Oil Pulling – Does it really work? (Plus How to Do It)
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Does oil pulling really work? For some things, the benefits are clear, for others, it’s questionable. I’ll share how to oil pull, and what benefits you may see from the practice.
Table of contents
What is Oil Pulling?
Oil pulling is a dental hygiene practice that involves swishing a spoonful of oil around the mouth for 15-20 minutes, forcing it back and forth (pulling) through the teeth. When you finish, spit out the oil in a waste bin or compost pail. (Coconut oil down the sink or toilet drain may lead to clogged pipes.)
Rinse the mouth with water or salt water, and brush and floss as usual. If you use a tongue scraper, using it right after you pull is a good idea. (I have one similar to this copper tongue scraper, and copper is naturally antibacterial.)
I do oil pulling daily as part of my morning routine, and spit the used oil in my compost. Most recommendations suggest doing it first thing in the morning before eating or drinking, and repeating up to three times per day.
I find solid coconut oil easier to use than liquid oil. I put a spoonful in my cheek and let it warm up and melt. This gives me a minute or two to get used to that much oil in my mouth. You can start with smaller amounts and work up to a tablespoon.
If swishing for 15 – 20 minutes is too much, start with 5-10 minutes and work up to a longer time period. You don’t have swish constantly – you can take a break now and then. Once you get used to it, it’s really not a big deal, but my cheeks were a bit sore at first.
Which oil should I use?
The most commonly used oils are sunflower, sesame and coconut. I prefer Nutiva coconut oil, and keep a small jar on my counter that I refill from my gallon container.
Earth Clinic contributors discuss using sesame, sunflower, olive, walnut, macadamia, coconut, Udo’s Oil, Total EFA Oil and others. Some people reported that their teeth took on a yellow tinge from using olive oil, so other oils may be a better choice.
What does oil pulling do?
To read some claims, oil pulling does everything but cook you breakfast in the morning. If we look back at the Ayurvedic roots of the practice, the tongue is linked to various organs. Working the oil around the mouth is intended to provide a cleansing affect throughout the body.
Scientifically, we know that many of the oils used are antimicrobial, so they reduce problematic bacteria in the mouth. The pulling action activates salivary enzymes and emulsifies the oil, so it acts as a surfactant, loosening plaque buildup.
I’ve found that it makes my teeth feel smooth and clean, and has lightened some of my teeth stains but not removed them. (No magic cure for whitening teeth here, sorry.)
I notice that it helps clear out sinus congestion. After pulling for a while, the crud works loose from my nose and throat area, and I can spit it all out when I spit out the oil. Plus, it’s great for getting out stuck bits of popcorn hull or other fibrous pieces of plant material that brushing and flossing miss.
The American Dental Association states there are no reliable scientific studies supporting the practice, but they also say it’s safe to put neurotoxins in your teeth.
Let’s take a look at some of the studies indicating that oil pulling may improve oral health, and possible benefits.
Reduces Bad Breath
Mouth bacteria is commonly associated with bad breath (halitosis). When researchers compared commercial mouthwash to oil pulling with sesame oil, they found that both worked as well for treating halitosis.
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Unlike commercial mouthwash, the oil helps to moisten dry mouths and sooth chapped lips.
Improves Gum Health
Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums. Left untreated, it can lead to periodontitis, which is associated with tooth loss and systemic diseases. This may be where the big health claims come from – clear up the gums, and the other problems may also improve.
This 30 day study indicates that oil swishing reduces plaque and gingivitis, specifically: “A statistically significant decrease in the plaque and gingival indices was noticed from day 7 and the scores continued to decrease during the period of study.”
Another study compared the use of oil pulling with chlorhexidine mouthwash, with favorable results.
May Help Fight Tooth Decay
In the study, Effect of oil-pulling on dental caries causing bacteria, researchers tested sesame oil for 40 days. Their conclusion was that the volunteers saw a notable reduction in the susceptibility to dental caries. Specifically, they noted that the oil helped decrease plaque causing bacteria.
Sesame and sunflower oils on their own do not fight mouth bacteria, but the action of oil pulling changes them (enzyme action and emulsification action) so that they can lift contaminants from teeth.
This study concludes: “The myth that the effect of oil-pulling therapy on oral health was just a placebo effect has been broken and there are clear indications of possible saponification and emulsification process, which enhances its mechanical cleaning action.”
Is Oil Pulling Dangerous?
I read some accounts of people who experienced mouth irritation from oil pulling. If this happens, discontinue, try a different oil or pull less frequently. Don’t swallow the oil, as it contains dead bacteria and other things that are better out than in.
Some people also express concern that oil pulling may pull mercury out of metal fillings and put it into circulation in the body. I asked our holistic dentist about this potential problem. He said this was not an issue because you spit the oil into the trash.
I have fillings in my teeth and have never had one come loose during oil pulling. My son did manage to loosen a temporary filling, which needed to be replaced. We used a filling repair kit to plug the hole until we could get in to see the dentist.
Should you do it?
