Oil Pulling for a Tooth Abscess

Oil pulling helped prevent infection and healed cracked tooth

I cracked the tooth of a molar when eating a nut. The dentist x-rayed it and it confirmed the crack on the film. The dentist wanted me to have a root canal immediately. One of his staff took me aside after the consult and said to not get the root canal, citing how young I was and that root canals can lead to bone loss and other complications down the road. I was told to treat it like any other broken bone by not using the tooth. For several months I chewed only on the good side of my mouth. I was shown how to floss tying a knot in the floss and pulling it all the way through so that it would not disturb the root.

I did some research and began oil pulling. I also brushed my teeth with a drop of straight thieves oil (essential oils of cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, rosemary, and lemon mixed, and just one drop of it) or applied it straight to the gum. After a few months I noticed improvement, although the tooth would click when I pushed it with my tongue. The staff member I initially spoke with said that was probably the ligament and it was healing still.

When I returned and got new x-rays a couple of years later, there was no sign of the break. I am so grateful to that staff member for telling me not to get a root canal. I believe that the oil pulling helped prevent any infection since there was none to begin with. I no longer brush with normal toothpaste.

This is not normal.

Hi, I often look at this site for natural treatments and have used a variety of approaches for treating an infected tooth root below an amalgam filling. I have not experienced pain, just mild discomfort when I press firmly on the gum. My dentist recommended a root canal or extracton after viewing the xray of the tooth. Three months later I continue with daily oil pulling and rinses with various natural products and twice daily sodium ascorbate. I also take a little bone brooth and finely crushed organic egg shells and swish with comphrey root tea in an effort to remineralize the tooth. Does anyone have any expeience about saving a tooth? I am concerned about the consequences of having even a small amount of infection lurking in my tooth for months while I attempt to remineralze the tooth.

I'm on vacation in Indiana when I get an abscessed tooth. Hurt like heck, throbbing and I looked like I had a gumball in my mouth. Being Sunday on 4th of July weekend I couldn't call my dentist for a antibiotic script and didn't want some rookie emergency dentist who got stuck working on holidays.

I tried oil pulling. I used coconut oil with a few drops of peppermint oil and frankincense. In 24 hours it was reduced in size by 75% and pain was totally manageable with ibuprofen. (I tried a homeopathic version of a pain killer that didn't work for me)

Yikes! I wouldn't have OP'd with a sore tooth. The sucking/swishing could aggravate it. In this case, it sounds like it did.

Have you tried raw garlic? I swear by it, as do many others. If you haven't tried it, please do. The relief comes quickly.

Peel one clove of garlic, then slice the clove in half or in thirds. Place the cut side of the garlic on the gums near and surrounding the tooth and leave it there for as long as you can. (It will burn at first, so take it off when you feel like you can't take the burn for another second, then put it back on.) Move the clove around the gums on both sides of the tooth, either using your tongue or holding it with your fingers. Leave it on one spot for about 30 seconds, then move it to the opposite side of the tooth/gums.

Repeat this process every few hours, but you should feel some significant relief after the first use.

For a double whammy, take another clove of garlic, chop it into small pieces, put the pieces on a spoon and down it with a few chugs of water to attack it from the inside and outside. (Repeat garlic ingestion 3x/day.)

Hope you feel better, soon!

Dear Help Me,

I am not sure about a healing reaction. Yes, sometimes remedies will draw infection to the surface and things may look worse for a little while, but for swelling to have doubled in size in two hours is of concern.

Is there still pus? redness? What about pain? This sounds pretty painful.

Do you have any kind of medicinal clay? I would try keeping french green or bentonite clay on this, if possible. Changing it every few hours. If you don't have clay you could use turmeric or garlic powder topically.

If this were me, I would be taking a lot of vitamin C - even 1,000 mg every hour, unless it causes loose stools, in which case, reduce the dose or frequency.

Also, turmeric and garlic every couple of hours, 1/4 teaspoon of each, taken internally, to fight infection.

Also, avoid sugar. Drink kefir if you have access to it.

If you are not noticing improvement within a short time of additional remedies, or are getting worse, or have a fever, I would seek medical attention, even though it is the weekend. This sounds quite serious and you may not be able to wait for normal office hours for medical attention.

I hope you feel better soon!

~Mama to Many~

Hi!

I don't have reports for a cure or anything, but I need your help, I really don't know what to do. My dentist has said before that I have a dying tooth and one day I would need a root canal, I was and still am against it and within last week I noticed an area above the dying tooth starting to ache and swell a bit, especially when I touched it. After 5-6 days I decided I needed to do something as I suspected it was either a tooth abscess or an infection.

