Oil Pulling

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    Last Updated: August 15, 2024

    Oil pulling is the Ayurvedic practice of swishing oil in the mouth to promote oral hygiene. While evidence to support the effects of oil pulling is limited, potential benefits include improved dental and gum health and reduced bacteria in the mouth.

    What is oil pulling?

    Oil pulling is an Ayurvedic practice used for oral health. By swishing oil around in the mouth for at least 5 minutes, the oil is thought to “pull” and capture microbes and toxins from the oral cavity which then can be spat out. Oil pulling is intended to prevent tooth decay, bad breath, and gingivitis and to reduce dry mouth.[3]

    What are the main benefits of oil pulling?

    Oil pulling has been traditionally used to prevent tooth decay, bad breath, gingivitis, and dry mouth.[3] However, evidence from randomized controlled trials is inconclusive.

    Some studies show that oil pulling with coconut oil reduces plaque and bacterial counts in the saliva when compared to baseline or using a water control. Other studies show that oil pulling is not better than chlorhexidine mouthwash (an antiseptic) for reducing gingivitis, plaque, or gum bleeding.[4] Analyses of available randomized studies confirm that oil pulling is not better than using chlorhexidine mouthwash; however, it does reduce bacterial counts compared to a water control.[1][5]

    A small study suggests that oil pulling improves symptoms of dry mouth compared to baseline but does not seem to be better than using a water control.[6]

    What are the main drawbacks of oil pulling?

    Oil pulling seems to be generally safe and well tolerated in clinical research.[1] Oil pulling should not replace standard dental care (brushing, flossing, professional dental care). There are rare case reports of exogenous lipoid pneumonia (lung inflammation from lipid inhalation) in people who performed oil pulling regularly for a year or longer.[7][8][9] These occurred in people who were at risk for aspiration (inhaling something other than air) because of underlying breathing or swallowing problems.[4] Some practitioners state that children younger than 5 should not practice oil pulling because of an increased risk of oil aspiration.[10]

    How does oil pulling work?

    In Ayurvedic medicine, oil pulling is traditionally believed to balance dosha energies, resulting in improved physical and psychological health.[3] The tongue is thought to affect various organs such as the kidneys, heart, and lungs. The practice of oil pulling is believed to extract toxins and microbes from these organs through the tongue and then trap them in the oil.[10] Once the toxins are “pulled” from the organs and trapped in the oil, the oil is then expelled from the mouth. This practice is done in pursuit of improved oral and overall health.[3] When the oil turns white, this signals that the oil has absorbed sufficient bacteria and is ready to be spat out.[11] Another theory is that the oil coats the teeth and gums and protects them from bacteria that produce plaque, dental caries, and gingivitis.[10]

    What are other names for Oil Pulling

    Note that Oil Pulling is also known as:
    • Oil Pulling Therapy (OPT)

    Dosage information

    For adults, a tablespoon of oil (most often coconut or sesame oil) is swished around the mouth and sucked through the teeth for 15–20 minutes one to three times daily.[1]

    For children older than 5, a teaspoon of oil is recommended. If 15–20 minutes is not tolerable, oil pulling can be performed for 5–10 minutes instead. Practitioners state that at the end of the oil pulling session, the oil should be milky white and have a thinner consistency. At this point the oil should be expelled from the mouth, and the mouth may be rinsed with water. To avoid clogging the pipes, it is recommended that the oil is not expelled into the sink directly but rather into the trash or a paper towel.[2]

    Frequently asked questions

    What is oil pulling?

    Oil pulling is an Ayurvedic practice used for oral health. By swishing oil around in the mouth for at least 5 minutes, the oil is thought to “pull” and capture microbes and toxins from the oral cavity which then can be spat out. Oil pulling is intended to prevent tooth decay, bad breath, and gingivitis and to reduce dry mouth.[3]

    What are the main benefits of oil pulling?

    Oil pulling has been traditionally used to prevent tooth decay, bad breath, gingivitis, and dry mouth.[3] However, evidence from randomized controlled trials is inconclusive.

    Some studies show that oil pulling with coconut oil reduces plaque and bacterial counts in the saliva when compared to baseline or using a water control. Other studies show that oil pulling is not better than chlorhexidine mouthwash (an antiseptic) for reducing gingivitis, plaque, or gum bleeding.[4] Analyses of available randomized studies confirm that oil pulling is not better than using chlorhexidine mouthwash; however, it does reduce bacterial counts compared to a water control.[1][5]

    A small study suggests that oil pulling improves symptoms of dry mouth compared to baseline but does not seem to be better than using a water control.[6]

    Does oil pulling whiten teeth?

    Tooth whitening has been touted as one of the benefits of a regular oil pulling practice.[10] However, this effect has not been proven in human studies. One in vitro study tested whether oil whitens teeth compared to hydrogen peroxide. Thirty intact human teeth were submerged in saline (salt water) alone, saline with hydrogen peroxide, or saline with coconut, sesame, or sunflower oil. These mixtures were vigorously shaken for 20 minutes, and the procedure was repeated daily for 14 days. At the end of the study, the oils did not significantly improve tooth whiteness compared to the saline control.[13]

    What are the main drawbacks of oil pulling?

