5 Ways Oil Pulling Works To Improve Your Oral Health

Oil pulling has become a popular oral healthcare technique. People claim oil pulling not only improves your oral health, but can improve your overall health. While extensive studies utilizing oil pulling have not been completed, there are logical reasons why oil pulling would solve many oral health issues. Below are five of the more common reasons people turn to oil pulling, and why they work. 

Reducing Inflammation 

Inflammation of the gums has several causes, including the presence of bacteria and brushing or flossing too hard. When your gums are inflamed, they may appear red or white and will usually bleed easily when you brush. 

Oil pulling may help ease inflammation of the gums by reducing the bacteria in your mouth and providing a soothing, moisturizing coating on your gums that will reduce irritation. It is important you continue to brush your teeth, even if your gums bleed when you brush. However, you should reduce your pressure to prevent bleeding and practice oil pulling before you brush for the extra lubrication. 

Healing Abscesses 

One critique of the claims that oil pulling can heal infections in your body is the oil only penetrates a few millimeters into your gum line. However, many abscesses are only a few millimeters below the surface of your gums and may be reached by oil pulling. If you have an abscess, the oil may serve to pull the pus from the abscess through your gum tissue, into the oil through the process of osmosis. Basically, it provides a less-concentrated liquid solution for the bacteria to expand into. 

You will want to discuss getting your abscess professionally drained and taking a course of antibiotics with your dentist, but also consider oil pulling as a supplementary treatment. Adding a few drops of an essential oil with antibacterial properties, such as tea tree oil, can also help clean the infection. 

Whitening Teeth 

Oil pulling helps to reduce stains and whiten teeth by gently lifting stains from your teeth. Similar to the way dish soap will gently lift caked-on food when you let it sit in a dish, oil will gently break down and remove tiny particles that sit on your teeth. This is why it is important to practice oil pulling for at least fifteen minutes and preferably twenty minutes during each session. 

Relief for Canker Sores

Oil pulling soothes canker sores in the same way it can reduce inflamed gums. It helps to remove bacteria and viruses causing or exacerbating the canker sore and then provides a soothing coating that may reduce friction in your mouth and keep the canker sore from getting larger. If the canker sore is particularly painful, you may want to add a few drops of clove oil to the oil you are pulling with to reduce the pain. 

Reducing Plaque 

Plaque is a buildup of the bacteria that cause tooth decay. It can be white or yellowish and can eventually lead to hard buildups of tartar on your teeth. Regular oil pulling can kill and remove some of the bacteria in your mouth. It can also help loosen deposits of of plaque and tartar on your teeth. Oil pulling is especially effective because it removes the bacteria from your cheeks and tongue as opposed to brushing and flossing, which only remove the bacteria from the surfaces of your teeth and gums. 

Reducing bacteria in your mouth not only improves the health of your gums and teeth, but it can also reduce bad breath. 

If you want to use oil pulling, you should add it to your current dental care routine. Before making any major changes, you should talk with dental services.


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