Ayurvedic oral hygiene is very trendy. Oil pulling is said to help against bleeding gums and bad breath, as well as fight tooth decay and reduce plaque. Some even claim that oil pulling can help with conditions like migraines and PMS. What you should know about the detoxifying oral hygiene ritual and a step-by-step guide on how to do morning oil pulling yourself.
The essentials in brief:
- Oil pulling has its origins in Indian medicine. Today, morning oil pulling is also part of the morning oral hygiene ritual in many bathrooms around the world. More
- Daily oil pulling can strengthen your teeth and gums, eliminate bad breath, fight dry mouth, treat chapped lips and prevent bleeding gums. More
- When oil pulling, use a cold-pressed vegetable oil of your choice. These oils are good for that.
- After getting up, draw the oil through your mouth for 15 to 20 minutes and then brush your teeth as usual.
After getting up, the morning ritual of oil pulling before breakfast has a positive effect on dental health . In India, people swear by the Ayurvedic ritual, and studies have shown that 15 minutes of oil pulling can make a difference.
Table of Contents:
- What is Opulling?
- What does oil pulling do?
- This oil is suitable for oil pulling
- Oil pulling: Here’s how
- Why oil pulling is worth trying
What is oil pulling?
Oil pulling is an Ayurvedic oral care ritual. Ayurveda is the traditional Indian art of healing. In the Charaka Samhita, the literature of Ayurveda, a number of diseases are listed that are said to be cured by oil pulling. These include, for example, hormone disorders , migraines, diabetes and asthma.
Oil pulling is said to prevent the following symptoms
The effect of oil pulling is still controversial, but there are Indian scientists who are convinced of Ayurvedic medicine. They defended oil pulling in the 2011 Indian Journal of Dental Research . A list of ailments that oil pulling could have a positive effect on:
- Gum problems, toothache, bad breath , dry mouth, chapped lips
- Influenza infections, headaches, gastritis
- heart diseases
- blood diseases
- Acne, psoriasis , neurodermatitis
- insomnia
- thrombosis
- PMS
What does oil pulling do
Oil pulling is good for oral hygiene. A 2014 study compared the oil pulling method using sesame oil and the mouthwash method using chlorhexidine. The result: Both methods visibly improved oral health and reduced plaque.
What happens when you oil pull?
Oil pulling, i.e. gargling with oil, results in a so-called “saponification” of the oil in the mouth. The oil cleans and disinfects the mouth. Thanks to the consistency, the liquid gets into all the gaps. The oil also fights bacteria in the mouth that are responsible for bad breath or diseases. Oil pulling stimulates blood circulation in the oral cavity, which promotes the body’s ability to heal itself.
Which oil is suitable for oil pulling?
In principle, any cold-pressed vegetable oil is suitable for oil pulling. You can easily use the following oils for your morning ritual:
- sesame oil
- coconut oil
- sunflower oil
- olive oil
- linseed oil
Oil pulling: Here’s how
1 Clean the tongue: The first thing you should do after standing up is remove the coating on the tongue, for example with a tongue scraper. Bad breath is eliminated in advance and your sense of taste is fine again.
2 Choose a cold-pressed vegetable oil: Sesame oil is traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine, but coconut oil or linseed oil also worketoxifying. If you don’t particularly like the taste of oil, you can use olive oil or sunflower oil for oil pulling.
3 Swallow oil through your mouth: Put a tablespoon of oil in your mouth and swish it back and forth in your mouth for 15 to 20 minutes. The oil should be constantly moving. You can “pull” it from one cheek side to the next. 15 to 20 minutes is a long time to spend on making breakfast or making your bed. Don’t forget the spaces between your teeth. If you have trouble with this, you can start with 5 minutes and increase over time.
4 Spitting it out: Do not swallow the oil, because the toxins from your mouth are in the oil after the oil pulling. When the oil is thinner and white, you can spit it into a tissue.
Important: The oil should not be spit into the sink, as the oil residue can be deposited on the pipes. In addition, oil does not combine with water and can clog drains. Therefore, spit the saliva-oil mixture into a kitchen towel and dispose of it in the trash can.
5 Rinse: Then rinse your mouth with warm water and brush your teeth as usual.
Why you need an empty stomach to do oil pulling
Since most toxins accumulate in our mouths overnight, you should draw oil through your mouth before taking your first sip of water. Only after brushing your teeth can you drink water and have breakfast.
Benefits of Oil Pulling
Oil pulling has similar effects on your oral hygiene as mouthwashes. However, mouthwashes often contain chlorhexidine, which can be harmful and possibly stain your teeth brown. Oil, on the other hand, is a natural way to clean teeth and reduce dental disease. In contrast to chlorhexidine, it is even said to make teeth whiter . The usefulness of oil pulling is disputed by various sources, some even mentioning it as a placebo, but it has no negative side effects.
How healthy is oil pulling really?
Because poison can spread through the blood vessels in the mouth to the whole body, oil pulling is said to have a detox effect and naturally detoxify the body. According to Ayurvedic medicine, this should also counteract intestinal problems, because these can often be traced back to a disturbed oral flora.
Why oil pulling is worth trying
Oil pulling is not a miracle cure, but many believe that it has a preventive effect and that it contributes to a healthy physical balance. Even if the taste of pure oil alone seems to take some getting used to and the scientific basis is a bit shaky, oil pulling certainly doesn’t do any harm – so it’s worth extending the morning ritual a bit for a few weeks and hopefully doing something for the sake of your health. It’s at least worth a try.
