Dental Problems? Try Virgin Coconut Oil Pulling

Recently, one of our customers, Ms Alice Foo, called us excitedly recounting to us her dental visit. Her dentist had complimented her for her improved dental health of less cavities and dental problems. She sounded so happy over the phone. She had had dental problems for many years and it was only about 2 months ago that she started to oil pull with Virgin Coconut Oil every morning. She could not believe that oil pulling with VCO was THAT effective in alleviating her dental agony and improving her dental health.

So what is oil pulling? Originating from Ayurvedic medicine, oil pulling is an age-old healing therapy that uses organic vegetable oils to “pull” bacteria and other debris from the teeth and gums, thus cleaning the mouth of toxins such as heavy metals, parasites, pesticides, preservatives, additives, and environmental toxins. It cleans the mouth better than brushing your teeth or even using mouthwash. Oil pulling helps prevent teeth decay, oral malodor, bleeding gums, dryness of throat, and strengthen the teeth, gums, and jaws. And for those who agonize over your ‘yellowish’ teeth, oil-pulling has the bonus effect of whitening teeth naturally.

In an interview with Dr Bruce Fife, a naturopathic doctor and certified nutritionist, our mouths are teeming with billions of micro-organisms, and these micro-organisms enter into our bloodstream where they circulate throughout the entire body. So if a person has any dental issues (for example, bleeding gums), or tooth decay, these issues are like openings into the bloodstream where these bacteria can enter. Once in the bloodstream, these bacteria often colonize certain tissues of the body- some bacteria will colonize the joints, some bacteria will colonize the heart or the pancreas and so on. And when they do this, they cause inflammation, infections and problems in these areas of the body. This is why a person can develop arthritis due to an infection from the bacteria in the mouth. The basic truth is this – your mouth is a kind of gateway to overall health.

How do you oil pull?  Take a drink of water when you wake up in the morning to stimulate saliva (some people omit this step and still see results). Swish one or two teaspoons of Virgin Coconut oil around the mouth for 15-20 minutes each morning, before brushing your teeth and eating breakfast. If 20 minutes seem an awful long time, start with 5-10 minutes and then work your way up each day until you can hold the oil in your mouth for 15-20 min.  (The timing needs to be long enough to break through plaque and bacteria but not long enough that the body starts re-absorbing the toxins and bacteria, according to Dr Bruce Fife). You can do other things at the same time so that time passes quickly. Inside the mouth, the oil will get thicker as it is mixed with saliva. After around 15-20 mins, spit out the oil (into a trash can) as it is full of bacteria and toxins by now. Don’t swallow it! Rinse your mouth well with water, and then brush your teeth as usual. Repeat 3-4 times a week for best results.

Oil pulling may trigger the gag reflex in some people. If this happens, then try leaning your head forward slightly and use less oil.

Why use Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) for oil-pulling? VCO is antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, has enzymatic properties and many health benefits! Furthermore, anecdotally, many people have reported whiter and brighter teeth when they oil pull with VCO.

So give Virgin Coconut Oil pulling a try – it is an inexpensive way to maintain and improve dental health, and even get whiter teeth along the way!