The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Dental Issues
Posted by Earlygirl (Sacramento, California) on 03/15/2012
★★★★★
I started oil pulling with coconut oil about three weeks ago based on comments posted here on Earth Clinic. I had just had my semi-annual teeth cleaning at the dentist's office and the hygienist was really cranky with me because she was finding 4s. I must say that since I started oil pulling, (once a day in the morning on weekdays, weekends off) my gums are a much lighter pink color and they seem to be growing back. And when I floss, there is no blood. I am thrilled and looking forward to going back for my next cleaning and seeing the hygienist's reaction.
Dental Issues
Posted by Mavanou (N.y) on 03/09/2012
★★★★★BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
I am so happy to have found your site. I was having a toothache and pain all around my gums. I read about oil pulling and decided to try it for a couple of days. My toothache and gum pains were gone. However, I stopped for a few days because I was having some pain on my right side starting in the front around the liver area and radiating to the kidneys.
Since, I was also doing hydrogen peroxide, so I am not sure which was creating the effect.
I just slowly started oil pulling again using coconut oil and the pain is less. I will try to use black seed oil for op in the future to see if there is any difference.
Thank you so much for your site and for sharing your knowledge.
Dental Issues
Posted by Karen (Broomfield, Co, Usa) on 01/25/2012
★★★★★
I found this website and read about oil pulling. It was of interest to me because the last time I went for a dental cleaning the dentist suggested gum surgery for receeding gums. For the last few months (with breaks while travelling) I have swished organic, white, unrefined sesame oil in my mouth for less than one minute each evening and then spit it out. I know everyone says 5-10 minutes but that's not realistic for me (I will just avoid it) so I decided to do it for a minute or less after I brush and floss and while I am dressing for bed. Just had another dental cleaning today. Normal gums! The dentists didn't even want to measure the gums this time! This healed my gums with minimal time, little effort and little cost. AND to boot, it's helped me tremendously with my allergies. I know the die hard people will say 1 minute it too short but all I can say is that it's worked for me, big time!
Dental Issues
Posted by Anuj (Sydney, Australia) on 01/22/2012
★★★★★BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
Just wanted to give my 2 cents worth.
Started OP about 7 days back. The first 3 days I used sunflower oil for OP. During that time, had excruciating pain for the first 2 days near one of my molars (the one which had root canaling done; I have 2 root canals ). The third day with sunflower oil was smooth and no pain.
Ran out of sunflowerr oil, so started using olive oil. Again, absolute hell with the headache and mucous for 2 days.
On the positive side, my teeth feel cleaner, no more bad breath and my gums seem to have firmed up. Will continue oil pulling to see how my cavities and dental decay fare.
Only concern being I have a lot of metal fillings- my dental health has been pathetic throughout my life-hope OP helps me cure that.
Dental Issues
Posted by Modern Medicine Maiden (Victoria, Bc, Canada) on 12/28/2011
★★★★★
I have discovered this website and after reading about oil pulling (and researching on other websites) I decided to try it.......... After two weeks I need to share my story.
I was diagnosed 10 years ago with a tumor/goiter on the right side of my thyroid that was noticeable in size. Oddly enough the left side is trying to compensate for it so my specialist and I decided to just leave it be and I would monitor its size and my well being (noticing any changes to my health) so after several years of blood tests etc.... I am now on yearly monitoring. Seems to be fine but the size has never changed. No matter what kind of cleanse or supplement I did. I just thought it was my little pet to carry around with me. Now I need to mention that I eat very healthy clean whole foods as I am sensitive to a lot of things (thanks goodness my body has a natural defense to all the bad stuff, makes it easier to say no! ). And then I decided to try oil pulling!!!!!!!!!!! The first day I had an awful metallic taste in the back of my throat. From the second day on I would expel a considerable amount of phlegm a few times after I had spit out the oil, IT'S SHRINKING!!!!! I have also had a slight breakout on my chin that happens to line up with my thyroid and only on the affected side so I know its pulling upwards. I honestly think that the doctor may even miss it if I had a routine check up. Not to mention my teeth are so much whiter! I am honestly telling everyone I love because this is so easy! I am fortunate to have seen direct results so I am absolutely convinced that this is another practice that I will incorporate into my daily regime for the rest of my life! Just try it..... Sesame oil, 2 tsp, empty tummy, 20 min and swish-n-spit away your potential future diseases down the drain!
