I’m a big fan of oil pulling. I’ve shared before how I originally started this age-old practice and why I eventually started using coconut oil for oil pulling instead.
Why Oil Pulling?
If you aren’t familiar with oil pulling, it is simply swishing oil (usually sesame or coconut oil) in the mouth for a period of time (5-20 minutes) and then spitting it out in the trash. It is said to help reduce plaque and coconut oil is naturally antibacterial and even said to kill the specific bacteria that causes cavities.
The idea is that the oil is able to reach and help remove harmful substances in the mouth like bacteria and plaque. Unlike alcohol-based mouthwashes and regular toothpaste, oil may be able to reach parts of the gum and between the teeth and the naturally antibacterial properties of oils like coconut may help break down bacteria.
Many people report that their teeth and gums feel much cleaner when using oil pulling regularly. Others notice that bad breath goes away. Personally, I saw a reduction in gum swelling and in plaque on my teeth and my dentist commented on how clean and plaque-free my teeth were after I added oil pulling to my oral health routine.
What Oil Pulling Won’t Do…
Some online sources claim that oil pulling can help with everything from acne to sore throat and even reduce the chance of heart disease, but I haven’t been able to find any actual evidence to back up these claims, other than the fact that good oral hygiene is important for overall health. Oil pulling probably won’t be a miracle cure for your acne or health problems, but there is a good chance it will promote healthier teeth and gums, especially if used in combination with other good oral health practices.
Coconut Oil Pulling Chews
The other day when making coconut oil chocolate in little heart molds, I realized that I could simplify the oil pulling process by making pre-made, bite-size oil pulling chews.
Lately, I’ve been experimenting with adding essential oils to oil for oil pulling to improve the taste and to get the added benefits of the essential oil and I decided to pre-add the essential oils as well. My favorites so far have been essential oils that are naturally found in toothpaste, like peppermint and clove. As with any essential oil, make sure that oils used for oil pulling are safe for oral use.
The result was simple-to-use pre-mixed oil pulling chews. I keep these in the fridge so they maintain their shape and also so that they are cool when I use them since it helps with the texture at the beginning. In fact, for my kids who have trouble with the texture of coconut oil, I’ve found that keeping these in the fridge so they can “chew” them first helps a lot.
Oil Pulling Chews -Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 20-30 drops of essential oil (peppermint, cinnamon, clove, etc- check with a doc or midwife if you are pregnant, nursing, or before using on children)
Instructions
- Melt the coconut oil until just barely liquid.
- Remove from heat and add essential oils.
- Pour into silicon candy molds and put in the fridge or freezer to harden.
- When done, remove from molds and store in a jar.
- Use one per day as needed for oil pulling.
Other Healthy Mouth Recipes:
I’ve always been fascinated by oral health, and after I was able to use a combination of diet, supplements and oral health products to reverse a cavity, I’ve made these methods a priority for our whole family. These are some of the other recipes and methods we use:
- Homemade remineralizing toothpaste
- Simple whitening toothpaste recipe
- How to brush your teeth to fight bacteria in the mouth
Ever tried oil pulling? How did it work for you?
I find I can keep oil in my mouth if I have added a little peppermint oil as it isn’t as cloying.
Such a great idea & convenient!
Is it actually good to use anything antibacterial in the mouth? Don’t we want to keep the beneficial bacteria alive and well in mouth, throat, and eustachian tubes, so they’ll crowd out the bad bacteria and protect overall health in those areas? I even got an oral-health probiotic (containing bacteria that saliva is *supposed* to have in it) for my 3yo to chew at bedtime and saw an immediate, drastic improvement in the swamp-breath he had each morning despite brushing well at bedtime (and despite having straight, well-spaced, sparkly-healthy teeth).
Do you know if it’s safe to substitute a peppermint essential oil for peppermint extract?
Can you post what heart shaped molds you like best? I’m a Prime member, so an Amazon affiliate link would be great. Thanks!
I love these: https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Easy-Flex-Silicone-24-Cavity-Gelatine/dp/B0086XHB1Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=wellnessmama-20&linkId=d453d27078b983f78efda9a48fed71aa&language=en_US 🙂
Thanks so much!
I’m skeptical about using EO’s after reading some experiences of people who had bad reactions. Could I add pulverized mint instead of EO? Or would they get moldy, even in the fridge?
Why not add trace minerals (liquid form) to oil pulling routine instead of natural toothpaste. Besides, toothpaste gets rinsed out pretty quickly and is more of a quick clean.
My hubby and I started oil pulling and our teeth are MORE sensitive. Mine weren’t at all before pulling. Would you know why? And did you experience this? Perhaps it gets worse before it gets better?
Just a word of caution, my functional Doctor did not recommend oil pulling for me as I have a silver cap on a tooth. I think oil pulling is a good thing – just make sure it’s a good thing for you.
I’ve been mixing EOs with my coconut oil for several months. I just use peppermint and tea tree and mix it up in a little jar at room temperature.
Just a thought….I’m on my very last days of chemo….if I start this oil pulling now, will it draw out the toxic medication that I’m taking to kill the cancer cells…should they be there? I believe that when I have finished my medication….two days time, I still will have the medication in my system for two or three more months. Maybe I should start this in three months ….to be safe. My daughters all have rather yellow teeth, we think it is the water here. VERY high in lime….so I’m very excited about this for them to get going, and the charcoal too. Thanks again Katie, so much for all this fantastic information.