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Diamond (Cleveland, England) on 05/28/2011
4 out of 5 stars

hi ya,

ive been oil pulling now for 1 week, to treat gintivitus, my friend asked me how I was doing. I showed her my gums, she then said they look light pink now, but no change with the gaps from my gum to my teeth, I think the pure coconut oil must be doing something, as it is working on my gums, my gums have been really sore the past 2 days only were the gum has come away from my teeth, and really sore when I swallow, been swishing with salt and water, to settle this, I will continue to do oil pulling, just hope its good news at the end, bye for now.

Replied By Jennifer (Sunrise, Fl) on 05/29/2011

I'm a former skeptic become oil pulling convert! Before oil pulling, I had advanced gum disease, and I'm only 29. My mother and I are something of a legend in dentist's offices - every dentist we have gone to has commented that me and my mother's plaque problems are the worst they have ever seen. I curse genetics for that - we have good oral hygeine habits, but unfortunately people who are genetically predisposed are 6 times more likely to develop gum disease than those who aren't - even with aggressive oral hygeine habits. I tried all different kinds of mouthwashes, toothpastes, even the Sonic toothbrush, nothing helped. The last time I went to my dentist, my dentist commented that my gum disease has progressed to the verge of periodontal disease. She said that it is really sad to see a person my age have such serious gum disease and told me, "You know, you still have time to turn the health of your gums around, but if you don't do it soon, you are going to spend a lifetime of pain and expensive procedures". What she said really stuck with me, and I knew I had to try something different.

Even though I am a faithful follower of Ayurveda, I was always hesitant to try oil pulling, because honestly, it sounded a little ridiculous. As a law student, I'm a little bit of a trained skeptic - and the idea of swishing oil in my mouth curing a host of diseases sounded completely illogical. But after reading the testimonials on this page, I figured, what do I have to lose? Sesame oil is very inexpensive and it doesn't require a lot of effort to incorporate oil pulling into my routine - I could just swish it in my mouth for 20 minutes while I take a shower or do my makeup. So I figured what the heck and I gave it a try. At first it was a little difficult and it made me gag, but after a few tries I got the hang of it. I just take about a tablespoon full in my mouth and spit it out once I'm done with my makeup routine.

From the first day, I noticed a huge difference in the feeling of cleanliness in my mouth, the freshness of my breath, and even my teeth seemed whiter! The freshness lasts all day, and I even wake up in the morning with fresh breath! No more funky breath at mid-day. After a few weeks I noticed that some of my front teeth that were becoming a little bit loose had anchored into my gums firmly. My gums that were beginning to recede are slowly starting to grow back, and my gums stopped bleeding during normal brushing.

After oil pulling for a few weeks, I decided to ramp up the results by following the oil pulling with a hydrogen peroxide rinse (half hydrogen peroxide, half water, a big pinch of sea salt and 1 or 2 drops of peppermint oil for taste). Now, I also put one drop of oregano oil (diluted with olive oil) on my toothbrush. After using the oregano oil for a week or two, my gums started turning a healthy pink color. The oregano oil is really strong - so go easy on it. Only one drop is really all you need.

The results have really been something of a miracle. Not only has it appeared that I have almost completely reversed my advanced gum disease that I've had for almost a decade (I will confirm that when I see my dentist), but like many other oil pullers, I have much more energy in the morning and I just feel really energetic and healthy overall. Not only that, but my acne that I've had since I was 13 has completely disappeared, and my skin looks really healthy and glowing. Like my dentist told me, the health of your mouth is connected to the health of your entire body - as scientific studies are proving (gum disease is already been proven to be linked to strokes and heart disease - do the research yourself! ). Science is beginning to prove what Ayurvedic teachers have been saying for thousands of years - "disease begins in the mouth". So, if we want to cure our body of disease - the mouth might be a good place to start.

If you are reading this and are skeptical like I was, ask yourself, what do you have to lose? It's a remedy that costs pennies a day, has no health risks, and it can potentially save you thousands of dollars in painful and expensive dental work. On top of that, it can save your health - and it goes without saying that good health doesn't have a price.

I wanted to pass along my story to help another person like me. Thank you everyone at Earth Clinic for all of your wisdom, and best wishes to all of you for happiness and good health! :)

Replied By Swmich (Schoolcraft, Michigan) on 05/29/2011

Where did the term "oil pulling" come from. What do they mean by "pulling"?

