in our body). The part of the tooth we chew with is created by ameloblasts starting when we are developing in the womb and once those adult teeth have erupted, you are looking at the only teeth you are going to have for the rest of your life. Contrary, bones in our body have have osteoblast activity (bone builders) that help the bone continually recover from any damage. You can see how these two different structures are inherently different and therefore we need to approach how we talk about them separately. When you say, “bones heal, why not teeth?” you are not thinking about them as separate entities.
[As a side note, the dentin in your teeth (the layer below the enamel) DOES continually regenerate, but, once exposed to an acidic environment is will be eaten away pretty fast]
Your teeth have constant acid exposure. Throughout the day your teeth will experience a pH of 5.5 or lower (very acidic) and this will slowly break away at the enamel itself. This is not something that the other bones in your body experience. So, once again, to compare them is comparing apples and oranges.
Now, let me talk about what types of lesions can and cannot heal. If you reread my previous comment you will never see me mention that lesions cannot be healed, I only said that “cavities” (an actual cavitation in the tooth) and “demineralization that has been compacted” cannot heal. They can arrest, but they cannot reverse. White spot lesions on the other hand can indeed be reversed.
Why is this?
We have something making up the enamel known as enamel rods. They are mineralized in healthy teeth and demineralized in the beginning stages of a cavity and once those rods become compacted (destroyed) you now have what is considered a “cavity.”
Think about it like a wafer cookie. The cookie itself is a compilation of thousands of tiny scafolds. Just like that, we have enamel rods. The rods themselves can be filled with fluoride (very strong), nothing (medium strength), and carbon groups (poor strength). Once those rods (or that wafer cookie scafolds) are crushed, there is no longer support there for a tooth or remineralization. Prior to being crushed you CAN remineralize. If you actually see an indentation (cavity) in the tooth with your naked eye, the rods have long been crushed.
Lastly, I understand your stance on fluoride, there was a lot of propaganda put out (starting during the cold war) about its use and it still permeated our society today. However, you can rest assured that the CDC, World Health Organization, and American Dental Association consider water fluoridation to be one of the top 10 greatest advancements in public health. These people are hired to know what is harming our health and throughout the years and years of scrutiny, fluoride is still considered harmless (and extremely beneficial) for our health.
It is readily found in most natural spring waters. It comes from within the earth and we have only harnessed its power.
There is no way of getting around it, you are always receiving the recommended amount of fluoride every day. If you live in or near the 29 major cities (not including Portland, OR) that fluoridate their drinking water, you are getting it by the glass full as you drink tap water. Even if your tap water is not fluoridated or you choose to avoid tap water, most bottled water is fluoridated (not required to be labeled) and pretty much EVERYTHING you buy at a grocery store is made using fluoridated city water. Bread, pasta, dressings, frozen foods, etc. etc.
In one of the most recent studies I peer reviewed showed that more than 98% of the natural unpasteurized cows milk sold in the United States has stead levels of fluoride due to feeding cows fluoridated water. Some studies tried to show otherwise and have sense been disproved.
For every dollar the government spends on making sure you receive fluoride in your diet, you are saving an estimated $175 on dental care costs.
I hope this gives some background and a more well rounded understanding to your readers.
Hope to hear from you soon,
-Johnathan
Jonathan, THANK YOU for finally sharing a tooth expert’s thoughts on oil pulling! It ‘a become quite a “thing” in the natural community, but I have never seen any actual scientific data on it, or other publications other than that guy’s book. As a fellow scientist (and a crunchy mama as well) I really value your thoughts on the matter!
This is very clarifying, Jonathan! Thanks for taking the time to explain all that.
I work for a water district (water treatment plant) and I can assure you of two things…1 the fluoride which is added to the water supply IS NOT the element fluoride found in the ground. Long story short, it has a missing electron and is actually a powerful acid. 2 out of all the chemicals used to flocculate, coagulate, and sterilize the water, the “fluoride” (aka a chemical coctail approved by the beloved FDA to legally contain over a hundred different toxins under the label fluoride)is by far the most dangerous substance at the plant…even compared to chlorine and ammonia. I have seen “fluoride” eat through concrete!
Coming from someone who has probably NEVER tried oil pulling…hmm.
A video and transcript of one woman’s dental healing sans dentist, which included oil pulling:
http://somethingdani.tumblr.com/post/37295426847/optimal-dental-health-on-my-own-high-vibing
discovered oil pulling last year. been a dental hygienist since 1970…almost always used baking soda to brush, but then started the toothpaste with it…read the fluoride is dangerous to the pineal gland…the rest of the ingredients are mainly gmo….ewwww….
i noticed my sinuses were better as well…i highly recommend oil pulling for total health…keep up the good work to spread the word on oil pulling……
Thanks for sharing your story!
What if u swallow some of the oil while swishing? I mean how can u not swallow for 20 minutes??
i wonder this too…how DO you swish for 20 mins and not swallow at all?
Hi Trina,
Your article is very inspiring! Was wondering if oil pulling helped gum recession or canker sores in any way.
Thanks so much
it’s reported to help both, Anthony!