To try and combat this, I oil pulled with coconut oil. The first day it didn't swell as much and there were not much changes, however, the next day (which is today) when I OP and rinsed with salt water, I think I saw a small little hole thing draining out the pus, a fistula was it called? That didn't feel too bad, but then throughout the day it started getting worse, especially after I ate some durian (I'm thinking as the durian is pretty heaty, it might have triggered something?) so as soon as I got home, I OP again and rinsed with salt water after. I took a nap and woke up 2 hours later to find the swelling has seemingly doubled in size. Is this normal?

I know some people have bad healing reactions and I was wondering whether this was one of them. Please help, I really dont know what to do.

I've had a broken tooth for awhile and it eventually became infected. Tried the Hydrogen Peroxide treatment and along with clove oil, it did lessen the pain. After a few days the pain started to get more intense and I thought, ok, guess I'll have to go to the dentist and spend a fortune. Instead I decioded to give the oil pull using sesame oil a try. In one 3 minute "swish" the pain was gone, swelling in face was gone after the second swish! I was amazed. 4 Days later with swishing the oil no more than 4 minutes, twice per day, my infection is gone. I will continue with the oil pulling as it makes my gums and mouth feel so much cleaner. I am sure it is detoxing anything bad in my mouth. There is certainly something to be said for the "old way of doing things".

I had a tooth abscess in June, this Nov 2015 it came again. I got oil pulling 3 times that night amazingly in the morning it had subsided and the pain gone only a small swelling on my upper jaw, one day later it has gone am still using the oil until I complete the dose I was given by a Masaai herbman.

Oh Bri, You are awesome!

I have an abscessed tooth accompanied by a swollen face, headache and my left ear is thinking about hurting :)

I started with the garlic clove last night and my oh my did it burn. I chewed as much as I could stand and spit the juice out and immediately drank some room temp. water.

I did this a couple times and then nibbled on my lil garlic clove allowing pieces of it to rest in my tooth and gum line.

I went to bed and awoke this morning to less pain and less swelling.

Trying it again tonight but definitely looking forward to op!

So THANKS to ALL of YOU!!!

I can now start my new job!!!

Just wanted to add the reason no medicine was helping honey is because oil pulling (OP) pulls the medicine out too. You should always do it prior to taking any otcs and wait to do it again just before your next dose. That's also why OP is a great hang over cure. But please if you take any pharmaceutical drugs OP before and only every 24hrs because it removes everything. So please do be careful. Educate yourselves on OP for these reasons and more because it is an incredible remedy!

I read somewhere that olive oil has special qualities that really help with oral infection, so I am also using that for oil pulling. It seems to "pull out" more than the coconut oil.

ActivatedCharcoal helps in the mouth, buy caps in stomach remedy isle . Open over a plate or paper and sprinkle on damp toothbrush at night before bed. Brush on and leave overnight. You can also take the caps with plenty of water to detox.

Alpha lipoic acid helps with pain , take in the morning. Google 'remineralize teeth', there are some bloggers out there getting amazing dental healings for cracked, infected teeth and gums.

There is HOPE

I'm so glad I came across this entry. Thank you. I just learned about oil pulling for the first time today and tried it out of desperation. Have a broken abscessed tooth I can't afford to fix. I'm also asthmatic. I've been using EFT (tapping) which has helped with the asthma, but wasn't happening fast enough for the tooth, which the pain is now spread to my cheekbones and I can feel the poison rising into the sinus. I OP this morning with pure coconut oil and noticed some temporary subsiding. The afternoon I tried extra virgin olive oil and my body seemed to ache more after that (plus I still want to hurl from the taste of it). I'll do another round of coconut oil before bed.

I'm so glad to read your Day 2 because it's about where I am after 2 OP. I understand things tend to worsen before getting better, but seeing your routine is encouraging. I'm going to stick with it and look forward to healing on the other side. Reading lots of good reports about this technique.

Thank you for taking the time to chronicle such a detailed account of how you remedied a tough situation. Most appreciated.

It does help immensely. You are wonderful, thank you.

I'm currently taking a product called fermented cod liver oil that remineralizes teeth and heals cavities. The premise is that if your bones can heal, so can your teeth. There was a little brown spot on a front tooth for many months and now after taking the cod-liver oil for a few weeks the spot is much smaller. It has to be fermented or any processing will kill the beneficial qualities of the cod-liver oil.

