Oil Pulling - A Highly Recognized Oral Treatment For Many That Still Lacks Attestation

It started in India thousands of years ago and was introduced to the United States in the early 1990s by a medical doctor named Dr. F. Karach, who used it with success in his medical practice.

The practice is based on a core concept of Ayurveda: that oil is nourishing to body tissue, said Marc Halpern, a chiropractor and president of the California College of Ayurveda, in Nevada City, Calif.. "In Ayurveda we oil all the tissues of the body, from head to toe, every day. Studies have shown there can be an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory action."


Oil pulling is an age-old remedy that uses natural substances to clean and detoxify teeth and gums. It has the added effect of whitening teeth naturally and evidence even shows that it is beneficial in improving gums and removing harmful bacteria!

The basic idea is that oil when swished in the mouth for a short time each day gives action that helps improve oral health. Just as with Oil Cleansing for the skin, the principle of “like dissolves like” applies, as oil is able to cut through plaque and remove toxins without disturbing the teeth or gums.


Online, there are thousands of people who said they have experienced benefits from oil pulling even though there is no credible attestation to these claims from any recognized health body. The benefits they claim to have derived ranges from

• help with skin conditions,

• arthritis, 

• asthma, 

• headaches, 

• hormone imbalances, 

• infections, 

• liver problems and more.

While Halpern said he believes swishing oil is safe, he recommends that people work with a trained and experienced Ayurveda practitioner to get a personalized "prescription" for the type of oil that best fits their needs and physical make-up and the method to apply them.

However, Lydia Hall, a spokeswoman for the American Dental Association, said the association can't comment on oil pulling because additional research is needed. And the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research isn't doing any research on oil pulling, said its spokesman, Bob Kuska.

How to Do Oil Pulling:

The concept is incredibly simple. Basically, a person swishes a couple teaspoons of a vegetable based oil (coconut, sesame or olive) in the mouth for 20 minutes and then spits it out and rinses well.  Oil pulling is best done in the morning, before eating or drinking anything, though Dr. Bruce Fife suggests that it can be done before each meal if needed for more severe infections or dental problems.

How to do oil pulling:

1. Put 1-2 teaspoons of oil into the mouth.  preferably, use 2 teaspoons of organic coconut oil. Scoop it out as a solid and let it melt in my mouth before swishing (If you don’t like the texture of solid coconut oil). Also pour a few drops of Brushing Blend (naturally antibacterial) into the mix.
2. Swish for 20 minutes. Apparently the timing is key, according to Dr. Bruce Fife, author of Oil Pulling Therapy, as this is long enough to break through plaque and bacteria but not long enough that the body starts re-absorbing the toxins and bacteria. The oil will get thicker and milky as it mixed with saliva during this time and it should be creamy-white when spit out.
3. Spit oil into the trash can.  Especially if you have a septic system … don’t spit into the sink! Do not swallow the oil as it is hopefully full of bacteria, toxins and pus that are now not in the mouth!
4. Rinse well with warm water. Warm water seems to clean the mouth better (my opinion). Swish a few times with warm water to get any remaining oil out of my mouth.
5. Brush well.  preferably, brush with Brushing Blend to make sure any remaining bacteria is killed.

• http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/news 

• http://wellnessmama.com/7866/oil-pulling