Hi, I posted this at my facebook page, along with a picture that showed before/after pics of molars and premolars. Two dentists say that the molars in back, #30 and #31, have been restored with resins. The premolars, #28 and #29, did not look the same after the so-called natural treatment; after I read what they said, I looked at the pics and it does appear that they are correct. While I do believe that cavities can be healed, I don’t think we need to support our claim with fake pics. I will be removing this post from my facebook page until I see proof that this is a true picture. Thanks, “Granny Good-Food”
Granny–thanks for your comment. I feel I should clarify that the photo going around that led you to my post is not mine–someone else made that photo and then linked to my post. I agree that fake pics are unnecessary and but I have no control over what other’s post online. I personally have not posted any photos of my husband’s teeth as yet because it’s hard to get a good picture of someone’s wisdom tooth!
Thank you so much for that clarification, Trina!
Please help. My son has oral surgery at 18 months & is now facing it again at age 3. I think he eats fairly well compared to other kids his age, but he is incredibly picky. I cannot get him to oil pull, take pills, or take anything with a crushed up pill or liquid in it. I have tried everything. The only vitamins he will take are gummies. I have been swabbing his teeth at night with organic, virgin coconut oil as a last resort. I’ve tried cod liver oil, oil or oregano etc, he won’t take any of it. He has cavities on the teeth he had capped & one completely broken tooth with an abscess. He is still breastfeed, and drinks water & chocolate almond milk. VERY picky eater. He will eat only certain yogurt in a tube, turkey sandwiches, pepperoni, cheeses in the shape of a circle, hot dogs (I know, but I buy the best out there,) pancakes, and cream cheese. That’s about it!
Hi, Cheyenne! I answered your email, but wanted to comment here, too.
I’m no doctor, but I will tell you that excessive pickiness in children can be a sign that they are not digesting their food well. Considering that your son won’t take supplements, and his diet is too limited to nourish him well, you may need to look into a season on the GAPS diet–this could heal his digestive issues and open up a world of possibilities for his palette. And if you’re able to address his dietary issues, the teeth will probably benefit. It all comes down to deep nutrition!
I have more info on the GAPS diet on my blog, starting on this page. I know it sounds intimidating at first, but when you think that it might be just for a few months, maybe it could be a solution for you. From what you shared and what I’ve studied, your son sounds like an ideal candidate for the healing the diet can bring.
http://trinaholden.com/gaps-diet-resources/
I hope this helps!
Can oil pulling really heal my periodontal decease? how long would it take approx? and how soon would the bleeding of gums and pain due to sensitivity to cold and hot would go away? which by the way wake me up in the middle of the night a couple of times. Don’t have the money to go thru dental procedure. And somehow don’t want to do it. =(
Edgar, everyone’s body is different, and I haven’t met you or know your medical history, nor am I a doctor. I can only just encourage you that I’ve heard multiple stories of oil pulling bringing significant relief from the pain of infection within a week. Long term results will hinge on how nourishing your diet is.
Hey Trina Holden,
I really enjoyed your information concerning “oil pulling”. My name is Brian Watson. I am a photographer from Chicago, and I was introduced to oil pulling by a great group of kids (J. Price Kids & Company), who started a business creating all natural bath and body products to raise money for their school books. Amazingly, these children are between the ages of 3 and 14 years of age, and they are all homeschooled. Mom, who homeschools her 6 children, personally battles with at least 3 different terminal illnesses. She uses the power of nature and all natural products to preserve her own life.
These are some kids that you must touch bases with for a number if reasons. The greatest of these being that I believe when like minds come together in harmony, purpose and love…great things must happen. I have had the opportunity to met J. Price Kids & Company, photograph them (that’s one of my talents) along with some of their products, meet their parents, and listen to their wonderful stories about how they got started. I encourage you to do the same. Reach out to them. Get to know them. You can be of great service to each other. Believe me…I am a witness to their greatness, which is becoming. They have a Facebook page called J. Price Kids and Company. Look them up. Its pretty Impressive the things that they do. Thanks
-Brian Watson
thanks for the tip, Brian!
My 5yr old has cavities/decay and we are not keen on the trama that will ensue from getting them filled. Id live to heal them naturally, however she has many food allergies as well. Including dairy and fish… any other suggestions???
Sheri, It sounds like your daughter would benefit from a season on the GAPS diet–this can help heal her digestion, reduce allergies, and will in the end affect whole body health, including her teeth. I’ve put a few resources together to give you a glimpse of the GAPS diet here…
Hi Trina,
I have a bridge on my upper right teeth ( I guess 4 teeth) but the end part that’s where my tooth attached for a bridge is giving me a problem & I am sure I have a cavity coz I have on & off pain on it and sometimes bleed when I brush on it 🙁 would it be ok to oil pull and heal that tooth cavity ?? after swishing , can I gargle the oil before I spit it out if it would also cure that itchy throat of mine ?? Thanks and am glad to find your article interesting and hope it helps me with my tooth bridge problem .
Delta,
I can’t give you medical advice, but simply share my story and encourage you that oil pulling is not dangerous, so why not give it a try?
I have been doing this oil pulling for more than 10 years. i am 63 years age and so far i never got any pain in gums or tooth. i use coconut oil or gingelly oil. It will penetrates through porus in tongue and lubricate all the joints in the body. I had knee pain for some time on one leg and after 6 months of oil pulling reduced and i walk freely without pain. This is my personnel experience in my life. can practise this oil pulling and so far no side effects because of doing this. I benefitted by this practise.
thanks so much for sharing, Amarakavi!
