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Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic medical technique that entails swishing edible oil around your mouth to clean it thoroughly. The benefits of it have not yet been proven by our East Nashville dentistry, but those who practice it think it eliminates plaque from teeth and improves the health of your teeth, tongue, and gums.

More research is still required to verify the advantages of oil pulling. However, here at your East Nashville dentistry, we’ll explore some potential benefits of oil pulling for oral hygiene, and try to determine if it really helps remove potentially harmful bacteria from the mouth and teeth.

Potential Benefits of Oil Pulling

1. Reduce Harmful Bacteria

Your mouth can harbor about 700 different kinds of bacteria, some of which are good for your health and some of which are bad for you. These are the ones that cause issues like gum disease, bad breath, and tooth decay.

According to a number of studies, oil pulling may help lower the quantity of dangerous oral bacteria. In one study, 75 teenagers either used sesame oil for oil pulling every day or used an antibacterial mouthwash. After 15 days, it was proven that oil pulling dramatically decreased the quantity of dangerous bacteria in the plaque and saliva.

2. Reduce Bad Breath

Infection, gum disease, poor oral hygiene, and tongue coating—a condition where bacteria become stuck on the tongue—are some of the common causes of bad breath, professionally known as halitosis.

To eliminate the bad odors, the usual professional treatment involves brushing or using an antiseptic mouthwash, such as chlorhexidine, to get rid of the bacteria. However, a 2011 study discovered that oil pulling could reduce bad breath just as well as chlorhexidine.

20 children in the study rinsed with either sesame oil or chlorhexidine, and both successfully reduced the number of microorganisms known to cause foul breath.

3. Prevent Cavities

Plaque is one of the main causes of cavities. Plaque is made up of food particles, saliva, and bacteria and forms a coating on teeth. As the bacteria break down the food particles, an acid is created that erodes tooth enamel and leads to tooth decay.

According to some studies, oil pulling may be just as effective as mouthwash at reducing the quantity of dangerous bacteria present in plaque and saliva, helping stop tooth decay.

4. Reduce Inflammation and Improve Gum Health

Oil pulling could be a useful treatment to enhance gum health. It mainly functions by reducing the dangerous oral bacteria and plaque, like Streptococcus mutans, that cause gum disease. However, utilizing oils with anti-inflammatory qualities, such as coconut oil, may also help by lessening gum disease-related inflammation.

Possible Side Effects of Oil Pulling

Although the oils used for oil pulling are safe to eat and even to put in your mouth, it is best to avoid swallowing them because doing so may upset your stomach. Furthermore, traditional Ayurvedic medicine believes that the oil contains all the toxins and bacteria you eliminated from your mouth, so it’s best to spit it out.

Protect Your Smile by Getting East Nashville Dentistry Services

While the benefits of oil pulling haven’t yet been fully verified, the health improvement of visiting the dentist regularly is well-established. A dentist can examine the state of your smile, locate any cavities, and conduct a teeth cleaning to remove plaque buildup, if there’s any.

If you want a proven method to protect your smile, reach out to Greenwood Local Dentistry!