Oil Pulling and Your Dental Health (Podcast)

John Maher: Hi, I am John Maher, and I’m here today with Dr. Nammy Patel, founder of Green Dentistry in San Francisco, California, helping patients recognize the vital connection between dental health and whole body health. And author of the books, Age with Style: Guide to a Youthful Smile & Healthy Living, and Total Wellness: Understanding The Link Between Your Teeth and Your Health.

Today we’re talking about oil pulling and your dental health. Welcome Dr. Nammy.

Dr. Nammy Patel: Thank you for having me, John.

What Is Oil Pulling?

John: Sure. Dr. Nammy, what is oil pulling? Where does that come from?

Dr. Nammy: Oil pulling is an ancient principle. It is thousands of years old, and it is a technique that is utilized in order to remove toxins from our body. So coconut oil is utilized and it’s actually bacteriostatic. It means it doesn’t have bacteria. But some of the other qualities are really wonderful about it. It binds or chelates to toxins that are in the body.

So what oil pulling is going to do is going to get rid of bacteria, viruses, any toxins that are in your body, and it’s going to help take them out of your body, so you can spit it out and get rid of it. Now, the reason why the mouth is utilized to detox or pull these chemicals out of your body is because your tongue is highly vascularized.

What that means is if you open your mouth and look underneath your tongue, you’re actually going to see a lot of blood vessels. So when there’s a lot of blood vessels in there, that means there’s a lot of circulation in there.

So when you have the coconut oil in your mouth, and you’re swishing around for 20 minutes, there’s a lot of circulation that’s happening and what the coconut oil is doing is able to pull out all the toxins that’s in the blood, which is really wonderful.

Benefits of Oil Pulling

John: And so what are some of the benefits of oil pulling?

Dr. Nammy: Oil pulling is going to do a number of things that are really, really, really beneficial. The obvious ones are going to be reduced bacteria. It’s going to get rid of bug syndrome in your mouth, is going to help prevent cavities, gum disease. What it’s also going to do is also pull out toxins from the rest of your body, especially your liver or your kidneys. There’s a lot of toxins that are sitting in there, so it’s going to pull everything out.

It’s going to help you heal faster, which is really great. Basically, detoxify the blood is a nice way to say it. Now, aside from that, what I love about oil pulling is that it’s going to leave your mouth hydrated. And the reason why having your mouth hydrated is so important… That oil is a thick substance so what it does, it sticks to the inside of your gums and teeth, which is awesome, because it lubricates, it creates a nice, beautiful bacteriostatic coating on it.

And so if you are snoring, if you are mouth breathing, it’s going to deter more bacteria from building up, and it’s going to deter more cavities and gum disease, which is really awesome.

Misconceptions About Oil Pulling

John: And are there any misconceptions about oil pulling or things that oil pulling won’t do?

Dr. Nammy: Well, oil pulling is going to be a great adjunct. It is not a replacement to seeing your medical doctor. It’s not a replacement for any sort of severe detoxing that you may need. It is not a replacement for routine medical care. It’s an adjunct, which means you can add this on top to be healthier. You can do this as a preventative measure, which is wonderful, but it is not going to cure disease 100% just by oil pulling.

So, for example, if you’ve got kidney disease or liver disease, you’re going to need to get that addressed. Or if you’re periodontitis, which means there’s a lot of bugs in your gums, oil pulling will help, but it’s not going to get rid of the bacteria or the barnacles of bacteria that have already built up on your teeth. They actually need to get scraped away. They actually need to be removed. It’s not going to cure cavities. If you’ve got a hole in your tooth, it’s got to be fixed, oil pulling is not going to do that.

Now, if you get your gums clean, you get your cavities fixed and things like that, then you start oil pulling, it’ll help maintain it, which is really wonderful. So it’s important to know that oil pulling is not a substitute, it’s an adjunct.

John: And more of a preventative measure than it is something that’s going to heal you if you already have a problem.

Dr. Nammy: Exactly.

What Is Oil Pulling?

John: Right. So how do you oil pull? What is the process of that?

Dr. Nammy: The oil pulling process is you take some coconut oil, you can warm it up with the microwave for maybe five or 10 seconds if you like. I tend to like putting flavor in mine. I tend to like cinnamon and clove and things like that. You can definitely flavor it up if you like, and you take that into your mouth about two tablespoons or so, and then you swish your mouth like all around.

So you are swishing around the mouth for 20 minutes. You’ve got to start a timer for 20 minutes. Now, after you swish around for 20 minutes, basically, every time you go in and out in your mouth when you’re swishing, it’s going to stimulate more salivary flow. It’s also going to stimulate blood circulation. So it’s really starting to detox everything. And that’s how oil pulling works. So great.

Now, after you’re done with the 20 minutes, I usually say spit it out. Don’t spit it into your sink, but spit it out in a trashcan or spit it out outside. I tend to do mine on one of our plants, because coconut oil helps to grow this plant, which is really wonderful. And so make sure that you are spinning out. And that’s the process of oil pulling: you’re utilizing oil to be in your mouth for about 20 minutes or so, stimulating saliva, stimulating salivary flow, as well as blood flow and getting rid of these bacteria.

John: So you’re kind of swishing it around in your mouth and getting it to go in and out of your teeth from the outside of your mouth to the inside of your mouth and back and forth.

Dr. Nammy: Absolutely. To the back of your throat on the cheek side, everywhere.

Best Oils for Oil Pulling

John: Okay. Can you use other oils besides coconut oil?

Dr. Nammy: Ideally coconut oil is the best oil to use. You can also use sesame oil. The reason coconut oil is utilized well is because it helps pull out toxins from the blood flow. That’s the main reason for coconut oil.

Now, you can also use sesame oil. Sesame oil is obviously a lot more cost-effective, and it’s great for your gums and teeth. So sesame oil actually helps rebuild gum tissue. It’s really great for circulation. It works really, really, really well. The only thing is sometimes people don’t like the taste of the toasted sesame or the taste of that, so that tends to be an issue sometimes. So it just depends on what your preference is as far as oil. But you can use coconut oil, sesame oil, or olive oil.

How Often Should You Do Oil Pulling?

John: And when should you oil pull and how often should you do it?

Dr. Nammy: My favorite is to do oil pulling at night before you go to bed. So, typically, I would say floss first, brush your teeth, and then oil pull for about 20 minutes, spit it out and then go to sleep.

John: All right, well, that’s great advice, Dr. Nammy. Thanks again for speaking with me today.

Dr. Nammy: My pleasure.

Contact Green Dentistry to Learn More

John: And for more information about Green Dentistry, visit the website@sfgreendentist.com or call (415)-433 0119.