For this reason, oil pulling could be considered a healthy oral practice. But it must be done in conjunction with daily brushing and flossing as it does nothing to fight against already existing tooth decay and cannot remove plaque and tartar the way a toothbrush and floss can. Oil pulling can be done as many times as you are comfortable with. This could mean once every few months, twice a week, or every single day.
The more frequently it is done, the more you may reap the benefits, but there is no official schedule to oil pulling that you must stick with. Although the act of swishing vegetable oil around in your mouth for 20 minutes will do you no harm, the muscles in your face may become tired or slightly sore from the exertion.
You should be swishing softly enough that your tongue is doing very little work and your jaws are relaxed. Think of it as a marathon instead of a sprint and have some fun with it. One very important thing to remember is to not swallow any of the oil. It will likely not sit well with your stomach, and you will ingest the gross stuff that you are trying to rid yourself of.
Another thing to be aware of is that oil pulling can be a very unpleasant experience if you have a sensitive gag reflex. The desire to swallow or the feeling of having a large ball of thick liquid in the mouth leaves some too uncomfortable to attempt it for the full 20 minutes.
Any type of vegetable oil can be used in oil pulling, however liquified coconut oil has been hailed as the best choice for a few different reasons. The first, and probably most important reason, is that it tastes better than most oils. The second reason is that refined coconut oil provides oral health benefits in that it contains lauric acid, a compound that breaks through the fatty layer of bacteria and kills them.
It also contains trace amounts of vitamin K, which helps to create proteins that promote healthy bones and prevent blood clots, and vitamin E, which acts as an antioxidant. Check out this post to find out which other vitamins and minerals are essential for your oral health and which foods to find them in.
Oil pulling can be used in addition to your regular oral care routine but, as with any oral health concern, check with your dentist before making any changes.
May 5, Effect of oil pulling on plaque induced gingivitis: a randomized, controlled, triple-blind study. Indian J Dent Res. Oil pulling. American Dental Association. Policy statement on untraditional dentistry. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellHealth. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page.
These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Table of Contents View All.
Table of Contents. How to Do It. Health Benefits. What Dentists Say. Possible Side Effects. Natural Ways to Improve Gum Health. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign Up. What are your concerns?
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Related Articles. The 7 Best Whitening Toothpastes of The 8 Best Toothpastes to Buy in The 8 Best Toothbrushes to Buy in First, pick an oil. Most people use coconut oil as it also has strong antibacterial properties, but you can use any other vegetable-based oil. Then, take a tablespoon of oil and swish it around your mouth for 20 minutes.
The oil will almost double in size as it draws in saliva as well as the toxins. Be sure not to swallow as you will be taking these toxins into your body -- the complete opposite of what you are trying to do.
Once the 20 minutes are up, spit the oil out into the trash not your sink, where the oil may solidify and block up the drain and swish your mouth with warm salt water. Finally, brush and floss as you normally would. On the first day, I woke up with a little bit of a headache from too many frozen margaritas the night before. Since one of the benefits of oil pulling is improving hangovers, I thought it was the best time to give it a go.
I went in first with solid coconut oil, which made me gag and spit it out -- once melted it was a little easier to take, so I began swishing. After reaching 15 minutes I spat it out, and was happy to note that once I had swilled with warm salt water, and brushed and flossed as normal, there was no residue left. My initial thoughts: My headache worsened while I was doing it, but then afterwards it was gone, as was my hangover. It also made me very hungry! The second day went pretty much the same as the first: I got another headache while doing it.
Some research indicated these could be "detox headaches," as I was new to the process. Day three was where I hit a little bit of a road block; I only managed to make it to 10 minutes.
0コメント