I have been oil pulling for just over a month now and beginning to feel less sensitivity in my gums. I read the link that says a properly placed cap and filling won’t loosen due to oil pulling; a relief for me since I have both. However, I read that oil pulling does cause fillings to fall out (I guess it could have been a filling not done correctly) and that I should only oil pull 2 days a week. Yet you are doing this daily? And only once a day? What about any foods you eat during the day, are you not concerned about that food sitting on your teeth over night?
Can you do oil pulling if you have braces?
have you ever heard of oil pulling, causing vertigo?
Hi, you may have already mentioned this in your post, but I was wondering if you’ve visited a dentist for routine cleaning/checkup AFTER you had been oil pulling for a significant amount of time? I’m interested in trying it, but I am wondering what dentists think about it/if it’s actually effective. Although you say your teeth and gums have never been healthier (and they may be), without consulting a dentist, you can’t be 100% sure. For instance, there have been times where I’ve gone to the dentist thinking my teeth were perfect and it turned out I had cavities.
Allison, I have not personally been back to a dentist, but several of my friends have, and the dentist has assured them their cavities are gone and their teeth look super healthy. I’ve yet to hear of a dentist who was enthusiastic about oil pulling, mostly because it’s so far outside of anything they have studied or experienced. I don’t believe that’s a reason to NOT oil pull, since it’s a fairly harmless technique.
I think it’s kind if irresponsible of you to promote a technique and claim it to be effective when you haven’t seen a dentist. Just because the outside teeth feel fine is not an indicator of healthy teeth. An X-ray could show nerve damage. I highly doubt you left a dentists office with plaque still on your teeth as well. If you did, that’s a hygienist issue and should have been brought up to your dentist. Plaque buildup can cause major health issues like heart disease. So while you are concerned about harmless additives to tooth paste, you’re affecting your health anyways.
Thanks for your concern, Liz.
Hi Trina, I absolutely LOVE your blog. I’ve been reading for a few months now and during this time I have been oil pulling with coconut oil. I noticed about a year ago that my teeth (which naturally have really deep ridges) were getting stained terribly on the chewing surface from too much black tea and coffee. The ridges were very dark, almost black! Since oil pulling, the stains are about 95% gone and it only took 3 weeks before I noticed a difference! I am also taking Cod Liver Oil supplements once daily in the morning with my regular vitamin. Also, last year I got 3 fillings in my very back molar teeth. My first cavities ever in my 23 years of life. After the filling, the teeth were extremely sensitive to cold, hot, sweet, and sour flavors – something I had never has issues with before. Before the fillings, the teeth felt healthy with no pain and afterwards I was so frustrated I had allowed the teeth to be filled so I began looking for alternative methods to caring for my mouth. Like you, I believe that God had created us to be able to heal simple things like cavities on our own. Since oil pulling, the sensitivity in my filled teeth is completely gone. For anyone who is struggling with the 20 minute time frame I actually only do about 10 minutes every day because I have a very very sensitive gag reflex. If I’m feeling ambitious I shoot for 15 minutes. I am so glad I found your blog or I might have never tried this amazing method! (I also got a popcorn kernel out with oil pulling!) I still brush once a day in the evening with a homemade tooth powder (baking soda, peppermint essential oil, and a calcium powder) and I am also trying the GAPS diet and making my own bone broth, which I love. I will admit I was skeptical about all of this at first, being a scientist with a degree – my fellow scientists didn’t agree with me tossing out our modern philosophy on tooth care but no one can argue with the amazing results I’ve seen. So for anyone who thinks this won’t work – give it a try! Sorry for the long comment, I just wanted to share my story with other readers who might be on the fence about wanting to try this!
Kit! Thanks for sharing your story! It’s so refreshing to hear from someone with a scientific background willing to be open minded and try new things. I’m so glad the oil pulling works for you, and appreciate you sharing the details of your routine. I’m amazed at all you’re experimenting with! Good for you!
Trina,
What do you do for your children’s teeth? I know you mention a healthy diet but do you brush their teeth once a day with water? Earth paste? Also do they use the cod liver oil? I have a 14, 4 and 2 year old and I’d like to hear your approach on your children’s dental care. Since my 4 and 2 year old are so young, I was wondering how they might get the cod liver oil in their system. Any tips, tricks or advice is appreciated. I just found your website because my 4 year old had 6 very small cavities at our most recent dentist visit. I still need to improve their diet some but I use organic as much as possible with our budget and I brush, floss and mouthwash every day so I was devastated by this. Anyway, loving the info you have on here and just wanting a little children info. Thank you for your time!
Karen,
My approach to dental care looks minimal from the outside–we brush lightly with water as needed for the kids. But that’s because after reading “Cure Tooth Decay” convinced me that the true key to strong teeth was a deeply nourishing diet without constant blood sugar spikes. I actually do a lot for my kids’ dental health each day–I prepare whole foods rich in fat and protein at every meal. I do not allow them snacks that would give them a blood sugar spike (I used to give them fruit for snacks…not anymore, at least not without some accompanying form of fat and protein, like peanut butter). I currently drive across state lines to purchase raw milk for our family. I make them kefir smoothies and sneak bone broth into nearly every meal. And when we do have sugar, I’m teaching them moderation. They get one cookie–and only after they’ve already eaten a well-rounded meal.
