Challenge #5: Oil Pulling

I started oil pulling back in 2016. It was an effort to attempt to fix my very poor oral health, let me tell you what I learned!

Mar 09, 2025

I started oil pulling back in 2016. It was an effort to attempt to fix my very poor oral health.

I had previously spent thousands upon thousands of dollars trying to “fix” my teeth — If you’ve been here, you know the agony.

At the time, most fingers pointed to a bad diet as the root of tooth decay. I wanted to believe it but never did;

At the time, I was eating super clean. I wasn’t a pop (soda for those of you in the south) drinker nor a sugar addict. Pizza was my vice.
I knew a LOT of people with much worse diets than myself who never had a cavity in their life.

I vowed to figure out why my oral health was so bad and what I could do about it.

Then, I had a surprising realization: Sugar doesn’t cause cavities.

It’s controversial to even mention, but it is necessary as we move beyond the surface-level understanding and see the big picture of health. The big picture is that health or the lack of health is rarely what we’ve learned, forcing us to vilify things that aren’t villains and miss the things that can actually help.

I feel like I'm opening a can of worms here, but it's necessary to look at things from a broader perspective. Tooth decay and cavities are the result of a complex combination of factors:

Demineralization of the body (undernourishment)
Imbalance in bacteria (the bacteria in your mouth is linked to your gut health)
Excess acid (which mainly becomes an issue when the first two factors are already at play)

This doesn’t mean you should eat unlimited amounts of sugar—it’s still not great for your overall health. However, understanding these deeper causes helps us see what might actually improve our oral health.

In fact, many of the health practices I’ll share this year, such as mouth taping (coming soon) and sunlight exposure, also have a significant impact on oral health.

For now, though, I want to focus on one practice that has had a positive effect on my oral hygiene and my immune system: oil pulling.

Oil Pulling: A Solution

Oil pulling is an ancient practice that dates back thousands of years and was part of the Ayurvedic healing tradition. The technique involves swishing about one tablespoon of oil (typically coconut, sesame, or sunflower oil) in your mouth for 10-20 minutes before spitting it out.

While there aren’t many large-scale studies on oil pulling, the research that does exist suggests that it can offer a variety of oral health benefits. The proposed mechanisms behind oil pulling include:

Saponification (a process where the fat in the oil turns into a soap-like substance, which helps clean and remove bacteria)
Inhibition of plaque buildup (due to the oil’s viscous nature)
Antimicrobial properties (especially from the lauric acid found in coconut oil)

The Benefits of Oil Pulling

Some of the potential benefits of oil pulling with coconut oil include:

Strengthening teeth, gums, and jaw
Preventing gum disease, cavities, and gingivitis
Reducing bad breath
Preventing dry mouth and throat
Helping with jaw pain and soreness
Reducing inflammation
Whitening teeth
Boosting the immune system
Improving skin conditions (e.g., acne)
Reducing migraines, arthritis, and sinus congestion
Detoxifying the body

To top it off, most believe that oil pulling can reduce more than just mouth and throat diseases. These oils help the body's lymphatic system remove harmful bacteria and give beneficial microflora a healthier environment to flourish.

How to Do Oil Pulling

Oil pulling is actually quite simple and easy to add to your routine. Here’s how to do it:

Place one tablespoon of cold-pressed, organic coconut oil in your mouth.
Swish the oil around in your mouth and gently pull it between your teeth for 10-20 minutes. (If you’re new to oil pulling, start with 5 minutes and gradually work your way up.)
Spit the oil into the trash (it will clog your sink).
Rinse with warm water or saltwater to increase antimicrobial effects.
Brush your teeth as usual.

Aim to do this two to three times per week (or more). It’s often recommended that you do oil pulling first thing in the morning, before eating or drinking, but don’t stress if that’s not possible. Just find a time that works for you.

I’ll be honest. I do it in spurts, sometimes often and other times less frequently. But that’s what this challenge is for—to help you start and help me get back on track!

Why Coconut Oil?

While oil pulling can be done with various oils, coconut oil is a popular choice due to its flavor and health benefits, such as:

Balancing hormones
Balancing bacteria
Improving digestion
Moisturizing skin
Reducing wrinkles and age spots
Supporting brain health (e.g., Alzheimer’s prevention)

My testimonial:

Since beginning oil pulling, I have had no new cavities, and my gum health has significantly improved. Of course, I also paired this with learning how to nourish and energize my body, so I will credit a combination of a few things. But I definitely wouldn’t give up oil pulling.

WARNING:

I feel the need to make this disclaimer: Proceed with caution if you have amalgam (mercury) fillings. Mercury is lipophilic, meaning it’s attracted to fats. Some think oil pulling will remove mercury from the fillings, which can be absorbed by your tissues and cause poisoning.

However, I could not find any scientific research on the safety of oil pulling with fillings. Check with your dentist to see if oil pulling is appropriate for your particular dental situation.