Oil Pulling-Benefits, Tips and Methods for Dental Health

What is Oil Pulling?

This is a fantastic detoxification method in which oil is used for swishing or held in mouth for around 15-20 minutes and then spit out afterwards. It cleans the oral cavities by sucking the dust lying in there.

Oil Pulling is an ancient old treatment to cure most of the oral diseases. It is believed to cure other chronic diseases also if done on a regular basis. Any vegetable oil can be used like, Coconut, Mustard, Sesame, Sunflower etc.

Kavala graha or Gandoosha are  procedures recommended for oral hygiene maintenance in Ayurveda. They are elaborately mentioned in the texts of Charaka Samhita and Sushrutha’s Samhitha. It is described as a procedure in which an individual takes a comfortable amount of oil/medicated oil and holds it or swishes it in the mouth. When the oil turns thin and milky white it is spit out without swallowing.1

Though it’s an ancient old Indian practice but the people in Western countries have also started using this to get beneficial results in most of the diseases. It has gained a lot of popularity,  but still  a controversial topic among Western health practitioners.

Also Read: Treatment by Naturopathy

History of Oil Pulling

Oil pulling is originally an Indian healing practice which is around 3, 000 to 5, 000 years old. It believes that chewing few herbs and doing oil pulling can cure most of the system diseases.

Original practitioners mainly use sunflower and sesame oil for the treatment to prevent gum and mouth diseases. There are two different types of practitioners here who follow different processes, Kavala and Gandhusha.

Kavala believes in taking a comfortable amount of oil inside mouth, and then held the same in the mouth for few minutes, gargled and spit out. While, Gandhusha believes in filling the mouth with oil and kept there for around 5-10 minutes and then spit out.

Diseases Cured by Oil Pulling

Kavala Graha (Enthusiasts of oil pulling) claims that the purpose of doing oil pulling is to remove the oil soluble toxins from the body.

• Prevents Cavities
• Prevent heart diseases
• Prevent bleeding problems
• Cures Pyaria
• Improves Acne Problems
• Provide Strength to gum and jaw
• Kills bad breath
• Headaches, Migranes
• Diabetes
• Asthma

Research on Oil Pulling

The researches on oil pulling is not much as the practice has just started gaining attention from modern people after its hype on social media or internet.  According to one of the research made by The Department of Pediatric Dentistry in Tamil Nadu, oil pulling reduces the growth of bacteria, Streptococcus, and also believes that it can significantly reduce aerobic micro-organisms in plaque among children.

Which is the Best Oil for Oil Pulling

Although any vegetable oil can be used for oil pulling based on the availability and comfort, but it is Sesame and Coconut oil that has gained much popularity and proven results.

But one can use Coconut oil also if available owing to its benefits that it provides over other oil. For example, coconut oil can improve digestion, reduce cellulite, improves Alzheimer’s, burns fat, reduces wrinkles and improves age spots along with many other benefits.

Also Read: Pyaria cause and cure

How to do Oil Pulling for Best Results?

• This should be the first thing one should do before brushing in the morning and after you get out of bed, or drinking water or tea
• Take one teaspoon of coconut oil or any oil of your choice in your mouth
• Gently swish it or hold between your mouth and teeth for 10-20 minutes but do not swallow it
• The whole process should be done gently so it does not cause any pressure on your jaws and gums
• Spit the oil out and rinse your mouth with warm water
• Brush your teeth after oil pulling as you normally do

References

1.Sooryavanshi S, Mardikar BR. Prevention and treatment of diseases of mouth by gandoosha and kavala. Anc Sci Life. 1994;13:266–70.

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