Replied By Jennifer (Sunrise, Fl) on 06/01/2011

Swmich, it is called oil "pulling" because theoretically, you are "pulling" toxins from your saliva (and your body) by swishing the oil around in your mouth. These 'toxins' are supposedly expelled with the oil when you spit the oil out. I don't know if I really believe that. What seems more logical to me is that oil saponifies when agitated and acts as a good cleansing agent, attaching to plaque, bacteria and food debris on your teeth and gums more easily than with standard toothpaste. Scientific studies have shown a reduction of strep bacteria in the mouth after oil pulling - whether this is due to the "pulling" or the antibacterial nature of the sesame oil, who knows... but oil pulling does seem to work! Hope this answers your question.

Replied By Aho (Plantation, Fl) on 08/25/2011

I could not find a good place to buy seseam oil so I use olive instead. I tried to find it Publix for seseam or sunflower but I could not find it, any good place do you recommond for it?

Thx

Replied By Hachin (Toledo, Ohio) on 10/10/2011

Go to any Asian grocery store an look for a upright rectangle tin can that's made in Japan, it's the best sesame oil you are going to find. They all usually have few options.

Replied By Charmaine (Perth, Western Australia) on 02/21/2012

Hi all, I have been oil pulling now for around 10 days, hoping to reverse gingivitis before it progresses into something more serious. I am using cold pressed organic sunflower oil, normally once in the morning for 20 mins and sometimes again for 20 mins before lunch or dinner (depends if I've been snacking! ). I then rinse with salt water with a drop of peppermint essential oil.

So far I've seen no real difference. My breath has been better and I am sleeping deeply but that could also be from a detox I've been doing for the last month or so. My gums look just as white, they are still receding, and my teeth have not whitened. It hasn't been that long since I started but after reading that so many people with more advanced mouth issues are seeing noticeable improvements in such a short time I am skeptical. Maybe I'm doing something wrong?

When I spit out the oil I notice it's still thick even after 20 mins. When I OP a second time during the day it's often thinner. My mouth is just so dry and sticky when I wake up in the morning (I drink tons of water all day - at least around 12 glasses - and 2-3 glasses straight after OP).

Maybe after I finish the bottle of sunflower oil I will switch to coconut oil or try adding a drop of oregano oil to the sunflower oil? Any suggestions??

Many thanks EC! X

Replied By Gaylebsteve (West Columbia, Sc) on 02/21/2012

For the gingivitis, there are several products you can use daily.

Peroxide, diluted bleach (the dentist uses this on root canals), Listerine and brush your teeth with Organic Edible Diatomaceous Earth (I could only get this from the internet).

These products allowed me to keep my own teeth.

Replied By Lee (Adelaide, Saustralia) on 02/22/2012

I found that oil pulling made my gums worse after just a few days. What worked for me is using a silica toothpaste and flossing. Flossing is very important and can't be neglected. I am sure you will notice a big difference after just a week of flossing every night.

Replied By Debbie (Melbourne, Australia ) on 02/22/2012

Try coQ10. I put up an article yesterday (in the coq10 section of Earth Clinic) about how coq10 is used in both the US and Japan for healing gum disease. Even people with the worst gums with deep pockets were healed. The article said that gum disease and heart disease were often related, and a symptom of coq10 deficiency is bleeding gums/gum disease. I would take a minimum of 100mg per day even 200mg divided in two per day.

Google coq10 and gum disease for further info.

Replied By Charmaine (Perth, Western Australia) on 02/23/2012

Hi again, yes I'm a flosser, I do it every day before bed. How long does it usually take to see results from coQ10? I was taking that 3x a day for a couple of months but stopped. I might have to go to the EC page on it and read up, thanks for the tip! X

Replied By Charmaine (Perth, Australia) on 04/04/2012

OK so I just thought I'd write an update. It's been about 2 months since I started oil pulling, I switched to coconut oil after my sunflower oil ran out and I now seem to have some days where my teeth and gums feel better. Some days though I wonder if it's my imagination. I'm going to keep trying and guess that in a couple more months I might start to notice more of an improvement. Baby steps... By the way, I do prefer the coconut oil.

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