Oil Pulling: Unlock Natural Oral Health & Detox Benefits

I tried oil pulling for the first time this morning using Meditteranean blend oil, which contains soya, sunflower and extra virgin olive oil. I did this before eating and drinking anything. I swished for 20 mins. , then rinsed with warm water, brushed my teeth and drank three glasses of water. It is now evening and I now have blisters in my mouth. Never had them before. Has this happened to someone else? Am I swishing too long, using wrong oil?? What can I do to avoid getting blisters. Thank you!!

I have been OPing for almost two weeks and am just amazed. I guess for me it was worth it just to finally, finally have a lymph node that is normal, not swollen or infected. It went down in a matter of three days. My teeth are whiter, my skin is smooth, I am feeling calm and relaxed and sleeping better. The first couple of days, yes, I had bad headaches and some fatigue but you soldier on, it's only temporary. The benefits are worth it in the end!!

I am very thankful for this site and the people who share their experiences on natural healing cures. I recently started oil pulling with seseme oil (toasted was what I could find at the grocery store) for the last three weeks. I wanted to get started right away! I am loving the results I am getting. My gums are healing, looking more pink, my teeth have begun to whiten up(they were yellow), my breath doesn't smell any more.

What I would like to know has anyone experienced waking up in the morning with a mouth full of thick mucus that has a yellow tinge to it. I also noticed the tarter buildup on my teeth wearing down? Is that possible with oil pulling? I'll take it!!! I would appreciate any helpful responses. Thanks

Had horrible sinus infection. Read your page and tried oil pulling. All I had was avacado oil at the time. Swished for only 12 minutes, but within another 12 minutes my terrible headache was gone and about 90% of the sinus infection was also gone. An amazing cure! Thanks!

No canola oil is not at all healthy. It is one of the main causes of diabetes. When using canola oil it takes 6 months to undo the damage from 1 serving of this nasty oil. It places an artificial fat wall around your cells walls that disrupt the electrical balance of your cells. This fat wall then does not allow glucose to properly penetrate. This knocks your pancreatic cells out of whack which produce Insulin and causes blood sugar imbalance. You can fix this in about 6 months if you cut out all canola oil as well as all margirin and vegetable oil. Buy a bottle of cold pressed Flaxseed oil and a bag of ground flaxseed. The ground flaxseed has to be used as soon as its introduced to the air because it goes rancid very quick. The flaxseed oil must have the top secured at all times and kept away from heat and light. Mix 1 table spoon with 2 tablespoons of 4% milkfat cottage cheese. Or you can double the amount depending on how hungry you are. Mix very well. Take this mixture and add in 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed. Mix well and you can optionaly add cinnamon for blood sugar balancing(it mimmicks insulin) and apricott or organic fruit of your choice. Eat this 3 times per day. This diet is known as the budwig diet and it reverses diabetes as well as cancer. Avoid taking vitamin C when using this diet at least 3 hours before or after eating. The flaxseed oil mixes with the fat of the cottage cheese in a way that makes it become water soluble. The oil then can bypass the liver and directly bring oxygenation to your cells and organs through your blood stream. Your diabetes will be reversed within 6 months or less if you eliminate all bad fats especialy canola, margerin, and vegetable oils. Also if you can get organic cottage cheese that is the prefered type to use. God bless and good luck to everyone. Sending light and love out to all that read this!!!!!!!!!!

Canola Oil should be strictly avoided- its ALL genetically modified, meaning genes from differing species are artificially added to the plant genetic reproduction... nothing to do with traditional agricultural genetic breeding (ex, begonias or apples)! The name itself is short for Canada Oil, and it is a modern agricultural product, not a centuries-old traditional food that has withstood the test of time in human nutrition.

Transgenic modifications were created for the sole purpose of a few corporations owning patent rights to our food supply, no matter how much they declare they are "feeding the world" and helping our meet out outrageous population needs. It's all political and economic rhetoric to increase their profit margins and corporate survival. Very little unbiased research has been PUBLISHED, meaning most scientific research on the topic is contaminated with economic agendas.

Human's have farmed for how long without the help of Monsanto/ DuPont? And now those companies own the game!

Google "Institute for Responsible Technology" to get a list of documentaries that will change your life regarding the topic (plus a host of powerpoint slides showing GMO food health implication in animal studies). Mercola.com is another good resource. Educate yourself about the health impacts of GM foods and agriculture, and don't buy into big agribusiness' political campaigns!