I would like to share my first experience with Oil Pulling

June 19,2014 2014

Started Oil Pulling I started late in the evening for severe tooth pain I was able to get in three 20 minute OP sessions my whole bottom left jaw is swollen with a ball and in severe pain, I am crying its so bad I cannot handle it I must take medicine even though I am very hyper sensitive to all medication and I'm scared to take it but I know I must there is just no way out of it the pain outweighs the fear, the gum in the back of my tooth is brown and purplish blackish I also have a hole where a root canal was done on the next tooth (molar) but never crowned.

June 20 2014 Oil pulling every 2-4 hours . I woke up about 5 am feeling dizzy and disoriented And weak I feel really scared and panicky I thought it was from my hypoglycemia but I checked my sugar three times and it was not low (I was in disbelief but the meter is accurate) so I got something to eat anyway , I talked myself calm, and I put myself to sleep I feel very warm I turn the air down. To 67 degrees I Oil Pulled for 20 minutes. In the morning the pain was less I was relieved but by mid day the pain was just as intense as the day before I had to take pain medication again because it is unbearable I was crying but I'm keeping up with the oil pulling, its hard to rest the pain keeps waking me up

June 21 2014 Still oil pulling every couple of hours but I added 2 pressed large cloves of garlic to the olive oil 4 oz. this however was quite strong and it burned in my mouth it was quite spicy so I added 4 more oz. to the glass of olive oil this was just right even maybe a little weak I will adjust with a little more garlic next time, I am also rinsing with sea salt water after the pulling, I also put a cabbage poultice on my cheek but I can only stand this from 2-5 minutes because it burns my skin and I cannot tolerate it for long but I keep at it several times a day. it is night and I have an unbearable headache So much pressure I can't even rest my head on the pillow because the pressure is just too much to bear, every time I turn my head it makes me dizzy and I feel nauseated this is bad I take medicine again.

June 22 2014 The pain is less intense now it's still there but tolerable I won't be taking any more medicine the swelling is subsiding I am grateful for this but there is still a ball right above the jaw line and still swollen but not as much but like I said getting smaller I am still oil pulling about every 3 to 4 hours now still with a sea salt rinse and a tooth brushing after I am able to get up walk around a bit now but still weak, it's 9:44pm now I added a fresh carrot, apple, lettuce juice now for two days I feel I will sleep better tonight as I can lay my head on the pillow now and rest, my cheek has been tingling now for two days I can feel the infection moving around and dissipating it feels a bit tingly a bit like a moving around tingly feeling like when dental anesthetic is wearing off I feel it through the left cheek, jaw, and lower lip, I will oil pull one more time before I fall asleep I also looked at my gum and the very back of it is now a pinkish color and midway is still brownish purplish blackish but I feel seeing some pink gum is a good sign I am feeling hopeful

June 23 2014 Slept ok pain is better still slightly swollen it's just sore to the touch now and when I open my mouth , there is a very slight chronic pain but it's even more tolerable, I'm in better spirits, I'm going to OP. it's 10am now I just checked my gums they are more pinkish but I see a really deep pocket behind my last molar and inside and slightly around it, it is still brownish purplish. for the past three days to describe the gum pain I'm experiencing is like my gums were scraped by the dental hygienist just the bottom lower left and bottom front and also upper left corner this includes the front and back side of the gums. It's 10:40 pm now and I feel a little more pain maybe because I'm getting tired and want to rest I don't know but the swelling is still going down I'm going to oil pull now after I eat a banana. It's 11:20 now I'm done with my regiment and was looking at my gum it's the same and I was also looking at my tongue which I noticed while brushing it has little raised bumps towards the back there's just a little and there the color of my tongue and do not hurt but I thought was strange and even stranger yet I noticed my tonsils my right side was half it's usual size I didn't even know they were swollen all of my life , but. throughout my childhood I had a lot of tonsil infections but I thought I overcame this as I grew older but I am surprised to see the right one is half it's size, that it has been all my life , the left is still I guess swollen hmmm. The pain is better now

June 24 2014 The pain deep down inside my jaw is gone (yay) but I still have slight pain around the gum line (it feels like a dental gum scraping still) but it is very tolerable there is still slight swelling but you really wouldn't notice only if I pointed it out, feeling good throughout the day my energy is up and I feel like there is a fog lifting I feel more alert and happy but not just because of the teeth issue I have Lupus and complications from lupus, hypoglycemia, CFS, Reynauds, erythromelalgia, I only oil pulled 4 times today,

June 25 2014 I slept better last night I can barley feel the ball on my cheek now, absolutely no pain right now. I OP 4 times today always 20 minute sessions, there is virtually no pain now.