That’s my dental approach for my kids and so far we have no cavities. If you do have cavities, I would suggest teaching them to oil pull–tricky perhaps, but not impossible. Use a reward system, competition, whatever works. 😉 As to the cod liver oil, my younger kids kids actually really like the emulsified flavored cod liver oil from Green Pastures–they ASK for it. My 7 year old doesn’t care for it, but he’s old enough to take pills. We don’t the oils regularly because it’s expensive and the kids seem to be doing fine without it, but if I found a cavity, that would be my first thing I’d do.
I started oil pulling about a week ago. So far so good. I am having a hard time with not brushing so much. I feel like I just need it, so I brush with water to ease my mind. I lost my patience with my paleo liftstyle and have been on a junk binge for about six months. I can tell I have Atleast two cavities, and I’m heart broken at the thought of another filling. I ordered my cod liver oil and butter oil and have cut out most of my sugar junk. I hope to have positive results to report back soon. Thank you for posting 🙂
I was reading your article and I am very interested I have bad teeth, lots of fillings and root canals. I was just wondering, do you still visit the dentist now that you are oil pulling or is that not necessary?
Candace, I don’t consider dentists visits necessary as my teeth are healthier and cleaner than they have ever been.
Hi Trina!
I’ve just recently heard about oil pulling and am very keen to start. I was just wondering… If you do oil pulling first thing in the morning, is it still necessary to brush after meals as the day goes on? Do I have to brush at night, or is the morning swishing enough sufficient for the rest of the day?
Andrea, this is really personal preference. I’ve found when I’m oil pulling I don’t feel the need to brush nearly as often.
I recently found Green Pastures Blue Ice Infused Coconut Oil. These are the ingredients Ingredients: Blue Breeze™ Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Blue Ice™ Fermented Cod Liver Oil, Natural Cinnamon Flavor, X-Factor™ High Vitamin Butter Oil, Blue Ice™ Fermented Skate Liver Oil.
Do you think that it would be enough to oil pull with that or do I need to take supplements for the cod liver and butter oil?
Thank you for sharing your experiences with oil pulling!
Lyla, I wouldn’t oil pull with cod liver/coconut oil mixture because I think it’s much more beneficial to take that internally. I’d find a plain coconut oil to swish and spit with.
Hey Trina! I have another question. Is it alright to oil pull after breakfast? Because I like to eat breakfast first thing when I get up in the morning. And another thing. Are you sure that you need to use two teaspoons? cause me and my brother measured out two teaspoons and put them in our mouths, and while we were swishing it around a little came out on several occasions, not that much but a tiny bit, cause our mouths were so full. So…is two teaspoons too much or what. Thanks!
I accidentally bought Organic Coconut Oil instead of Virgin. Will this still work for me, or should I exchange it?
That should work fine, Rachelle!
Trina, you are providing a great service by spreading the word about oil pulling. When my wife and I first heard about oil pulling we were intrigued because we were already using a lot of coconut oil in our paleo cooking. Two drawbacks we found were that it wasn’t very easy when traveling a lot and we missed the fresh minty flavors we’d been used to. Being the go getter that she is my wife came up with an idea to solve our problems with oil pulling and we created a product called Oil Pully Packs. We’d love to have you check them out and give some feedback. What we’ve done is combine natural coconut oil and mint flavors as well as packaging them in easy pulling portions. Your resources and your readers comments have been and will be a valuable asset to us, thank you!
Kind Regards
Matt, sounds cool! drop me a line on my contact form and we’ll talk!
I drink coffee daily, and I don’t really want to stop. I read on your last post about the pulling that it softens teeth. Would this make coffee stain my teeth even worse? I do use earthpaste, and it does not have the whitening qualities that I would like, so I’m looking for natural whitening method.
oil pulling removed my husband’s coffee stains. we did not experience any softening of teeth.
I want to say “THANK YOU” from the bottom of my heart for teaching people about oil pulling. I started just two days ago, and my teeth have visibly changed for the better. I had a cavity that no matter what I did would not go away (until I spent a ton of money at the dentist) and is in the front of my mouth. It’s very embarrassing. With just oil pulling at night, my tooth is already visibly healthier. I couldn’t be more stoked. I don’t use 2 teaspoons (yet) because I have a bad gag reflex, but I plan on sticking to this and working up to the who 2 teaspoons for 20 minutes. I currently only can handle about 1/2-3/4 a teaspoonful at this point but I can keep it in for 20 minutes. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I swear by coconut oil. After reading this I immediately oil pulled, and drenched my hair in the oil too. I am currently in the process of creating a blog (rather picking a name i can live with at the moment), and am thinking about documenting my experience. I would love to include your blog on mine as a reference if that’s ok, and will be downloading your e-book on blogging. Thanks! I am currently struggling with a few cavities, and hope this helps. I also wondered if this picture you include of before and after is someone you know who has used the coconut oil, or if it was just an example of what you could see.
Can you brush with coconut oil??
Michelle, I imagine you could, but I don’t think it would accomplish the same as the full coverage and extended contact that swishing provides.
My wisdom tooth is half black and was planning to go to dentist to get it pulled out. What I’ve heard is that if we don’t remove the black tooth, it affects the adjoining tooth. Do you think oil pulling will heal the black tooth or will I have to remove it? Any suggestion? Thanks for your post.
Rajan, if the black can be gotten rid of, then it can’t affect the neighboring tooth, right? The oil pulling helped pull the infection right out of my husband’s wisdom tooth and thus the neighboring tooth has been safe from decay.
Hi Trina,
I am always happy when people take an interest in their oral health.
But you do realise that here you are giving health advice that has no research to back up the claims and could actually do real harm?
