What is Oil Pulling? - How Coconut Oil is Good For Your Teeth and Gums
/I recently learned about oil pulling while listening to my good friend, Aileen Day’s interview on the “The Easy Wins Podcast” With Mitch Harb. Aileen is a dentist, a certified yoga teacher and a wellness expert and her segment on oil pulling grabbed my curiosity since I am always looking for healthy, natural solutions to everyday problems.
Aileen Day - Dentist, yoga teacher and wellness expert. Photography by Paul Garrett
What is Oil Pulling?
Oil pulling is a technique for good oral health that involves swishing coconut oil, sesame oil or olive oil in your mouth for around 15 to 20 minutes, rinsing with water and then brushing your teeth. As I understand it, the bacteria that causes cavities and bad breath stick to the fat that is in the oil. When you are done swishing the oil in your mouth, spit it into a trash can so that it doesn’t clog the pipes in your sink. The bacteria will also be spit out with the oil leaving your mouth cleaner.
What are the Benefits of Oil Pulling?
Kills and removes bacteria from your mouth
Combats bad breath
Fights cavities
Heals gingivitis and reduces inflammation of your gum tissues
Removes stains and whitens your teeth
Watch the short video below by Dr. Josh Axe to learn how to pull oil:
My Results From Pulling Coconut Oil for 7 Days
After leaning about oil pulling from Aileen on the podcast, I did it every night before going to bed for an entire week leading up to my appointment with my dentist. It turns out that it had been well over a year since I had last been there and my hygienist expected to see a good deal of inflammation with my gums. The great news is that she was impressed with the heath of my teeth and gums and found very little inflammation. The other benefit that I noticed is that my teeth had become slightly whiter.
A smile can brighten your day! Photography by Paul Garrett
Good oral heath is not only essential for your teeth and gums, it can also protect you from other problems such as heart disease and pneumonia. A regular routine of brushing, flossing and oil pulling are great ways to protect your health, prevent bad breath and also give you whiter teeth in a natural way.
What do you think of oil pulling? Have you ever tried it? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Wishing you great oral health and a fabulous week!
Paul
P.S. - I’d love to connect with you on Instagram. Please reach out to me at www.instagram.com/totalsoulfuljourney/
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