The best step forward is to have manditory labeling of GMO's on our food labels, so we can have personal soverignty (right to choose), and we can pay attention to what we are REALLY eating.

If avoiding GM foods improves a person's health, then so be it! If not, then we can research with a new hypothesis! This is the scientific method, currently being denied to the American Public due to corporate manipulation.

Any time I am force-fed information that is convenient to corporations or corporately-owned governments (*cough*), I ask myself "who is profiting off this information?"

Blessings to the Earth Clinic community... people's power is in learning and educating themselves!

Thank you earth clinic. we're all in this together. I spend lots of time reading about remedies and testimonies, the yes and the nays, its all good. I am pleased to read the nays that come from people who understand that even though the product didn't work for them, doens't mean the other testimonies are fake, just as we all are individuals, we get different responses. it's all good, learn from it and ask your higher power to send you what works. that's what i did; I have been trying lots of things, every time I read a testimony, I run out and buy the stuff and start using, and a week later, I decide, this thing is not working, and sometimes get angry because I have a cabinet full of ingredients I don't want to use anymore; then I started reading the testimonies from my heart, and listening to how I really feel about a product.

What happened is that ideas started coming to me, and one of them is honey, I decided to try honey on my acne face, I had half a jar of manuka honey at home so I started using it along with baking soda and lemon juice, and imediately I could see a glow. I also had pain in my gum, and have been using OP with some results, but still had soreness with brushing, then today I DECIDED TO USE THE HONEY in place of oil, put a tsp in mouth for about 5 to 10 minutes, then spit it out and brush, wow! no pain or soreness, I also had a bump on my face, i put a dab of honey and went to bed, this money bump gone. I took the honey jar and spoke into it, thanking all the bees that gave me this wonderful product, I thanked the farmers, the store keepers and last but not least this wonderful site, earthclinic. thank you for taking us back to earth, now i know everything works, at the right time with the right attitude. Love always.

For the real oregano essential oil ... I found it in www.maisonlaget.fr amazing quality, .

Wow, I love this option. I was also afraid I wouldn't last for 20 minutes with oil in my mouth. I use the black seed oil to rinse my mouth and I spit it out in barely 5 minutes.

Hi Aq. I'm no expert on dental care but your post comes in the middle of my own research into dental health after finding an amazing oral health care routine by Dr. Ellie Phillips. I came across her information by accident last week and have been devouring her free website posts ever since. Boy, have I learned a lot! I've also applied her mouth care system and have seen noticeable improvement in just one week. She has a lot of information to go through on her blog but she has a book as well, Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye, which seems to be a more concise and organized read (I have not read it yet). I highly recommend you take a look at her information. http://ultimateoralhealthguide.com/

In the meantime, I do have some thoughts about your routine that you might consider.

You said that at the same time you started oil pulling that you also started to brush your teeth and floss after every meal. This may very well be the problem. This is a common issue, especially here on EC, where most people think that brushing immediately after eating or drinking something acidic (like the popular remedy Apple Cider Vinegar) will protect their teeth from the erosion of the acid. Wrong! It's actually the opposite. Acidic foods and drinks will actually soften your enamel, so that when you brush your teeth you then brush the enamel away. Kind of the worst thing you could do if you're trying to protect your teeth!

The remedy is to make sure that you alkalize your mouth before brushing to ensure that the enamel is protected. You can do this by swishing with a solution of baking soda in water, eating or chewing a mint/gum sweetened with 100% xylitol (or dissolving the pure crystals in your mouth), eating a piece of cheese, or swishing with a commercial product like closys mouth wash. Brushing with an alkalized mouth is very different from brushing with an acidic mouth. This might also happen even if you haven't eaten recently because things like overall diet, stress, medications, toxins, candida, mouth breathing, and hormones that affect the acidity of the mouth. You can buy pH strips to test this easily.

Another issue might be how you are brushing and flossing: it could be a case of doing too much rather than too little. Most people use too hard of a toothbrush and put too much pressure on it, thinking that they have to scour their teeth to make them clean, much like cleaning a dirty, caked on dish. This actually can do lots of damage to teeth and gums. Instead, you should use a soft toothbrush and gently brush the teeth while focusing on massaging your gums to bring much needed circulation to your gums (and letting your body help you fight infection this way).

Secondly, most people have never been taught to properly floss either, so they tend to mangle and cut their gums rather than wriggle food particles out. Your dentist or dental hygienist should be able to show you how to correctly apply both these methods without damaging your soft tissues with heavy-handedness.