As people substitute tried, tested, researched and experienced treatments for alternative treatments they place themselves at genuine risk.
I help to heal cavities (decay) everyday 9-5 by helping people reduce their sugar intake and recommending a fluoride toothpaste- I see the effects of my advice every day and last for years.
This isn’t me being nasty- I am genuinely looking out for you guys and people who read this. I hope you will publish this- despite it being an opposing view to what you are proposing. Heck, if people want to do something about keeping their teeth healthy- I am all for it! But consider using oil pulling as an adjunct to conventional methods which have genuinely saved people pain, discomfort and heavy treatment costs!
It’s been addressed by the ADA and it does NOT say it’s harmful and instead says, “stick to ADA-APPROVED” products, which means, don’t do something that would put us out of business. I know, because I’ve done extensive research in dental school and personally as well. No one wants to fund these studies because it doesn’t benefit anyone other than the oil companies…and my guess is that they don’t care that much, they do a brisk business anyway.
So, here you come onto a page that encourages NOTHING harmful, but you say they can cause harm? And you are backing up your claims with what, exactly?
Do you think it was the oil pulling or the CLO that healed your husband’s teeth? How do you know which, if he started both at the same time? Just curious as I’ve been working on healing my teeth as well! Thanks for your time. – Victoria
Victoria, from all the study I’ve done, I really believe it was a combination. The coconut oil drew out the toxins that had collected in the weakened tooth, and upping his nutrition allowed the tooth to remineralize.
Lol pulling not puking lol
Can i do this oil puking with braces?
I don’t have personal experience, Yadira–but have heard people doing it with braces.
You simply don’t get rid of whatever toxins you believe to be extracted from the body by simply spitting out this oil. There are blood vessels under your gum tissue and this oil can easily get into the gingival crevice and into that blood stream. Also, the reason your gums bleed when you floss is because you have calculus and gingivitis going on, when you start flossing once a day as required you won’t bleed anymore. And another thing…your gum tissues grew and fill up the spaces between your teeth? That is also gingivitis probably due to your lack of flossing. Your gum tissue isn’t supposed to grow and be inflamed.
we’ll have to agree to disagree on this, Marlaina, because my gums have never been healthier 😉 No gingivitis here.
I don’t think she was saying her gums are inflamed, but when your gums are unhealthy sometimes it’s as if they recede. She obviously reversed that.
Just read about this oil pulling; am trying it for the first time as I write this note. Will let you know as my teeth health improves. Thanks. Always open for natural healing, and especially anything to keep me out of the dentist’s office.
Wilma
Looking forward to hearing how it goes for you, Wilma!
My dental hygienists have told me that the reason your gums bleed when you floss is because you don’t floss often enough; the bacteria built up in there makes that happen. I have been flossing every night for a couple years and my gums do not bleed.
You’re exactly right! There is no way oil can get between the teeth as well as floss can, because they are often in tight contact with another.
Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it, Marlaina! 😉
I’ve just recently started oil pulling, and so far, I like it. I’ve got sensitive teeth and gums, and I’m really hoping that this will improve my gum health over time. I’m only doing it 3-4 times a week so far, though, and am hoping that’s enough to improve things. Your articles that I’ve read about the topic are very useful, thanks!
You are so welcome, Lexy–thanks for stopping by!
I have severe gum disease from having had a gingivectomy and having to take drugs for seizures I had many years ago. Also, I have thyroid disease and cannot take meds for this as I have many allergies to meds. I am wondering if this method will help me to get rid of the sagging gums and get my teeth back in proper condition? I KNOW the fluoride is deadly for people with low thyroid conditions like I have. No $$$$ for dental work so I am hoping THIS method will “cure” this dental prob for me.
Well, it’s worth a try, right? Also, I’d definitely look into some gently nourishing foods to add to your diet, like bone broth and whole fat yogurt.
HI, thanks for sharing this. I started today my first oil pulling. It was hard becasue I wasn’t used to it. I went to the detist a few weeks ago for my cleaning and was hit up with a 700 estimate to have crowns done. My husband said my mouth smelled so clean after doing so. I only did it for about 5 because I ended up with too much saliva. I hope this helps with dry mouth becasue of all the medications I take. I do have a question though, could I add some mint essential oil? I love the minty feeling . Thanks again!!
Amy I’ve had a lot of people tell me they add essential oils for flavor when they oil pull. Sounds like a great idea. If you have too much saliva, spit some out. Eventually your mouth adjusts to the practice and will probably stop producing so much.
I have an autistic six year old with two cavities. He has a very limited diet and will only eat certain foods. Wondered if brushing with the coconut oil would help. He will not swish or brush himself.
Carla, gosh, that must be hard–I’m really not sure if just brushing with the oil would help–it’s kinda the long contact thing that activates the detoxing. Sounds like you may need to concentrate on the other side of dental health…nutrition. Have you heard of the GAPS diet? It’s been very helpful for children with autism.
I just wanted to say Thank You.
I have been at odds with going to the dentist and praying to the lord for a solution . God sent me to your website and I now know how to make necessary changes in my diet. I have started oil pulling and shopping at organic farmers markets. This is the food God intended us to ingest. In only a short time my husband and I feel incredibly healthy and my teeth are getting better. Thank you again for doing Gods work. Jesus loves you.
