Oil Pulling Vs Mouthwash – Which Is Better

Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic process that was created in India. Its main purpose was to cleanse the body from various toxins and bacteria that have built up over time. Even though oil pulling is an ancient Indian process, it has started to become popular in Europe and the US in recent times. Unfortunately, there is not a tremendous amount of scientific evidence to show how effectively oil pulling cleanses your whole body.

However, there is quite a large amount of mounting evidence that illustrates how beneficial oil pulling can be for your oral health. As a matter of fact, a regular oil pulling routine has shown to have more protective dental effects than using mouthwash! Let’s take deep dive into the differences of oil pulling vs mouthwash and the many benefits of this ancient Ayurvedic process here.

But first, let’s walk you through a proper oil pull. Oil pulling is actually one of the easiest oral regimens to learn. Essentially, oil pulling involves swishing a small amount of oil in your mouth for a prolonged period of time. The first thing to do is to figure out which oil you want to swish.

According to traditional Ayurvedic rituals, sesame oil should be used. However, most dental professionals believe that coconut oil is the best type of oil to use in an oil pulling session. This is because coconut oil is known to contain extremely strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds.

For example, coconut oil contains a compound known as lauric acid. Lauric acid is unbelievably effective at destroying strains of bad bacteria that cause bad breath and tooth decay, while also allowing good, healthy oral bacteria to thrive. These properties promote a healthy oral microbiome, which is critical to maintaining the best possible dental health.

However, if you cannot stand the taste of coconut oil, any other cold-pressed organic vegetable oil (such as sesame oil) can be used for similar benefits.

Once you have picked out the oil you want to use, all you have to do is swish about a tablespoon of it in your mouth for 5 to 20 minutes. Once you are done, make sure you spit the oil into the trash can rather than into a sink or toilet. This will prevent unnecessary clogs in the pipes from occurring.

Take extra caution to not swallow any of the oil either. Afterward, you can then commence with your normal brushing and flossing routine.

Oil Pulling vs Mouthwash

So why do many dentists believe that oil pulling is more beneficial than mouthwash? These reasons include:

• A healthier oral microbiome

As we touched on before, oil pulling helps kill bad bacteria in mouth, while also promoting the growth of healthy bacteria. In comparison, mouthwashes kill both types of bacteria. Since the healthy bacteria in your mouth provides a protective effect against a variety of different oral diseases and bacteria, you are going to want to keep as many of them around with a consistent oil pulling ritual.

• Better smelling breath

Oil pulling is great at fighting bad breath as it is caused by bad bacteria in the mouth. Recent studies have shown regular oil pulling to be at least equally effective as mouthwash against bad breath. However, while mouthwashes also kill bad bacteria, they also have a tendency to leave your mouth dry afterward, which can cause the growth of more bad bacteria. In comparison to mouthwashes, oil pulling keeps your mouth well hydrated even after you are done.

• Whiter teeth

Mouthwashes have never been known to whiten teeth. As a matter of fact, some mouthwashes contain compounds that can stain your teeth. However, regular oil pulling has shown the ability to slowly pull surface stains off the teeth.

If you are looking to increase the health of your mouth, you might want to try oil pulling. You have nothing to worry about because this process is completely free of harmful side effects, unlike many other dental procedures. If you have any questions about oil pulling or mouthwash, please contact us anytime at Gables Sedation and Family Dentistry!