June 26 2014 No pain at all yay! And just a slight bump near my jaw bone the back of my gum is nearly all light pink except inside the pocket but it's getting a lighter color I will continue to oil pull at least 4 times today and everyday for one year to see if my overall health improves and I will be trying sesame oil next as well as sunflower and coconut I am very excited and convinced it is helping me I have experienced great results so far I am very hopeful!

Never heard of oil-pulling. Have dental infection. Can't get to dentist and they won't call in scrip for meds. I am going to get a bottle of coconut or saffron oil tonight. Can't wait to try it! Love this site. Thanks:)

What exactly is oil pulling? I just discovered the abscess. I'm not in pain but would like to start oil pulling before the pain starts. I only have organic virgin coconut oil. Please help. Thanx

Jensen from Kailua -- please visit paradise.net-healing.html. You'll be amazed . I oil pull too. If there is an abcess you will find what you need. I have been oil pulling for nearly two years. I deal with cavities , pockets and abcesses myself. My teeth are firm, the gums healthy and teeth also get whiter over time. Good luck. Om

I just had a root canal and a filling, I need to go back and get a crown thing. The tooth right next to it pretty much guarantee has a cavity. Likely another abcess. I hate going to the dentist. So I've been oil pulling for 10 days and my mouth has never been so clean and my teeth look great. Just wondering if I really need to go back or just keep oil pulling.

I believe horsetail herb can be used to rebuild bone. I don't have a dosage to recommend to you but when I did a bunch of research on how to help my teeth, I kept being led back to horsetail. It wouldn't hurt to look into it. Best of luck!

Debbie, if you are able to rebuild bone in your jaw, please, please, share the rest of your formula including the bone builder. I am a dialysis patient with diabetes and the diabetes, though well-controlled, has really shrunk down the bone in my jaw, to the point that I cannot take regular implants for fear of opening up a hole into my sinus cavity. I am desperate to find out anything that will work, since I cannot afford a bone graft (many thousands of dollars, not covered by insurance) and am also concerned that getting a bone graft or any type of transplant may harm my opportunities to get the kidney transplant I need.

If you have information on ways to rebuild bone in the jaw, please share it with me. Many thanks.

I have been having trouble with my teeth hurting for some time now, the extreme sensitivity has been for maybe 2-3 weeks. I have been brushing my teeth with baking soda. I was afraid that maybe my mouth was becoming too alcalyne, so I started rinsing with vinegar, diluted in water. That helped a little bit.

The last several nights, I was having a lot of trouble sleeping, I'd wake up in terrible pain. My teeth would be shooting pain all in my head and mouth. Last night, I got up and went to the bathroom in the middle of the night, trying to figure out what to do for it. I walked past a bottle of oil I had sitting there. I believe that God told me to take some of that oil and pull it, so I did. I didn't know that oil could help it, but I was ready to try about anything. I had heard of oil pulling, and had tried it for other things, but not that.

I don't know what all kind of oil I have in that mix. I make up mixes for various things. That mix I'd made up to apply topically to my husband's feet, so that he wouldn't have to take it orally. But had discontinued using it for that. I suppose that it has fish oil, pumpkin oil, cod liver oil, flax seed oil, evening primrose oil, and saw palmetto oil in it. These were all oils that I took out of the softgel capsules. I would guess that it also has almond oil, and/or grapeseed oil, and/or safflower oil. I have a bunch of carrier oils that I use to carry my essential oils. That's what I mixed in. God is just amazing. I am constantly amazed that he made a thing as amazing as oil. I am thankful for the night's sleep. I am thankful to be pain-free.

I used 1 Tbs sunflower oil for 15 minutes yesterday morning for an abscessed tooth and by evening I could eat, although there was some discomfort still (I hadn't been able to close my mouth in the morning it was so painful.) By this morning the pain was almost gone and is now completely gone!!! And, in addition, some brown spots on my hand are fading. I am really amazed and will continue to see how else I benefit. Oddly (or not depending on how you see it) I picked out sesame oil to begin the treatment and the salesperson while talking to me and showing me some other things, "accidently" replaced the sesame with the sunflower. So, I am going with this gift!