Erica
Erica,
thank you for taking the time to share your story! It’s so encouraging to me and I’m sure will benefit others, as well. Blessings,
Trina
Why did you say in your article that you haven’t brushed in over a year and then as an answer to a question you said that you brush sometimes? If I should brush sometimes then how often while oil pulling? Should you oil pull more than once a day? Only in the morning? Or how many times a day. I’m also curious if this will give me whiter teeth cause my teeth aren’t white enough and my teeth are chipped as well so I’m curious if oil pulling will fix my chipped teeth. I’m also curious if you are supposed to spit the water that you rinse your mouth with into the garbage too. Thanks for the help!
Peter,
I haven’t used conventional toothpaste in over a year, but I still brush on an as-need basis. I find oil pulling once a day sufficient to cleanse my teeth and help them maintain a smooth, strong finish that keeps junk from sticking to them. I pull first thing in the morning to prepare my teeth for the day. Oil pulling can whiten teeth, but remember that teeth are also affected by diet. Oil pulling has had no affect on my chipped teeth. I spit the rinse water in the drain.
Thanks for all your questions!
Trina
Hi there, I’m very interested in this new method….but I had a few questions if you don’t mind me asking. my questions are, do I swish only once a day? And for the cod liver pills, do I only take two pills a day? and do you recommend to brush with water before swishing the coconut oil? And thanks again for you time.
Anthony, we swish once a day, take the recommended dose of cod liver oil (usually two pills) and do not brush before or after swishing. We occasionally brush with earthpaste before bed. But if we are faithful oil pulling, our teeth stay smooth and junk doesn’t adhere to them.
Hey I have a question. You said on your article about oil pulling that you haven’t brushed for over a year… but then as an answer to a question you say that you do brush on occasion. Do you brush or don’t you lol. And if so how often should I brush while oil pulling? We get that stuff from costco the stuff by nutiva. That’s good stuff right for oil pulling right? Also it sounds like you oil pull only in the morning before breakfast? Don’t your teeth decay if you don’t brush them after you eat? So I should oil pull only once a day in the morning with 2 teaspoons of coconut right? Or more than once a day? Also will this fix my chipped teeth? I have some chipped teeth that I want to heal. Will oil pulling make my teeth whiter? My teeth aren’t really that yellow but they aren’t really white either. I’d say they are in between. Is this a way I can make my teeth whiter?
Peter,
To clarify, I haven’t used conventional toothpaste in over a year. I still brush on an as-need basis, but oil pulling keeps my teeth so smooth, food doesn’t stick to them as bad, so I only brush a few times a week. You should brush as often as you feel your teeth need it. The coconut oil that Costco sells is a good brand! As to white teeth…I think that strong teeth should be the goal over white teeth–my teeth are clean and strong, and a solid off-white. 😉 Your teeth may or may not be naturally snow white. But go ahead and try the coconut oil, it definitely took care of coffee stains for us!
Before you start to oil pull and decide to not brush twice a day, get some scientific proof that it works. I’m not saying it doesn’t, as I’ve never tried it. However, as a dental hygienist (and you stated your mom is…you and her should know…..Plaque is in the form of a biofilm and nothing can break through that plaque except the physical disruption (brushing), oils and mouth rinses cannot do this. Also, it doesn’t sound like you really know that difference between plaque and calculus/tarter, therefore, I wouldn’t throw away your toothbrush just yet because of reading a blog. If your gums are bleeding, that is not normal. Signs of periodontal disease (which a dental hygienist deals with every hour of every day). Flossing (and brushing) if done properly can reach 3mm below the gumline to clean in the sulcus of your gum. Rinses cannot reach that far below which means even if oil pulling were to eliminate plaque it is not reaching all the areas of your mouth. Brushing and flossing also help to physically stimulate the gums and get new blood pumping through those tissues. If you quit brushing and flossing on a regular bases your tissue will become weak, more likely to bleed, causing inflammation, and starts the periodontal disease process. Please do more research, as my job everyday is to educate my community on periodontal disease and reducing risk of decay/cavities and this is educating them in the wrong way and leaving out proven scientific important information!
Hey, there–thanks for weighing in. I just wanted to clarify that, despite this practice seeming a little wacko, especially to people like yourself who have spent years studying a different approach to dentistry, it really has worked for my husband and I. I have no wish to debate, I’m simply telling my story and encouraging people to give alternative dental care some looking into. I did do tons of research before I ever tried oil pulling or blogged about it. But the most concrete evidence for me was actually trying it for myself. My teeth have never felt cleaner or this strong, and it’s a blessing not to worry about cavities.
I would love to try it out, but I am a bit nervous that the oil pulling will result in pulling out my fillings too. You write that either your husband or yourselve have fillings, but are there any experiences you can tell about where people have been using oil pulling despite many fillings just like I have?
Please let me know
Ivan Raphael
Ivan, my health mentor does have fillings and has oil pulled without damage to them for over a year. This article on oil pulling with caps or crowns or fillings says, “Oil pulling will not and cannot loosen properly placed crowns or fillings.” It goes on to explain that oil pulling would only affect crowns or fillings if the tooth underneath was infected or decayed. In that case, oil pulling would help you become aware of the problem so you could address it.
Would breast milk be considered the same as raw milk?
Breast milk is from humans. The raw milk mentioned in this post is cow’s milk. 😉
Hi this a great article and I would love to try oil pulling, but I have periodontal gum disease & have been going to a periodontis for cleaning (2 surgeries) for more than 10 years. I hv to go every 3 months for cleaning. I didn’t see anything in your article or FAQ’s that addressed those of us under periodontal care. Any feedback? Could oil pulling help? It sure would be cheaper! Thanks so much!
