How to Oil Pull, What Oil Pulling Is & My Experience

Interested in how to oil pull?

Curious about why oil pulling is great for overall oral health? 

Want to hear a first hand account of someone trying it before you do?

Well you’ve come to the right place! I’m going to tell you all about oil pulling, how to oil pull and my personal experiences with it. I am not a doctor, dentist or nutritionist – just self researched, self taught and self trialed (is that even a word?)

I also must disclose before I go any further that this post contains affiliate links for your convenience. This means that I get a small commission if you purchase from one of my links. Pretty cool right?

This blog is where I get to share all my DIY experiences, my beliefs and my research… so take it all with a grain of salt because I’m certainly not perfect.

My adventures with oil pulling started back in November of 2016 after I called my dentist to request an appointment ASAP because I was experiencing quite a bit of pain in two of my back teeth. They informed me they couldn’t see me for three full weeks (for real though?) and I felt helpless.

I had never experienced this amount of pain in my teeth before and was pretty positive it was two cavities forming. I was in enough pain to reach for some Advil, which is rare for me!

But my main concern was letting them go for three full weeks would lead to more problems like deeper cavities, more pain or a route canal! Luckily, I had just started dabbling in the health and wellness world and was starting to realize that there were natural cures for everything out there! (And if not cures per se, at least natural symptom relievers.)

So I started doing research for natural cures to tooth aches but what I found was astonishing…. you can sort of heal cavities!

BAM! MIND BLOWN. (And if you want a more in depth read, this book is all about reversing cavities and is AMAZEBALLS.)

But I still wasn’t totally convinced. If cavities can be healed then why don’t we know about it? Why isn’t it plastered all over every news station? Why are our dentists keeping their mouths shut and making us open ours so they can continue to drill out our teeth and fill them with poisonous toxins? Oh right, money.

This got me thinking…. how long have dentists even been around?

What did our ancestors do before modern day dentistry?

I mean toothbrushes (the nylon ones anyway) didn’t even exist until the 1930’s! What were our ancestors doing to care for their teeth all that time!? How have their remains been unearthed showing perfect teeth when there were no such things as dentists yet?

According to Dr. Axe, “people throughout history lived until a ripe old age with most of their teeth intact and in a strong, healthy state.” He goes on to say that there are a few reasons for this.

1. First, they didn’t eat the sorry excuse for a diet we eat today (my words, not his) which is full of sugar and phytic acid, two of the main culprits of tooth decay. 
2. Second they used chew sticks, yup kind of like what we have for our pets!
3. And third, many cultures used oil pulling! (1)

My Experience With Oil Pulling

I started oil pulling immediately after I found out that you could potentially heal cavities by doing it consistently and correctly along with healthy diet and supplements. And if nothing else, oil pulling was supposed to result in whiter teeth, fresher breath and healthier gums. Sign me up!

And guys, my results were astounding! By the time my dentist appointment rolled around I no longer had any pain in either of the teeth and decided to use my appointment as a simple cleaning instead.

And let me tell you, I have never gotten such rave reviews from the dentist. The hygienist kept commenting on how nice my gums looked, how white my teeth were and how little scraping she had to do!

I proudly told them that I started oil pulling (expecting them to congratulate me or eagerly ask for more information) and they didn’t really care – they handed me my fluoride ridden toothpaste sample with a fluoride infused mouthwash sample and new toothbrush and sent me on my way.

The Benefits of Oil Pulling

Before I go over exactly how to oil pull, let me go over the benefits I’ve researched about and l’ve experienced personally practicing oil pulling.

I personally think the benefits of oil pulling far outweigh the minor inconvenience of preforming the act daily – because as you’ll see below, it can be a time commitment. 

I’m not going to get into all the nitty gritty scientific-y stuff here, but these are the benefits I’ve read about and personally experienced first hand.

Fresher Breath

I used to have to chew gum or suck on mints all throughout the day to freshen up my breath and it was an emergency if I ran out. “I can’t have people smelling my breath!” But with oil pulling that is definitely not the case any more. I can go all day without having to whip out the gum and feel confident enough to ::gasp:: leave the house without gum or mints.

In fact, come to think of it, I don’t even think I own a pack of gum or mints right now!

Whiter Teeth (and Less Sensitive Teeth)

Oh if only I had known this years ago! I can’t tell you how much money I’ve wasted on whitening products! From those trays filled with goo to the stuff you paint on your teeth, I’ve tried it all – and most of the stuff left my teeth SUPER sensitive to cold. Oil pulling leaves your teeth bright and white without all that sensitivity!

In fact, I’d have to go far as to say oil pulling has made my teeth impervious to cold food! BONUS!!

Healthier Gums

I don’t know exactly what constitutes healthy gums, but I do know that I experience far less bleeding when I floss or pick my teeth than I used to. And if you don’t want to take my word for it… Like I mentioned above, when I went in for my appointment the dentist commented on “how nice and healthy my gums looked” and to “keep doing whatever I was doing.”

Possibly Reverse Cavities

You can’t actually reverse cavities and heal the hole, but you can remineralize teeth. It’s kind of similar to if someone were to cut off their finger. The finger isn’t going to grow back but skin will form over the stub and you’d call it “healed.” Well that’s kind of the same principal with cavities.

Oil pulling alone probably won’t heal cavities – which is where diet and supplement intervention comes in.

Less Dry Mouth

Before I started oil pulling I was suffering from severe dry mouth. No matter how much water I drank my mouth always felt dry. And dry mouth is the perfect start for cavities as your saliva plays a huge part in protecting teeth! After only a week of oil pulling, I noticed a significant improvement in my dry mouth.