Today I am going to talk about oil pulling. This is a bit of an obscure oral health practice in the western world, but Ayurvedic practitioners and other traditional cultures have been using oil pulling for thousands of years to keep mouths healthy and disease free. If you read my post on oil cleansing the skin, then you have some idea that certain oils can actually pull bacteria and other funk (for lack of a better term) out of the skin, so it is no surprise that it can also do so for the mouth. Oil pulling is largely "detoxing" the gums and tongue and throat, and aside from helping with gum issues and oral bacterial issues (gum disease, bad breath) it can also help to re-mineralize your teeth (more on that in another post) and also helps to clear sinus and throat congestion (a huge plus for me with all my sinus issues). Some say it helps to strengthen gums, helps with tooth sensitivity, whitens teeth, and possibly even helps to clear up skin conditions. I mean, with all of those possibilities, why WOULDN'T you try it? I will say, it does take some time to get used to, but my husband and I have both made it a regular practice, and we both have some teeth issues that seem to have improved- it would be hard at this point to say how much the oil pulling contributed to better mouth and overall health, I think changing our diets has been the biggest thing that has improved our oral health, but I think oil pulling is a piece of the healing puzzle). I have a good friend who has spent a significant amount of time in India and also went to a school in the US where Ayurveda is practiced, and she would tell you oil pulling is definitely something that everyone can benefit from (along with using melted Ghee in your eyes to help pull out funk- our husbands are firefighters together and sometimes come back from fires all congested up from the smoke- maybe I will ask her to guest post about that practice, since I haven't actually tried it on myself yet). Traditionally, sesame oil is used, but I use coconut oil since I like the taste a little more. I do this in the morning, before I have eaten or had anything to drink, since you get the most benefit out of it then (there is a whole routine of self care steps that Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners and followers do each morning, oil pulling and using the neti pot being two of those steps). You can do it at night as well, before bed. It is very simple:
Take about 1 tsp coconut oil (some people say 1 tbsp, but that was too much for me- experiment with the amount that is right for you) and put it in your mouth, and move it around so it melts. I like to do this right before I get in the shower, it makes it a bit quicker instead of sitting around, twiddling your thumbs while swishing oil in your mouth. Swish it around in your mouth, pulling it through your teeth and getting it on the back of your throat if you can, for as long as you can. It is generally supposed to be done for 20 minutes, but even if you only have 5 minutes it will still be totally beneficial. Then just spit it out (but make sure you spit it in the loo, if you spit it down your sink you could clog up your pipes) and then floss and brush as normal. And there you have it, easy as pie and so many benefits! Once it become part of your routine, you won't feel clean with out doing it regularly.
Let me know if you oil pull and love it, or if you try it and notice a difference- I know it has made a difference in our oral health, and hopefully it will work for you too. Cheers!
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