Valerie, since oil pulling is a gentle, safe practice, I don’t see the harm in trying and seeing if it helps your teeth! It is said to really help with gum health.
Hi, I find this very interesting. I would really like to try this, as I did horrible damage to my teeth as a teenager and now I’m 5 short of all my teeth and headed towards losing 3 more. Not to mention, why is it that you get a cavity/or other tooth problems almost immediately after visiting the dentist??? lol
My concern is (I know you are not a health professional, but I thought I would throw this one out there anyway lol), My family is gluten and dairy free. My sons and I have a severe reaction, mainly, to dairy (whey, casein, etc…). I’m wondering if we would be able to try this at all because of not getting “milk”. We do drink soy milk but I’m wondering if coconut/almond milk would be the better option… or if any of these would even offer enough nutrition to be able to try this. I’m all for going more natural and I would definitely be interested in finding out more from people that have this question.
Thank you so much for your post and for answering questions 🙂
Blessings!
Kathi,
I’m so sorry to hear about your teeth trouble! I know it can be hard to get adequate nutrition when you are on a restricted diet due to allergies–I feel for you! Have you considered looking into the GAPS diet? It is a grain free diet that has been known to heal dairy allergies. Perhaps a season of a healing diet would allow your digestion to then accept the foods that are good for strong teeth? You can find out more about the GAPS diet on my page here…http://trinaholden.com/gaps-diet-resources/
Thank you, Trina! I will check into this 🙂
Can I oil pull if I have metal braces on?
Sonia, I don’t have personal experience with this, but have heard of others doing it with braces.
Does Oil Pulling leave you with bad breath, I see no reference to breath and as I understand, with most people the secondary reason for using a toothpaste is to freshen your breath.. put differently, if I start ‘oil pulling’ will my friends give me a wide berth?
Phill, Oil pulling does a great job freshening my breath first thing in the morning! I love it for that, too.
Does it matter which brand meaning does it have to be the nutiva brand? or does it just have to be the extra virgin coconut oil?
Brittanie, it does not have to be nutiva, any cold pressed, extra virgin oil would be recommended!
Great article I have wanted to try oil pulling but did not know what was involved. Both of your posts helped me. Thanks!
How do you swish for 20 min. without needing to swallow?
JoEllen, occasionally my mouth will produce so much saliva while I swish that I have to spit some out, but I don’t swallow it.
Good to know! I was wondering if I was the only one. 🙂
Hi there! I’m a new reader coming to you from your wonderfully helpful How They Blog podcast. 🙂 This is fascinating! I keep seeing oil pulling on my radar, and I am most definitely interested after reading your post! I cook with coconut oil all of the time, but I’ll go find the cold-pressed, unrefined oil this week. I recently started a weekly blog series about taking a little time to take care of myself, and this will be a perfect addition.Thank you so much for sharing!
Ginger, so great to have you stop by! I’d love to hear how oil pulling goes for you! Thanks!
Trina
I have been OP for several years.. It works!! 4 things to remember: 1.drink water and swish b-4 starting (gets saliva flowing) 2.do it on an MT stomach… 3.spit in garbage can, and 4. rinse with warm salt (sea salt) water.. t hen brush!! I use a soft “flossing” toothbrush, found them on the internet. and I make my own “toothpaste” using Miracle2 soap, and a tooth oil from Frequency foods.. Nothing and I mean nothing gives you a cleaner feeling than using “soap” I also mix the soap with listerine!!
MaryJo, thanks so much for sharing your natural tooth care routine! This sounds great!
Hey there Love your post! I have a question for you though. I recently have started to oil pull and well… I don’t if it from oil pulling but i ended up with 3 canker sore that hurt so bad that IHAD to use ibproven for the pain. I typically wait a day before doing anything like that. I could barely eat anything. Has this ever happen to you or anyone you know?
Zachary,
I’ve never heard of getting canker sores from oil pulling…but I can recommend a natural remedy if you’re interested! Tea tree oil is anti fungal and can really help. Hope your mouth feels better soon.
I have a tooth that has had a root canal year’s ago. The tooth doesn’t hurt at all, but recently my dentist said it was abscess and needs to be pulled. Really don’t want it pulled as it is part of a bridge in my mouth. Do you have or know of any research as to weather this can be healed through oil pulling? Thanks for your thoughts.
Linda, as oil pulling is a gentle and non-invasive technique, why not give it a try?
What brand of cod liver oil do you use for your kids?
Samantha, when I give them cod liver oil, I use the emulsified, flavored variety from Green Pastures. You can read how my kids take it here…http://trinaholden.com/green-pastures-fermented-cod-liver-oil/
I used the link for coconut oil. I can’t believe the cost of this product compared to an equal quality and size I buy from Costco at a little over $15.00. The membership would pay for itself with two purchases.
Cindy, I have heard the brand that Costco carries is quality–I simply included a link for ya’ll in case you don’t live near a Costco (like me!) Thanks!
Hello,
really interesting read..! I did my first oil pulling this morning! (the kids are away with Dad this weekend, not sure how I’ll work it when they’re back!)
what about food? obviously you do the oil pulling first thing in the morning – I read someone’s comment about not brushing straight after as it softened the enamel – what about eating? is it ok to eat straight after? my morning cup of tea?