    Oil pulling seems to be generally safe and well tolerated in clinical research.[1] Oil pulling should not replace standard dental care (brushing, flossing, professional dental care). There are rare case reports of exogenous lipoid pneumonia (lung inflammation from lipid inhalation) in people who performed oil pulling regularly for a year or longer.[7][8][9] These occurred in people who were at risk for aspiration (inhaling something other than air) because of underlying breathing or swallowing problems.[4] Some practitioners state that children younger than 5 should not practice oil pulling because of an increased risk of oil aspiration.[10]

    How does oil pulling work?

    In Ayurvedic medicine, oil pulling is traditionally believed to balance dosha energies, resulting in improved physical and psychological health.[3] The tongue is thought to affect various organs such as the kidneys, heart, and lungs. The practice of oil pulling is believed to extract toxins and microbes from these organs through the tongue and then trap them in the oil.[10] Once the toxins are “pulled” from the organs and trapped in the oil, the oil is then expelled from the mouth. This practice is done in pursuit of improved oral and overall health.[3] When the oil turns white, this signals that the oil has absorbed sufficient bacteria and is ready to be spat out.[11] Another theory is that the oil coats the teeth and gums and protects them from bacteria that produce plaque, dental caries, and gingivitis.[10]

    Why does oil turn white after oil pulling?

    Traditionally, when oil turns white after prolonged oil pulling, this is thought to be visual proof that the oil has absorbed bacteria and toxins from the tongue and the mouth.[11] However, another explanation is that after being swished around in the mouth for 5 minutes or longer, the oil becomes emulsified by enzymes in the saliva. Emulsification means that the oil particles are mixed evenly with water particles (from the saliva) and do not quickly separate into unmixed water and oil layers.[12] (Mayonnaise is an example of emulsification.) Of note, the water-saliva emulsification can contain microbes from the saliva, and spitting out this mixture can reduce microbe content in the oral cavity. But the reason that the oil turns white is likely due to the saliva enzymes and not the microbe content.

    Update History

    References

    1. ^Jong FJX, Ooi J, Teoh SLThe effect of oil pulling in comparison with chlorhexidine and other mouthwash interventions in promoting oral health: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Int J Dent Hyg.(2024 Feb)
    2. ^Morris NJ, Bushfield M, Lavan BE, Houslay MDMulti-site phosphorylation of the inhibitory guanine nucleotide regulatory protein Gi-2 occurs in intact rat hepatocytes.Biochem J.(1994 Aug 1)
    3. ^Vinod Bansal P, Kulkarni C, Obulareddy VT, Laxmi Penumaka S, Kulkarni KEffect of coconut and sesame oils on gingivitis.Bioinformation.(2024)
    4. ^Julian Woolley, Tatjana Gibbons, Kajal Patel, Roberto SaccoThe effect of oil pulling with coconut oil to improve dental hygiene and oral health: A systematic reviewHeliyon.(2020 Aug 27)
    5. ^Tzu-Rong Peng, Han-Yu Cheng, Ta-Wei Wu, Boon-Kok NgEffectiveness of Oil Pulling for Improving Oral Health: A Meta-AnalysisHealthcare (Basel).(2022 Oct 11)
    6. ^Ludwar L, Mannel H, Hamacher S, Noack MJ, Barbe AGOil pulling to relieve medication-induced xerostomia: A randomized, single-blind, crossover trial.Oral Dis.(2022 Mar)
    7. ^Wong CF, Yan SW, Wong WM, Ho RSLExogenous lipoid pneumonia associated with oil pulling: Report of two cases.Monaldi Arch Chest Dis.(2018 Sep 7)
    8. ^Kim JY, Jung JW, Choi JC, Shin JW, Park IW, Choi BWRecurrent lipoid pneumonia associated with oil pulling.Int J Tuberc Lung Dis.(2014 Feb)
    9. ^Kuroyama M, Kagawa H, Kitada S, Maekura R, Mori M, Hirano HExogenous lipoid pneumonia caused by repeated sesame oil pulling: a report of two cases.BMC Pulm Med.(2015 Oct 30)
    10. ^Shanbhag VKOil pulling for maintaining oral hygiene - A review.J Tradit Complement Med.(2017 Jan)
    11. ^Naseem M, Khiyani MF, Nauman H, Zafar MS, Shah AH, Khalil HSOil pulling and importance of traditional medicine in oral health maintenance.Int J Health Sci (Qassim).(2017 Sep-Oct)
    12. ^Glumac M, Qin L, Chen J, Ritzoulis CSaliva could act as an emulsifier during oral processing of oil/fat.J Texture Stud.(2019 Feb)
    13. ^ Wheater M, Friedl Z. Effect of Oil Pulling on Tooth Whitening In VitroJ Adv Oral Res.(2016-1)