I would up my intake of Vitamin C alot to help my immune system fight off the bacteria. When I was having periodontal problems I started taking Vitamin C, bioflavanoids, Vitamin K, Vitamin D, a good bone builder supplement that must remain un-named, Magnesium and Boron. The dentist couldn't believe how I grew the bone back and how the pockets diminished. I went from being a candidate for a full set of dentures to having my teeth once again firmly anchored in my jaw. But if the tooth continues to give you problems, I would have it out; I think root canals are a major source of whole-body inflammation and do more harm than good to a person's over-all health. A root canal is like having a splinter in your jaw and is nothing but a well of bacteria and inflammation constantly seeping into your body. Root canals put a strain on your entire system 24/7.

Hope you can help with my tooth/gum/bone problem. Back in February I had a severe toothache (molar with a crown) along with a sinus infection. I used all kinds of Earth Clinic remedies, and they all helped: garlic, OP, tumeric, charcoal, cloves, etc. The major pain subsided and I was left with pressure pain only, as in chewing or clenching. Sometimes there is a dull ache. Then I noticed that the gum was very sensitive or rather the bone under the gum on the outside and inside (palate). Went to the dentist. He said the root was dead, calcified, but that there was infection present in the dead root that seeped into the surrounding bone. He said since the root is dead there is no blood supply so antibiotics (or presumably all natural remedies) cannot get inside to stamp out the infection. According to him there are two solutions: 1) root canal and 2) extract the tooth. I have been oil pulling (sesame oil) twice daily for almost three weeks now. All pain has essentially subsided except if I press with my finger on the tissue around tooth (bone underneath), then it is very sensitive, which leads me to believe that infection is still present. I feel that this infection is taxing my immune system and causing me to have low energy, tire easily and catch colds, etc. easily, which I normally don't. I sincerely believe that there are other options, I just haven't stumbled on them yet.

I used to have very sensitive teeth and could not eat citrus drink cold liqueds etc. I have done many things and I no longer have sensitive teeth. 1. I got a night guard. I believe this helped with certain aspects of sensitivity. 2. I had some dental issues corrected. 3. I started brushing with baking soda in a very specific manner. I no longer "brush". I dip my brush in a watery paste and set the bristles next to the gum line and "try to "push in" the baking soda below the gum line. gently miniscule, up down movements. 4. I have used dental oils which I have found on line. I have also tried making my own, using recipes I have found on line, as well as the ingredients on the labels of the commercial brand I have used. 5. I have used an "alternative dental paste that is wholy nutritional which I also found on the internet. I believe my sensitivity springs mainly from the deep etching at the gumline. The alternative dental paste is actually the product that took away pain and sensitivity and it has not returned with the regular use of baking soda. I no longer brush with regular toothpaste. I believe it is toxic to the oral cavity. I have not tried tooth soap. When I used regular toothpaste, I always had a film form on my teeth within hours of eating. My teeth and gums felt slimy and I had was always rubbing my tongue against the back of my teeth trying to smooth out the rough feeling on my teeth. I no longer have any of these issues. Warning. The oils range from 12 to 50.00 per bottle. The nutritional paste, cost about 80.00 for 5 ounces. Baking soda is about .50 for enough to last a year. The oils reach deep below the gums and work around the teeth killing germs that the brush can't see. This is a good precursor to the dental floss. The nutritional paste feeds the teeth, and gum tissues. I am on my 3rd jar. There is also a regular strengh that sells for about 45.00 for 5 oz. The baking soda is what I use now most of the time. I was scared I was going to loose my teeth and that is why I searched out all of these different alternatives. I think flossing is also extremely important. I have done oil pulling also. I took my mouth through a crisis spending at least 15 minutes twice a day brushing the gums and teeth. I believe you have to strengthen the gums and surrounding tissues to iradicate the sensitivities. When I was using the baking soda at first, I also mixed with a little salt and I actually had sores on my gums I had sores that I had to keep brushing, It was very painful. Some other things I did were to pop co q 10 capsules in my mouth and hold the fluids in the mouth for as long as possible.I did this also with vitamin e. The neat thing about the paste, is that you swallow it when you are done brushing and it is green. Don't waste time brushing in front of a mirror. Do your brushing in a location where you will not be in a hurry to finish. 2 minutes is not long enough. I like brushing while watching tv. My quality of life is so much better since I no longer have the sensitivity. Previous to this protocol, I had lived with sensitivity to citrus for at least 12 years.

Hi, I don't know if you use a lot of lemon, but at least in my case, I used to drink a table spoonful or two of lemon juice with my morning class of water and my teeth become sensitive. As soon as I stopped that, the sensitivity stopped. I think AVC will do the same; that's why it should be taken with baking soda.

PS don't trust dentist, most of them try to sell you procedures that you really don't need, especially if they don't have too many clients. Yes they will drill completely healthy teeth if they need money, they are that greedy- they have needs like all of us. House payments and someone must pay for the their Mercedes too :-) This is a dark side of dentistry that nobody talks about.

Hi Lisa: The best and quickest remedy I have found for sensitive teeth is oil pulling with extra virgin olive oil. You will feel the effects after the very first use. Hope you find it beneficial too. Smart to not go for the root canals - those dentists! Gigi

I have several sensitive teeth and was wondering if anyone knows what could help. Tried some remedies for Tooth, absess like garlic, but didn't work for sensitivity. Most teeth on left side sensitive to heat, cold and pressure, as well as one tooth on right. Dentists are not any help since he offered to do 6+ root canals for me-- no thanks.

I learned about Oil Pulling from your website and I feel so thankful for this wonderful treatment. I had an abscess under a tooth in my mouth that would not go away. I had tried antibiotics twice and it just went away for a while and came back. The last time I had an abscess I needed to have the tooth pulled and an implant put in - lots of pain and money.

I started oil pulling - for the first 2 weeks twice a day and then once a day. The abscess looked better and better but did not go away. Daily i would clean out any accumulated pus, and eventually i only had to do that every 3 days or so. Then - one morning after 2 months of this - when I went to clean it out to my great surprise a small bubble came out - the outside was clear and inside was a bright grass green color. After that day, the abscess completely healed. It has been three months and everything is just fine. Thank you so much for the information that you post here. I used 1 tablespoon of Cold Pressed Sesame Oil and I added a few drops of Oregano Oil to it for oil pulling. I am still oil pulling, switching types of oil every few months.

My partner recently had immense toothache pain. One of his upper teeth had broken away revealing a large cavity, and the two bottom ones, had small black flecks on them - obviously needing fillings. He had seen me doing oil pulling on a regular basis, and although happy with my results, I don't think he thought it was for him. He was writhing around in pain, couldn't sleep and pain killers would not work. The earliest dental appointment was a week away. I finally convinced him to do oil pulling. To be honest, I wasn't sure it would work, as I thought perhaps his tooth was too far gone to be be saved, but he did it every morning for around 5 days. The pain completely disappeared in all teeth. He is now a big believer and is recommending it to all his clients. Thanks for a wonderful site.

I had one case of a woman who got septicemia like conditions (blood poisoning and the blood becomes dark brown) where the bacteria went so deep that it caused a major fever, and headaches. Chemically speaking a low concentration in the blood of aspirin, was found to eliminate or kill the bacteria. Chemically speaking the acetylsalicylates actually digests the thin bacterium walls which causes the condition (and has a potential as antiviral and antibacteria properties like an antibiotics on the merits of it being able to destroy very thin microbial walls) and it was essential that aspirin was used to wash out the cavities cleaning.

One case the teeth where cavities exist was so black that the oil pulling dissolves the bacterium that resulted in streaming black streaks during the die off, which I think is how oil pulling can kill certain cavity causing bacteria, not all mind you, the bacteria plaque are a bit more difficult to remove. I haven't been able to get neem oil, but the idea that it help somewhat is an interesting finding.

I believe that long term acid saliva is one factor which initiates enamel erosion as well as eating sour foods where potassium I think is what controls the saliva pH, while sodium controls the urinary pH, or extracellular fluids, in some ways. I still need to do further experiments in proving this of course!

Thank you for your contribution!

Today is Tuesday. Last Friday night and Saturday morning I had increasing pain at the root of tooth #12, upper behind canine tooth. It was getting worse. I found your web page and read about oil pulling with sesame or sunflower seed oil. Saturday morning I bought 8 ounces of sesame oil and started pulling 1 table spoon in the morning and 1 tablespoon at night. Same on Sunday, and Monday. The result was immediate. The first result cut the pain in half, the in half again, and now I can feel only a little discomfort at the root of the tooth. I do not know how this works, but am grateful that it does!

re: Oil Pulling -- 3 months ago, I had a really bad infection in my mouth, so painful that I could not sleep. Orajel helped, but temporarily. I came across this website and decided to give it a try. When I woke up the next day, the pain was gone! No soreness, nothing. Not even a twinge. I stopped doing it for a couple of weeks, and all my health problems came back. Abnormal discharge, candida, and other female issues. I'm doing this again in the hopes that my issues will go away for good. Will keep you all updated on my progress.