So, you’ve read a bunch of blogs about the benefits of oil pulling, and how different people have gotten great results from this new-found practice. But it hasn’t helped you as much as you would like. Read on, as we are going to tell you why you should super-charge your oil pulling with essential oils and obtain the results you really want. It’s a super simple shift. You’ve done the hard work already—starting a new health habit. You might as well get the full reward for your efforts. Ready to dive in?
What is Oil Pulling?
(You probably already know this, but in case you ended up reading this article first.)
Oil pulling is an ancient Indian practice that has gained popularity for holistic mouth care. It originally comes from the ancient Indian medicine system Ayurveda – they wrote about it in their medical books thousands of years ago!
The basic idea is you take some oil, about 1 teaspoon (for starters) to 1 tablespoon – traditionally sesame oil, but coconut oil works too – and swish it all around your mouth for 15-20 minutes before brushing your teeth. As you swish and “pull” the oil between your teeth it creates an emulsion that coats the teeth and gets down into the gingival pockets around your teeth. After you are done with the oil pulling, spit the used oil into the trash or something you can throw out later, because it’ll get really thick and might clog up your sinks and drains. Don’t swallow the oil. Rinse your mouth well with warm water. Then brush as normal with a healthy toothpaste.
What are the Benefits of Oil Pulling?
What are the benefits of oil pulling? It is supposed to get rid of bacteria that cause bad breath, reduce plaque buildup, heal red, tender gums, and help prevent cavities. Some people claim it makes your teeth whiter, though evidence doesn’t really support this claim.
Even more results are claimed for whole body health–the oil is supposed to pull toxins out of your body and help with a variety of chronic disease processes. Some of this makes sense, as your overall health is affected by your oral health.
Oil pulling might sound as weird to you as it does to me, but studies are starting to back up what Ayurvedic healers have said about oil pulling for ages and early research says doing it can whiten your teeth, reduce bad breath and make your gums less inflamed. Scientists still have lots more to learn, but so far the evidence looks promising.
Oil Pulling Passes Scientific Scrutiny
A 2022 meta-analysis review of oil pulling studies found 9 randomized controlled trials which showed a significantly reduced salivary bacterial load in the groups that practiced oil pulling compared to control groups. But the amount of plaque and gingival health were not better in the oil pulling groups. A 2023 systematic review of studies compared oil pulling to chlorhexidine and other mouthwash interventions, testing each intervention between 7 and 45 days. The oil pulling clinically and significantly reduced a modified gingival index score compared to non-chlorhexidine mouthwash. But the chlorhexidine mouthwash was better for reducing plaque buildup. Of course, chlorhexidine is prescription-grade mouthwash and isn’t for regular daily oral care. And staining can be an issue as well with chlorhexidine.
So, the scientific scrutiny does show some benefits for reducing bacterial load and helping with gingivitis.
Why You Should Boost Oil Pulling with Essential Oils Right Now
Could you make the oil pulling results even better? Yes, by using essential oils with natural anti-microbial properties. People sometimes add essential oils just to make the oil taste better, but you can get extra antimicrobial benefits, too. If you’re going to try oil pulling, use good organic oil and add essential oils so you get the most benefits of this practice. Getting 15-20 minutes of exposure to essential oils that are well known for getting rid of pathogenic bacteria could go a long ways to making your oral health stellar.
What Essential Oils are Great for Oil Pulling?
Peppermint oil
Peppermint oil has a long history of cleansing contaminants from people’s mouths. By itself it leaves a very clean, cool fresh taste from the menthol in peppermint. Peppermint oil has no negative effects on the beneficial bacteria in your mouth.
Oregano oil
A little bit of oregano oil goes a long ways to providing active ingredients that help balance the oral microbiome. It helps keep the good and bad bacteria in balance by stopping the growth of bacteria that promote plaque, cavities and smelly breath. Oregano oil can also help with inflammation, redness and swelling of the gums.
Tea Tree oil
Tea tree oil is powerful and needs some dilution, which is perfect for oil pulling. Using it regularly might help avoid sore, inflamed, red and bleeding gums.
Cinnamon leaf oil
Cinnamon leaf oil has cinnamaldehyde in it, which has strong antibacterial properties. And it tastes great, too, pairing well with clove oil.
Clove oil
Clove oil is great for tooth pain, and it has been used for toothaches and tooth pain successfully for years. Eugenol, a compound known for its powerful antiseptic and analgesic properties, is a major compound in clove oil. If you have any tooth pain this is the oil to grab.
What Base Oil Should You Use?
What kind of oil should you use? Traditionally oil pulling was done with sesame oil. It is quite common now to use coconut oil rather than sesame oil. Any organic, cold-pressed oil would be a healthy choice. Extra-virgin olive oil would work, though the taste might be objectionable to you. Each oil has different properties, so you might even want to vary which oil you use, as they do have different polyphenols and benefits to them.
Coconut oil is popular because lauric acid found in coconut oil has direct antibacterial activity if it is released from its natural triglyceride form. Medium chain triglyceride oil would be an even better pick, as it has more of the lauric acid in it, is already in a liquid form, and has a neutral taste.
My top choice is MCT oil. The neutral taste, liquid form, and antimicrobial properties of MCT oil make it a winner for oil pulling.
For people wanting a boost to their regular oil pulling, Ora-Shield is an optimized blend of essential oils made specifically to help oral health. This proprietary combo brings together peppermint, spearmint, oregano, and tea tree oils. You can add a few drops of Ora-Shield to your spoon of oil before swishing it around in your mouth, or you can brush your teeth with it and get some of the benefits without oil pulling for 20 minutes.
Why Add Ora-Shield to Your Oil Pulling Routine?
- Optimized blend of essential oils—powerful oils that taste great!
- Easy to Use—Don’t have to wait a long time to get the oil out of the bottle.
- Great Results. Don’t waste your time by not adding any essential oils to your oil pulling.
Use Ora-Shield to Boost Your Oil-Pulling to a Whole New Level! Better Tasting and Better Results!
Key Points:
- Oil pulling, with ancient roots, is making a comeback as people seek wholistic dental solutions.
- Oil pulling is supposed to get rid of bacteria that cause bad breath, reduce plaque buildup, heal red, tender gums, and help prevent cavities.
- A drop or two of your favorite essential oil can greatly enhance the antibacterial nature of oil pulling.
- You go through all of the work of oil pulling—why not get the full reward for your efforts?
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