Oil pulling is cheap and easy to do, and evidence suggests that it improves dental health. What do you have to lose other than some plaque?
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Originally posted in 2012, last updated in 2021.
I have been oil pulling for 10 weeks after reading about it extensively. I do it at night before bed.
The main reasons I wanted to try it:
Relieve dry mouth due to autoimmune disease, guard against cavities, and improve gum health. “Pull toxins out of body” sounded great, but vague.
My teeth and gums feel and look great.
I’ve experienced a couple of other improvements that I haven’t read about happening to other people. The first is I no longer have leg / foot cramps. I had them 3-4 times a week in the morning and they were severe. The second is that my mood is stable; no more lows. I am going to continue and see what else improves. If you haven’t tried it, I recommend that you do!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Elizabeth.
What makes a scientific study valid? If you Google that you will be educated as to the fact that a study exists is not enough and in listing a study you of course should give credit to the author and institution,
As a reader I want to read what the most prestigious study says first, and giving me only titles leaves me with work to do to figure out what is worth reading.
My job is not to spoon feed my readers information or make decisions for them, but to provide them with enough information that they can make their own decisions. I expect my readers to work. If you are not a person who is willing to do some work for themselves, you are on the wrong website.
Do you think oil pulling will help the infections I already have in my jaw which antibiotics haven’t completely cured. The infections were a result of root canal treatment I have had over the years. I am due to have implants in the new year. Any suggestions please. Oil pulling sounds very interesting and promising.
As I understand it, jaw infections can be difficult to cure, but it’s possible. At the very least, oil pulling shouldn’t hurt, and is one of the treatments recommended in this article – http://www.healingteethnaturally.com/dental-cavitation-infections.html
Loved the way my teeth and gums looked within 2 days of oil pulling wih coconut. Even got rid of an ulcer looking thing that didn’t cause pain or discomfort but didn’t like the look of it at all. Gums starting improving, stains disappearing, overall I was enjoying it for numerous benefits. However my teeth started to get sensitive after about a week and a half of pulling. I use pro enamel tooth paste for yrs and haven’t had an issue with sensitivity. .. what do you suggest.
I’d reduce the frequency of pulling, or stop completely for a while and see what happens. It sounds like you need to find a balance between what makes your teeth happy and what makes your gums happy.
I have been oil pulling every day for two weeks with unrefined organic coconut oil. I do it first thing in the morning for 20 minutes, as recommended. My question is, how long does it usually take for plaque build up to be reduced. I notice that every time I oil pull, I still have a lot of plaque on my teeth and still need to brush. I’ve had different sources say that with the oil pulling, brushing shouldn’t be necessary. I have been brushing mainly to get rid of the plaque, which makes it hard for me to judge if the oil pulling is actually making a difference. Has anyone else had this problem?
Personally, while my plaque has been reduced, I haven’t given up brushing. The biggest difference I’ve noticed is reduced gum inflammation.
Hi Laurie,
Excellent article and it certainly stirred a lot of interest – your community is something I aspire to, but have yet to start encouraging. The earlier reports on oil pulling from Russia described Herxheimer reactions, presumably as the toxic load was reduced enough to allow the natural detoxification of the body to kick in. I find that a teaspoon (5ml) is plenty – by the time one gets to the 20 minute mark one’s mouth is full anyway with the emulsified oil.
Best wishes
Jim
I have been oil pulling for about 12 months, rotating between coconut oil and sesame oil.
As a child of the 60s/70s, I have extensive dental work and I am passionate about preserving my teeth and preventing any further major dental work, fillings etc. I ditched the fluoride toothpaste and commercial mouthwash (much to my family’s horror!) in favour of mineral/herbal/essential oil toothpaste and mouthwash. I upped my vitamin c intake, mixed Aloe Vera or apple cider vinegar in my drinking water in the mornings. As well, I rinsed with warm salty water after oil pulling and used a homeopathic gum health spray at night.
So after actively pursuing improved dental health, I had to face my fear of actually going to the dentist…. I have a crown which my previous dentist wanted to replace with an implant as she believed it was ‘unstable and not likely to last too long’. I asked around for a potential new dentist amongst friends and work colleagues and after much procrastinating, made an appointment.
I was so nervous and my imagination was running wild with worst case scenarios. It had been 3 years since my last dental checkup – but I only confessed to 15 months… Bottom line, I had virtually no plaque, my so-called ‘unstable’ crown turns out to be secure and healthy on X-ray, he said my gums were exceptional and teeth were in good shape.
I was so happy and pleased with my checkup. I know for sure that the combo of oil pulling and stopping the popular fluoride based products brought back my oral health – despite other people’s fears!
It was important for me to face my fear of the dentist and it is even better because I proved that natural therapies are so much more effective and healing than the mainstream products. I turned my dental health around – you can too!
Thanks for sharing your story.