Dental Issues
Posted by Hainer (London, Uk) on 12/09/2011
★★★★★BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
I have been oil pulling with sesame oil and have notice great improvements in the health of my gum and the teeth becoming whiter.
The only problem I have is the side effects which includes Blocked nose which is really annoying and I have to use decongestant to clear it up and feeling lethargic and weak. Although I have been doing it for many weeks but I stopped for a while and when I started again I am getting the same symptoms.
Some times I do OP for more than 20 minutes or even 30 minutes, and I wonder could this be the reason for feeling ill.
Dental Issues
Posted by Pat (Albuquerque, Nm) on 09/01/2011
★★★★★
oil pulling is overall a good remedy. Swish 1 Tablespoon sunflower, or sesame oil between the teeth for around 15 minutes every day. DO NOT SWALLOW. This pulls poisons from your mouth. If you find that you gag, then spit it out ( in the toilet ) and then try again the next day. You will eventually build yourselft up to it. It is important to brush your teeth thoroughly after you spit the oil out either with natural soap or toothpaste. I use soap because it helps rid the poison residue. Oil pulling also cures certain ailments from the body over time. My dental exams have been excellent since I've been doing this. I try to do it everyday for about 2 to 3 weeks to cleanse thoroughly.
Dental Issues
Posted by Julie (Minneapolis, Minnesota, Usa) on 03/17/2011
★★★★★
Oil pulling soothes my mouth tremendously---I've been traumatized by dental crowns and oil pulling was recommended by my dentist. I use organic extra virgin olive oil and have just held it in my mouth for 20 minutes. It felt so soothing to gums, teeth and jaw bone.
I repeated with another 20 minute session right afterward my first oil pull last night. Today an area on my gum at the site of a 2 crown procedure placed 3 weeks ago made a huge leap toward healed. Roots from a more recent crown has been calm most of the day--not a small feat since that root bothers me frequently.
Regarding getting rid of the oil after I use it.... I also do not want to cause septic problems. I spit the oil into a paper napkin and put it in the trash. Spitting it into a bag of trash that already has lots of tissues also works well--so there's no oily mess in the trash can.
Dental Issues
Posted by Mare (Mechanic Lake, New Brunswick, Canada) on 03/02/2011
★★★★★
Hello,
Started oil pulling Feb 7th. I found it on internet was intriqued and looked into it. I figured it wouldn't hurt me. I tried EVOO. I have a strong reflux so it took a couple of attempts. I noticed a difference with my teeth after 2 days. Stains gone and when I woke up in the am no plaque. Amazing! I kept it to myself, I had a dentist app on the 28th and wanted to know what he thought. He was quite impressed. Said he never saw my gums ever look so healthy. Hardly any plaque, no sensitivity and healthy gums. He said he would look into it and wrote this website down. I have tired coconut oil, but enjoy it better in my coffee and on my skin and hair. My question at long last, I just started sesame oil, and have noticed a smell like wood burning, frequently. Has anyone experienced any strong smells? It seems to be always there. Appreciate your feedback!
Dental Issues
Posted by Kai (Seattle, Wa) on 12/23/2010
★★★★★
Best thing ive found for bad breath is h202 (hydrogen peroxide) even the basic 3 dollar bottle from the drugstore will work. Its pretty amazing, I smoke and the ONLY thing that takes the taste and smell out of my mouth is hydrogen peroxide (confirmed by my girlfriend haha) I can even taste the smoke when I spit out the peroxide, it bubbles it all out, hold it in your mouth closed until there is pressure building up from the bubbling, maybe 5 minutes.
If the oil pulling is giving you the bad breath (though that doesn't make much sense, there's nothing in oil that smells bad but may be causing a reaction) I would do this for awhile and see if the bad breath continues, then stop the OP and see if it goes away. One more thought, you may have tonsil stones or some other abcess in your mouth thats collecting bacteria. I had a bad case of strep awhile back that permanently messed up one of my tonsils, there are big spaces in it now and bacteria collect and form "tonsil rocks" its really gross but very treatable and very common. Just a thought, good luck!
