Oil pulling is a traditional Ayurvedic dental care practice, meaning that it has been around and recommended to do for a long time to improve oral and bodily health. Many people swear by it, and recently it has been widely mentioned on the internet, leading skeptics are bound to wonder: "Has it been scientifically proven to have work?"
First, oil pulling the practice of swishing an oil in the mouth for around fifteen to twenty minutes, then spitting it out. The most commonly used oils are sunflower, coconut, and sesame oils, which may be something that people already have at home, making it an accessible, more natural, and affordable oral care treatment. While there are many theories on the exact way it works to eliminate toxins, the main idea is that the oil will pick up bad bacteria or toxins in the mouth during swishing and then all of that accumulated matter is then removed entirely from the mouth. When done regularly, this theoretically could make a big change in the contents of the mouth. As far as how it works, some theories credit the beneficial nutrients of the oils themselves, and others attribute its positive effects to its viscosity or chemical reactions that happen in the mouth during the process. However, there is still the question of if it really works.
In a comprehensive database search of related papers from the last twenty years, there have been significant positive effects shown from oil pulling. Evidence has shown decrease in risk for dental caries, decreases in plaque, halitosis, oral thrush and gingivitis, and reduced bacterial count in the mouth.
The mouth, like most things in biology, desires an equilibrium. There is a balance of bacteria and minerals in the mouth that can cause damage if tipped too far in either direction. Dental caries, which is essentially the precursor of a cavities, occurs when the PH of the mouth has shifted too far, allowing demineralization of the enamel and potential harm that is caused by bacteria already existing in the mouth. One study showed a 20% reduction in oral microbes after a 40-day regimen of regular oil pulling. Another study evaluating the risk of dental caries development recorded that 100% of subjects experienced decreases in risk to varying levels starting from "marked" to either "moderate" or "slight". In a controlled experiment comparing a chemical mouthwash to oil pulling, there was a 18% to 30% decrease in plaque scores and a 52-60% decrease in gingivitis. There was also positive results for study subjects suffering from oral thrush, which is an excess of yeast in the mouth, and halitosis, or chronic bad breath.
While we still may not know the specific mechanism that of oil pulling that results in these benefits, we can see through the evidence that there is, in fact, benefits to it. Regular usage has shown these and even more positive bodily effects such as headache or migraine relief, eczema reduction, and more. By no means is this article meant to suggest to throw away your toothbrush and never floss again, but that oil pulling could be a beneficial component of an oral care routine that can be used for a variety of benefits at a lower cost and a more natural ingredient list than many other products. Could be worth a try!
Reference
Naseem, M., Khiyani, M. F., Nauman, H., Zafar, M. S., Shah, A. H., & Khalil, H. S. (2017). Oil pulling and importance of traditional medicine in oral health maintenance. International Journal of Health Sciences, 11(4), 65–70. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5654187/ Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board