Shortly before Easter, my teeth started acting up because of receeding gums. I had no idea when I would find the time to go my dentist before the long easter weekend. So I tried oil pulling for the first time. Olive oil. And againg the next morning. And lookie, I could bite down on my food again without pain. As soon as the stores re-opened after the holidays I switched over to coconut oil. The taste of olive oil, even with a few drops of essential sage oil was just too much first thing in the morning ( I have to wake up at 4:30am). On work days, I additionally rinse my mouth with water and a drop of peppermint oil. For the freshness. Other than that, I brush my teeth with plain water spitting everything out several times in the process. Don’t think I’ll be needing my dentist anytime soon!
That’s great! Thanks for sharing your experience, and I’m so glad that it helped.
I didn’t first try oil pulling for this, but it is fabulous for my chronic dry mouth.
Consuming coconut oil and other quality oils regularly can also help with dry eyes and dry skin. Our bodies need fat to function!
Does oil pulling help with infections in the body (specifically the hands and feet)?
Some may claim that it helps, but I haven’t found any studies to back this claim up.
Laurie, I love how you say self-sustainability is just about making common sense choices to improve your life. Amen, sister! I have been wanting to try oil pulling for a while and now I think I finally will because of this great post. Thank you for sharing, cheers!
Welcome, Danielle. Glad you like it. 🙂
Really great information. Thank you for putting together a credible post on it! I oil pulled a few years back and then for some reason stopped….I have no idea why. Anyway, I was looking back into the health benefits and came across your page
Is this safe during pregnancy?
Wellness Mama did some research on oil pulling during pregnancy, and this is what she came up with:
my dentist endorses oil pulling…
This may sound like a silly question, but I would prefer to do this at night. Is there any problem with me doing this just before bed instead of in the AM?
If that’s when you have time, that’s when you have time. I don’t believe it will make a significant difference.
Pulling for the first time right now. I have been swallowing it for digestion issues for the past year and have fallen in love with coconut oil (unrefined and virgin) with all its great uses who wouldn’t love this stuff.
Hello! Just read all this about oil pulling. I was wondering if it helps your enemal and can I do oil pulling with braces? I just got them and it takes a lot of time cleaning them, so I thought I could do pulling to help a bit. Thank u(:
It should be safe, but make sure to check with your dentist, just in case there might be any reason to avoid it. Depending on the length of time your braces are on, regular pulling might make the exposed enamel a lighter shade than the covered enamel.
To strengthen teeth bone broth is a great mix of readily available minerals and gelatin. You may also try a remineralizing tooth powder or paste for surface treatment. The book “Cure Tooth Decay” gives a comprehensive explanation on how to strengthen and rebuild teeth.
I oil pull every morning. Oil pulling makes my teeth and mouth feel cleaner and I feel it is beneficial for overall health. Have a lot of fillings from my childhood, but have had no problems with oil pulling. Did have a hard time oil pulling until I found an oil I could tolerate so don’t be afraid to try different oils. To my oil for pulling, I add a drop of peppermint essential oil for added benefits. I do brush afterwards with a natural toothpaste. Please be aware of the ingredient list on your toothpaste. Note that most toothpastes say call poison control if swallowed – which is usually due to the fluoride, but many of the other ingredients are not something I want in my mouth or body. Wanted to share that there is a free app called Skin Deep that lists ingredients that have use restrictions for many personal care products. Thanks for sharing the great information in your oil pulling article.
Another strange ingredient that has ended up in some toothpastes are plastic microbeads, which dental hygienists are now finding imbedded at the gumline. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Hey – thanks for the information. I just started this week and feel amazing. I have Sjogren’s Syndrome which is dry eyes and dry mouth – and any other moist areas. Recently diagnosed with several additional issues that go along as well. Dental health is a huge issue. But got immediate relief on the dry mouth deal at first rinse and brush. Discovered a few months ago I am allergic to toothpaste and some really nasty stuff recurring in my mouth tongue gums and lips cleared immediately when I stopped using regular toothpaste. But the dry mouth thing is awful. Plan to contact my rheumatologist to let him know about this!
Thanks for sharing your experience and I’m glad it gave you some relief.
I too have the same condition. How gas this been working so far. My nights are the worst so I’m thinking about trying this.
I think the whole point of oil pulling is to remove toxins from your body – if you swallow it, that would just be reintroducing the toxins. I follow advice from other sources that say to spit it in the trash – that way you are not introducing the toxins into the water supply, or clogging up any pipes.
That’s not “the whole point of oil pulling”, it’s just unfounded mysticism with no basis in fact. The “point” is oral hygiene, a benefit with credible evidence to support it. Ludicrous claims of “whole body detoxification” should be put in the category of “snake oil pulling”.
David, there is evidence to support detoxing. Not just oral health. So those of you that have sinusitis and other health issues, pull away!
I’m with David on this one. Even the link in the above article (Oil pulling for detox?) states that the benefits are solely for oral health. Mouth infections are serious and can impact your overall health, but that article states that in no way is anyone “pulling” toxins from anywhere else but your mouth. That article is sensible, researched and with sources cited. And if you believe oil “pulling” is going to heal your diabetes or hemmoroids, then, friend, you better be prepared to “pull” with all your might.