Oil pulling and your oral health

Oil pulling is an ancient Native American tradition where you take oil and swish it around your mouth like mouthwash. The oil is rumored to attach to plaque that sticks and removes it from the surface of your teeth.  There are a variety of oils that are suggested for use.

It is suggested you complete this process for roughly twenty minutes at the beginning of your day in order to get the true benefits. However, Dr. Denine Rice says, “This procedure is not backed up by research.” Although, studies have been done in order to determine whether this procedure improves oral health, there has been no conclusive evidence to suggest it removes more plague then a regular brushing and flossing routine.  Dentists have not found results that show individuals have less plaque then people who brush and floss and visit the dentist on a regular basis. 

            Plaque builds up on and in between the teeth, especially if you do not brush and floss twice a day. The longer plaque stays on the teeth the more increased amount of bacteria that will be found in the mouth.  As bacteria build up on the gum line, gums become infected and will begin to swell and bleed. Plaque is sticky and allows acid to continually build up on the teeth. Acid attacks tooth enamel.  This causes varying degrees of gum disease, which has been linked to heart disease, dementia and diabetes.  

           Dr. Rice, the periodontist at Rice Periodontics and Implant Surgery, suggests, “A regular brushing and flossing routine, with regular dental cleanings can help increase your overall oral health."

On Mon, Jul 14, 2014 at 8:56 PM, Austine Etcheverry <austine.saltdpm@gmail.com> wrote:

Oil pulling is an ancient Native American tradition where you take oil and swish it around your mouth like mouthwash. The oil is rumored to attach to plaque that sticks to the teeth and remove it from the surface of your teeth.  There are a variety of oils that is suggested for use.

Upon reading other blogs it is suggested that you complete this process for roughly twenty minutes at the beginning of your day in order to get the true benefits. However, Dr. Denine Rice, suggests, “that this procedure is not backed up by research.” Although, studies have been done in order to determine whether this procedure improves oral health, there has been no conclusive evidence to suggest that this removes more plague then regular brushing and flossing routine.  Dentists have not found results that show individuals have less plaque then people who brush and floss and visit the dentist on a regular basis. 

            Plaque builds up on and in between the teeth, especially if you do not brush and floss twice a day. The longer plaque stays on the teeth it increases the amount of bacteria in the mouth.  As bacteria build up on the gum line, your gums become infected and will begin to swell and bleed. Plaque is sticky and allows acid to continually build up on the teeth. Acid attacks your tooth enamel.  This causes varying degrees of gum disease, which has been linked to heart disease, dementia and diabetes.  
           Dr. Rice, periodontist at Rice Periodontics and ImplantSurgery, suggests, “that a regular brushing and flossing routine, regular dental cleanings can help increase your overall oral health.