And you still brush in the evening after dinner?
Many thanks,
Emily
Emily,
Congrats on trying oil pulling! It really is kinda weird, so I think you deserve a sticker. 😉
I oil pull directly before breakfast…rinse, and then dive in. 😉
I brush when I need to, which is not every night because my teeth stay so clean feeling. 😉
I’m completely not against oil pulling or the healthy approach (in fact I’m for it!), but its interesting how your husband had a cavity prior to oil pulling-maybe a result of the brushing habits?
It’s interesting to think about, Keira. My own theory is that we’d been without a good milk supply and for a portion of the previous year and that weakened our teeth.
Can you oil pull if you have a cap on your tooth??
Leslie,
This article on oil pulling with caps or crowns or fillings says, “Oil pulling will not and cannot loosen properly placed crowns or fillings.” It goes on to explain that oil pulling would only affect crowns or fillings if the tooth underneath was infected or decayed. In that case, oil pulling would help you become aware of the problem so you could address it.
I have been discouraged with the oil pulling because of the gagging too. But I found recently that if I gargle first (using natural mouthwash), the minty flavor at the back of my mouth keeps the warm oil from causing the gag reflex. I don’t think that should interfere with the oil pulling in any way, and it makes it easier to swish longer.
Thanks for a great blog Trina!
great tip, KarieLee! it’s a treat to have you stop by. 😉
I started oil pulling after your last post about it. (I knew about it but was having trouble starting! Thanks to your post I finally did it.) I figured out my time slot for it – right before I get my shower at night and do the whole bedtime routine. It works out just right. I thought my mouth would get tired from swishing but it doesn’t. I have not yet been back to the dentist since starting oil pulling but I am hoping to learn that it is helping with my receeding gums. Note – if I floss regularly my gums don’t bleed. If I only do sometimes they do. I have to floss my lower teeth or I get some kind of build up between them.
I have organic , refind and Expeller Pressed coconut oil. Will this work as s well as the Cold Pressed oil?
Evelin, I’d call that a great start, and just keep your eye out for the cold pressed in the future. 😉
While I have nothing against trying oil pulling except for the fact I live overseas now and finding something I’d want to use is kind of nil, I do want to make a correction. The reason your gums bleed when flossing is because of gingivitis. That means your gums are infected and swollen, therefore they bleed when you floss. While I’m not an every day flosser, I still floss. Some of the contacts between my teeth are tight and things get stuck. (Water pik and water swishing doesn’t work) Leave them in there and well, an infection occurs. If you have a build up of plaque, floss also helps scrap it off while I don’t see how oil would scrape it off. So, just saying don’t knock flossing. It has it’s benefits 🙂 (It’s also the only thing that’s helping me stay sane while going on 1 year without a dentist )
Great post Trina!!
Thanks, Sarah! Delighted to have you stop by! 😉
Just wanted to ask, have you tried adding a drop or two of essential oil to your pulling routine? Talk about AMAZING! I pull with coconut oil, and I add a drop or two of essential oil to the swish. My favorites are Peppermint (of course), Lemon, On Guard (from doTerra) and Cinnamon. The eo’s just give that bit of extra fresness, and they also have healing detoxifying properties. I use the On Guard when I feel any kind of sickness coming on, because it is an immunity builder. I love pulling, it’s made my mouth feel much healthier since I’ve started!
I haven’t tried mixing in essential oils yet, Paula, but it does sound interesting! Thanks for sharing your experiences!
For sensitive teeth problems, when they arise, I add a drop of clove bud oil to mine. . . Tis pure awesomeness
What a great idea! I wonder if that might help woth my initial gag reflux…
Do you know if it’s safe to start getting acclimated to Oil Pulling while nursing my 10 week old? Like if I started slowly with just 1 tsp of oil for 5-10? Feel free to tell me to just research it for myself… 🙂 Thanks for a great post!
Kelley, I think that oil pulling is a very gentle form of detoxing–and I’ve done it during both pregnancy and nursing! (Congrats on your little one, BtW!)
Thank you! My baby boy, Judah came Christmas day, the best present ever! 🙂 Yes, I found in a little research that it’s a gentle form of detoxing so went ahead and started with 1 tsp of Coconut oil. Do you rinse with warm salt water after? My mom mentioned hearing you should do that…
Kelley,
I did some more research into the oil pulling while nursing–I found a lactation consultant who explained that the toxins leave your mouth with the oil you spit out, rather than having to be flushed through any cleansing organs or going near your blood stream, so she considered it safe for baby and mom.
I don’t rinse with salt water…just plain water has been working fine for me. If sea salt is good for your teeth, then I get that in my Earthpaste toothpaste. 😉
Thanks! That was what I got from the research I did too! I have been making my own toothpaste for 2 years now. Used a bentonite clay recipe for 1 year and then switched to a coconut oil/baking soda recipe, both with celtic sea salt in them. Do you do a quick brush after oil pulling, or just rinse out?
I just rinse, Kelley! There’s my minimalist tendencies again…
Neat! I’m so glad you wrote this post! Oil pulling has really helped my family’s teeth since we first started looking into your materials on it a couple months ago. We’ve gotten a lot of questions about it from family and friends. This is a great resource we can point the curious ones to!
Jessiqua, you’re always so encouraging! I’m so excited to hear your family is experimenting with oil pulling, and glad this post could be a help!