Dental Issues
Posted by Brendan (Adelaide, South Australia) on 12/22/2010
★★★★★
Hi Billy, In my experience you might not notice any changes for a while. I started oil pulling a while ago and did it for several weeks and then gave up because I didn't notice any differences, but I resumed oil pulling recently and have been doing it for the last month or so and I have to say, I have turned from a sceptic into a believer as it has gotten rid of my sensitive teeth. I used to get tooth pain when I drank cold water or went from cold to hot too quickly but one day while rinsing my mouth after oil pulling I noticed something, when I felt the usual sensation of the pain coming I noticed as that sensation built it got to a point when I expected a pain to kick in but then it suddenly stopped and I felt the sensation subside, it was quite an odd feeling but it made me think, maybe this stuff does work. I've continued oil pulling and I am now convinced it has even further fixed the problem as I get no pain or sensitivity any more. It's crazy to think something that sounds so silly and simple at first, actually works. It has really made me think about what is possible. I think you should give it a fair go as four days is way too short to tell. I know its time consuming and a bit uncomfortable but you do get used to it and I find now I can just tune out and go about doing whatever I need to do in the morning without it bothering me. I use sesame oil and ive just started using hemp oil too, I do one of each now for 20 mins for each every morning and then rinse thoroughly and drink half a litre of water before breaky. Also I'm interested to know how iodine helped your dermatitis, could you write a bit about how you used it as I have dermatitis on my face which is a massive problem for me. Thanks mate, Brendan.
Dental Issues
Posted by Natalie (Wayne, Ne) on 10/27/2010
★★★★★
I decided to try olive oil for pulling, because I had it in the cupboard. I am a mouth breather and sometimes it's hard to get my roof and tongue in my mouth clean. I figured that I used baby oil to clean up tar once, I bet olive oil might be able to get the real sticky stuff. VOILA! My tongue looks and feels so much better- also I can tell a difference in my gums. So far this is a great experience. I am not sold 100% on the claims to heal everything, but it has helped my mouth!
Dental Issues
Posted by Cassie (Boston, Ma) on 10/20/2010
★★★★★
I tried this for 3 weeks before I had to go to the dentist on a lark because I hadn't been flossing and I was dreading the blood, pain, and lectures I'm used to at the dentist. I oil swish coconut oil while I'm showering every morning for about 10-15 minutes. Just got back from the dentist yesterday--she said, "Wow. You have really been trying hard! " She said there was virtually no plaque. Plus, when she flossed for me and cleaned and scraped what little plaque there was there was no pain and no bleeding! I'm never stopping! First pleasant trip to the dentist ever.
Dental Issues
Posted by Noelle (Denton, Tx, Us) on 09/15/2010
★★★★★
I found this site after researching ACV and am very glad to have found it. After reading for a few days, I decided to try OPing. All I had in the house was EVOO, so I did that for 2 days and then got some organic sesame (not sesame seed) oil. I found the sesame taste very pleasant, although I see some posters have found it too strong for their tastes. What amazed me was how clean my teeth and mouth felt after 20 minutes of the sesame oil. The yucky "dragon mouth" I was used to having upon awakening was not there, nor was the scummy residue on my teeth. I didn't even feel like I really needed to brush my teeth afterward (but did). I have very soft teeth enamel, to the point that I have left brush marks on my teeth, and I wish I'd known about OPing years ago. Can't wait to see what other benefits are revealed.
Dental Issues
Posted by Bart (Brooklyn, Ny) on 08/19/2010
★★★★★
I've had a really bad tooth infection for the past couple days, so after scouring the internet for solutions, I found oil pulling. I'm a bit skeptical, but my good friend is currently on the regime, which seemed harmless to her. The only thing I had on the pantry was Extra Virgin Olive Oil.... Swished around 2 tablespoons worth for approximately 15 minutes, and the pain was leaving me! It kind of blew my mind. The next morning, the swelling in my gum went down slightly. It was pretty much gone the day after. I haven't noticed anything else with using it. The infected tooth is chipped in half from an accident awhile ago, and I've been waiting for a root canal. Luckily this will hold me over for another week.
