Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic practice for improving oral health and treating systemic diseases. It involves swishing a tablespoon of oil in the mouth (usually sesame or sunflower oil) for 15 to 20 minutes and then spitting it out.
Your mouth is chock full of bad bacteria, that if allowed to grow unchecked can cause all sorts of oral problems, from a build up of plaque to gingivitis, cavities, tooth decay and eventual tooth loss.
Swishing oil in the mouth, working it around the teeth and the gums helps to prevent this. The oil acts like a magnet and 'pulls' the bad bacteria and other harmful toxins from all the tiny crevices in the mouth into the oil.
Dental professionals agree, it's good for you. A 2007 study from the Journal of Oral Health and Community Dentistry found oil pulling to be a much more effective method of removing plaque and protecting against gingivitis than mouthwash or toothbrushing.
Oil pulling has also helped in healing abscesses, curing toothaches, curing tooth sensitivity, eliminating bleeding gums and fixing loose teeth. Other benefits include fresher breath (it's a natural remedy for halitosis - curing bad breath), cleaner and whiter teeth... yes! It's an inexpensive and safe way of whitening your teeth.
Overall it's a very simple, safe and effective method of reducing the numbers of harmful bacteria in your mouth, and at the same time greatly improving your dental and oral health. These three videos will teach you everything you need to know about oil pulling.
Consider this for a moment, your teeth only make-up 10% of your mouth, so even after you've spent 2 minutes diligently brushing them, the other 90% remains untouched with nasty bacteria still lurking in there.
Not only does oil pulling thoroughly clean your teeth, it also thoroughly cleans the other 90% inside of your mouth. There's simply no place for bad bacteria to hide! This video demonstrates the process from start to finish... and what to do in-between.
Dr Mercola practices oil pulling daily and points out the many potential benefits - it can prevent bleeding gums and gum disease, it can help reduce the risk of cavities and gingivitis, it can actually help prevent bad breath, and overall it's going to stengthen your teeth and gums.
He also recommends you use coconut oil and follow up with a teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water - baking soda will change the ph level in your mouth, making your mouth less acidic which will radically reduce the numbers of disease forming bacteria that lead to tooth decay.
Although there are hundreds of sites online that talk about oil pulling I found one site in particular to be the most helpful, discussing methods, results achieved and variations on the basic technique - www.earthclinic.com
If you prefer a good book - Dr. Bruce Fife, a certified nutritionist and naturopathic physician shares his research and results in "Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing"