Oiling Pulling for Maintaining Oral Hygiene – A Complete Guide

We all know that oral hygiene is very important and oral care should be done daily.There are many methods of oral hygiene that we use in our day-to-day life such as brushing, gargling, mouth wash, tongue cleaning and more. But do you know about Oiling Pulling? Yes, Oiling Pulling is also one of the oral hygiene method.

According to some studies oiling pulling can improve dental health and can kill bacteria in the mouth. It also suggested that oiling pulling can treat several other diseases related to mouth like cavity, inflammation, and more.

The purpose of oiling pulling is to get rid of oil soluble bacteria and toxins and enhance oral hygiene.

In this blog, I will tell you what is Oiling Pulling, some different types of oils for oiling pulling, oiling pulling benefits and how to do oil pulling.

What is Oiling Pulling?

Oiling pulling is an ancient technique or a process for the cleansing of the mouth and for maintaining oral hygiene. It involves swishing oil in the mouth just like a mouthwash to promote oral and dental hygiene.

It is believed that the oiling pulling method can cure more than thirty systemic diseases when practiced regularly and as directed.

Oiling Pulling Benefits

There are several benefits of oil pulling that can definitely make you to include this oral care method in your daily routine.

 1. Reduces Bad Breath

Bad breath is a sign of pure oral health, it is also known as halitosis. There are many reasons related to bad breath like infection, gum disease, tongue coating, poor oral hygiene etc. 

Its treatment includes removal of bacteria through tongue cleaning or may be through antiseptic mouth wash like chlorhexidine. 

Many studies have shown that oiling pulling can be a good replacement for reducing bad breath and to counter other oral and dental problems. It shows similar effects as that of chlorhexidine.

2. Reduces inflammation and improves gum health

If your gums are characterized by redness and swelling or are inflamed that can bleed easily than you might be suffering from gingivitis which is induced by the bacteria present in the plaque.

Oiling pulling has shown various positive results in reducing inflammation and by improving gum health. It was also effective in removing bacteria which can cause other gum diseases like Streptococcus mutans. 

3. Helps in preventing cavities

It is one of the common problems related to oral health. It is caused by poor oral health eating too much sugar which leads to tooth decay causing cavities. 

Oiling pulling can reduce the amount of bacteria present in the mouth which leads to tooth decay causing cavities in the gums.

4. Kills bacteria in the mouth

There are more than 700 types of bacteria which can be present in the mouth. Many of them can lead to various tooth and gum problems including bad breath.

Oiling pulling is a technique which can be beneficial in killing harmful bacteria in the mouth.

Various studies have shown that oil pulling techniques are able to kill these bacteria in the cleansing process of mouth. Majority of these bacteria are present on the tongue and at the edges of the teeth where toothbrush can’t reach. 

5. Reduces Oral thrush Symptoms

Oral thrush is an infection which is caused when the mouth is influenced by Candida yeast. This infection is mostly experienced by people who are going through chemotherapy and people who use inhalers for asthma.

Oiling pulling can help in reducing oral thrush symptoms in an effective way. Oiling pulling is a natural way to deal with oral thrush symptoms.

These are the Oiling Pulling Benefits that you should keep in mind when you are planning for your oral hygiene.

Also read: How to get rid of sore throat fast

How to do Oiling Pulling in 4 simple steps:

Oiling pulling is very easy to execute and can be done in few simple steps

Here are four simple steps to do oil pulling:

• Take one tablespoon of oil like coconut, sesame or olive oil.
• Swish the oil in your mouth for approximately 15 minutes to 20 minutes, just be careful not to swallow it.
• Spit the oil in trash when you are done with swishing. Make sure you do not spit into the sink or wash basin as it may lead to clogging.
• Now rinse your mouth properly before eating or drinking anything.

Repeat these steps twice or thrice a day and four to five times a week. You can first start swishing for only 5 minutes and later on you can increase the timing.

You can perform oil pulling as per your preferences, but doing it in the morning on an empty stomach is recommended for better results. There are many Oiling Pulling benefits that you can’t ignore. So, include it in your time table.

Types of oil for Oiling Pulling

You can try following mentioned oils for oil pulling. It seems to be difficult task to do oil pulling but if you want to have a better oral hygiene, you should include oil pulling method in your daily routine.

1. Coconut oil

Coconut oil contains lauric acid which is very effective in killing harmful bacteria that can lead to tooth decay. It can decrease the amount of plague in your mouth and can decrease the chances of tooth decay and bad breath.

2. Olive oil

It has very effective numerous antiviral properties which can be very beneficial for mouth. It has various healthy dietary fats which will race through your mouth. It is also an essential oil for oil pulling.

3. Sunflower oil

Sunflower oil contains omega 6 fatty acid which is not good for your health but still it can do wonders for your oral health. Make sure you do not swallow it; It is also very effective in killing harmful bacteria present in your mouth.

4. Sesame Oil

Sesame oil is rich in Vitamin E and antioxidants that prevents absorption of bad cholesterol. This oil is very good in the cleansing process of mouth through oil pulling. It is easily available in the market and is not much expensive.

Read More, 10+ Best Homemade Mouthwash for Fresh Breath and Healthy Gums

Oral hygiene is very important as nobody will like a person with a bad mouth. There are many oral diseases like pyorrhea, tooth decay, gingivitis and inflammation; these oral problems will make you suffer badly. So in this case Oiling pulling is one of the effective ways to deal with most of these oral diseases.

It should be noted that this method of oral cleansing should not be replaced by the traditional techniques such as brushing teeth and flossing. It is just an additional method so do not replace it with your basic routine of teeth care.

Research on oil pulling is very limited, and there is confusion regarding the benefits of oil pulling but these very some proven benefits of oil pulling which is science backed. Oil pulling is a method which is associated with ayurveda.

“Stay Healthy, Stay Hygienic”