Oil Pulling
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Navnee Garg

What is Oil Pulling?

The pandemic situation in lockdown has made many of us try out things that we always wanted to explore. Something similar happened to me. I had always heard about the ancient, Indian folk method of oil pulling. A method to clean and whiten the teeth, freshen breath, and improve overall dental health.

What is Oil Pulling?

Kavala Graha or Gandusha,’ is an ancient remedy that involves swishing oil around their mouths, for an extended period. The primary purpose of oil pulling is to eliminate oil-soluble toxins from the body. Cold-pressed coconut oil (not the one used in cooking) is a readily available option for this practice in every household. This miracle oil is highly absorbable and offers benefits like reducing inflammation, combating harmful bacteria, and reducing the risk of gum inflammation, gingivitis, and cavities. Sunflower oil, olive oil, palm oil, or sesame seed oil are good options for oil pulling. A blend of sunflower and sesame seed oil in appropriate proportions, known as Doshic balance, is a must try.

Method:

The process is easy and simple. According to Ayurveda, the ideal time to do oil pulling is empty stomach, or after brushing the teeth.

Step 1: Put a tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth

Step 2: Swish it around your mouth (like we do with mouthwash) for around 15–20 minutes. Try not to do it very forcefully as that may cause pain in the facial muscles. It is advised to do oil pulling slowly, chin up preferably in a sitting position, to see that oil pulled through teeth and touches all portions of the mucous membrane in the oral cavity.

After some time the amount of oil would increase in your mouth as it mixes with the saliva of our mouth. In the beginning, one can start with 5 minutes and gradually increase the time with practice.

Step 3: Spit out the oil on a piece of paper or trash and rinse our mouth with plain water to brush your teeth. In the case of stickiness, one can rinse your mouth with warm water.

Precautions before practicing:

As suggested, after swishing oil in the mouth for 15 minutes, be sure to spit out the oil that has collected the bacteria (through the process of osmosis) in your mouth. Swallowing it may lead to stomach discomfort or bacteria. One can start practicing oil pulling on a daily basis to get numerous benefits and improve oral health.

Benefits:

a. Fights the harmful bacteria: Using cold-pressed coconut oil is best option. This kills the number of bacteria found in saliva and promotes oral hygiene.

b. Say NO to bad breathe: An effective idea to reduce bad breathe that occurs due to poor oral hygiene, tongue coating, infection, or gum disease.

c. Preventing Cavities: Cavities are an outcome of poor oral hygiene, bacteria build-up, and excessive sugar consumption. Oil pulling along with brushing and flossing reduces the risk of Cavities and promotes optimum oral health.

d. Reducing inflammation: Coconut oil helps to reduce inflammation in this process of oil pulling. This helps reduce plaque-induced gingivitis which often leads to gum diseases characterized by red, swollen, and bleeding gums.

The process is worth trying to improve oral hygiene. and not a replacement for brushing your teeth or other oral hygiene routine.

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