Oil pulling?

loro929 · April 2014

After hearing all about it, I gave in a bought a jar of coconut oil (silly me I didn't know it was solid!). Tonight, I used it to loose my oil pulling viriginity. It was interesting to say the least and the required 20 minutes of gargling oil didn't go by as slowly as I would have thought. Surprisingly, afterward, my mouth felt quite clean; but I also acknowledge that this could also be psychological. Does any one else oil pull? If so, were the short/long term benefits worth it?

jenna8984 · April 2014

I've never heard of this in my life...what do you do and why?

loro929 · April 2014

Here is the generic wiki definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_pulling It is basically a natural method to promote oral hygiene. However, it does requires swishing oil in your mouth for 20 minutes... daily. So, while I love a good beauty method just as much as the next person, some tried and true comments would be useful to know if it's really worth incorporating it into my routine or not.

loro929 · April 2014

If you google it, you will probably also come across lots of health/beauty blogs that have an article or two regarding it.

jenna8984 · April 2014

Oh. That sounds dreadful lol

Sammyantha13 · April 2014

I tried it a few times, because I love a good fad as much as the next person, and I love using coconut oil for many things. However I wasn't that impressed with it. I feel like if you already brush and floss normally and have overall good oral health then it doesn't make that much of a difference. I'm 25, no cavities, and I'm really stringent about my oral health. I like brushing so I think I'll just stick with that. I also heard about how oil pulling can help certain auto-immune disorders and pull other toxins out of your body and stuff but I'm sort of skeptical about that. But if someone has proof otherwise then I would probably try it again for longer!

silver0319 · April 2014

My sister tried it before my wedding. She thought it helped, but I didn't see a noticeable difference.

JCbride2015 · April 2014

I'm inclined to think it's just a fad, but I've never tried it.

blabla89 · April 2014

I tried it once and don't think it's for me. Plus I'm not entirely convinced of the benefits...thinking it's just a fad.

However, I am a huge proponent of oil cleansing for skin.

LabLove86 · April 2014

I am a Dental Hygienist and this has been around for a little while now. I've tried it a few times because I have a few of my patients who do it - and SWEAR by it - so I tried (also with coconut oil!) I did feel as if my mouth was clean afterwards - but I agree that I personally prefer brushing/flossing/Listerine. . .

I will say that there are a couple things you need to be cautious of if you DO try it - what it does is pulls the bacteria out of the mouth and it is 'trapped' in the oil - so when you spit the oil out you need to make sure you're very careful and spit it into the toilet (not skink unless you clean it directly after - with bleach) and flush. Also make sure when you're spitting you're not splashing at all - there have been reports of people having the oil with all of the bacteria splash up onto their skin and causing abcesses - again - reports only - have not actually seen any of my patients have an issue with this.

The only other thing I worry about is because it DOES pull so much bacteria out - it makes me wonder if the equilibrium will be thrown off somehow - just like antibiotics can throw off the GI system if it kills too many of the good bacteria along with the bad. . . no supporting evidence - just makes me curious.

Anyway - if you guys try it or do it again let me know your thoughts! I have talked to some of the dentists I work with and they all agree the only possible concern is the one I posted above - and just a side note - all of my patients who DO do this - have BEAUTIFUL teeth, and really healthy gum tissue.

JoanE2012 · April 2014

Huh. Learn something new every day!

loro929 · April 2014

I definitely heard about it in a "fad"-type fashion but the idea of brighter teeth was what drew me in. My gums are sensitive so I can't comfortably use the at-home whitening kits.

Towards the end of the 20 minutes, I thought about what was swishing around in my mouth and I must admit it semi-grossed me out; especially because it also got more difficult to not swallow anything, as what you are swishing grows a bit with saliva.

I think I might keep it up until the jar of oil is used at least and depending on whether there is a difference or not, then decide whether or not to continue or to stop.

larrygaga · April 2014

I think I'll just continue to brush my teeth twice a day and floss.

NavyBlue143 · April 2014

The problem with this is that all bacteria is not bad bacteria, so it could potentially have some long term negative effects since the oil in not discerning. Plus, there isn't much you can do to pull toxins from your body that your kidneys and liver don't already do. That's why we have them. Nothing external is as effective and efficient as the system you already have, assuming they work properly.

Maggie0829 · April 2014

Just the idea of swirling around oil in my mouth for 20 minutes makes me want to gag.

ElcaB · April 2014

I have a friend who's into oil pulling and swears by it, but from what I've read there's not really proof that it's actually beneficial.

I know you can do other stuff while you swish for 20 min., but I'm still not sure I want to spend 20 min. a day with my mouth full of oil.

misscoffeeplease · April 2014

I think oil pulling is just a bunch of crock. That's just me though.

theartistformerlyknownas · April 2014

This has actually been around for a very long tine, as an ancient Ayurvedic oral hygiene ritual... it's only recently caught on as a fad. My sister has been doing it for the past 4 days and says her teeth are noticeably whiter. There is a danger in aspirating any of the oil and getting pneumonia. And I would also not think this would be a good thing long-term because some of that bacteria is healthy... but I'm definitely curious.

arrippa · April 2014

I tried it with coconut oil and I gagged. I couldn't swish more than a minute before I had to spit it out. Also, if you use coconut oil, be careful where you spit it. It hardens at a certain temperature and I have heard it's not good for the pipes.

Edit: spelling

vmj23 · April 2014

i've read about it but haven't tried it. Curious, but 20 min seems too long to me. I've read that you have to do it first thing in the morning before eating at all or brushing. I roll out of bed and first thing i did is brush my teeth. i don't have 20 free minutes every morning before i start to get going. Plus i've also read you have to do it daily, not just every day. It's suppose to also help with hang overs, or so i've ready. Sounds interesting, but i don't think i'll ever actually try it.

selenathegreat · April 2014

Looks like total BS to me with no scientific evidence. Shouldn't do any harm, though, and the oil you spit out won't be any more full of bacteria than mouthwash or water you spit out. Ditto PP tho that it could clog your sink I bet.

loro929 · April 2014

So I attempted it after Goop started spouting her mouth off about it. I'm always so interested in the awful things she does. The texture damn near made me vomit, and while I only lasted about five minutes, my teeth did seem more white! But my mouth tasted gross. :[

me too. She is certainly not my favorite celebrity but I am weirdly drawn to things she does. I even bought her cookbook "it's all good", thinking it would be fun for a laugh to see the strange things that goop eats. In the end, the joke was on me because her recipes are simply delicious and the photos in the book serve for some nice food porn too.

emcme22 · April 2014

I haven't tried it but I have heard you are supposed to spit it in the trash because spitting it into the sink/toilet can cause problems with your pipes

Oil pulling?

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