My next point was a hard pill for even me to swallow. You see, I have been using baking soda and peroxide as my "toothpaste" for the past 5 years, trying to be as natural as possible and throwing out chemical, commercial toothpaste. I liked it and didn't like the alternatives. Even so-called natural toothpastes have unnecessary or unwanted ingredients (like glycerin, which prevents your teeth from remineralizing with your natural saliva). I, too, practiced good hygiene; brushing and flossing every day and eating a healthy diet, but my oral health still wasn't where I expected it to be.

When I stumbled onto Dr. Ellie's blog I was disappointed to see that she does NOT recommend baking soda because of the effect she's seen on her patients' gums. Her insights have thrown off some of my thoughts and arrogance concerning natural tooth care. In this post she addresses this issue: http://ultimateoralhealthguide.com/2009/03/20/home-made-toothpaste/ . I'll quote a few sentences that caught my eye regarding your condition-

"I have seen baking soda used without problems for a few days, but after repeated use (over months or years) the gums start to disappear. There is no pain or swelling associated with this recession just a loss of gum tissue. This problem can be very severe to the point of people loosing teeth because of this."

Sound familiar? The reason I bring this up is two-fold. First, the main ingredient of Ecodent natural tooth powder is baking soda (baking soda is also mentioned in the first article I linked as a possible cause of gum recession). Secondly, I wanted you to know that I am NOT one who would normally buy any commercial body care products, including fluoride toothpaste. Most of my friends call me a" hippy", as I use the information here on EC as my "health care provider". However, Dr. Ellie has written very compelling evidence for the reasons she has recommended the products that she does.

In the one week (! ) that I've faithfully applied her full program, I have noticed great improvements in the markers of oral health that I felt I was previously failing at. My teeth are whiter and stronger, my front bottom teeth feel "tighter" in the gums (they previously felt "loose"), and I no longer bleed while brushing or flossing. Now, I'm not saying that these things will all happen for you, as you seem to have a much more advanced case than I, but you might! She has many other testimonials similar to mine.

I'm treading lightly here, as I have been amazed at the success I've found, but am very much aware of the dissonance this might create here in EC. Her system uses a series of mouth rinses and a commercial fluoride toothpaste, as well as timely application of xylitol products. She approves of very specific products and goes into detail about why they work. Yes, you read that- fluoride However, if you really take the time to understand the information she presents (across her whole blog), you may just decide to follow her program as well. If you are at all concerned about fluoride, like I am, start with this page:

http://ultimateoralhealthguide.com/2013/03/27/the-fluoride-debate-two-sides-to-every-story/

My recommendations are to look at the links I've posted, do some digging, and find out what will work for you. I know that if I was in your position that I would try to avoid surgery at if all possible (which you seem to as well). Also, I echo another poster in advocating the use of essential oils, especially clove, to deal with your mouth pain. Garlic, too, has seemed to help many others on this forum. Use the search bar above to find relevant posts. If anything, xylitol is also an excellent tool to explore using for dental health, with decades of research backing its efficacy in Europe.

I do not believe that oil pulling is what has been causing your recent discomfort, however I do not know that for sure. You might consider changing your oil to some other oil (maybe you're allergic?) as well as practicing good dietary habits. Drink an appropriate amount of water (coincidentally most people drink too much and flush their body's electrolytes away-see The Water Cure for more info), eat enough protein (since your body needs to build up your gum tissue and repair it), and be kind to yourself!

Good luck, and I hope that I've given you some useful information to help you. Give us an update if you can!

I know this is a few years old but figured I would share so others who are exploring don't get misinformed. Castor oil is not poisonous. The only part of the plant that is toxic is the hull of the castor bean. It contains ricin. When removed, the danger is also removed. If you have a bottle that says for "external use only", it is because you have a low quality oil. They use a solvent called hexane to extract the oil because it is fast and cheap. This makes it unsuitable for consumption. Look for one that is organic and cold pressed.

Been OP [oil pulling] since mid-November about twice a day with VCO. My first day, noticed a lot of mucus on my tongue after the second pull. I brushed my teeth & tongue after and rinsed with water as well. Most days I just have to blow my nose after & maybe spit mucus once or twice. A couple days back, I felt a scratchy feeling near the back of my mouth towards the throat when I was done. I took out a flashlight & saw a small round bump. Then I noticed what looked like mucus coming out of the throat area around the tonsils, coming through the flesh. Then, the next half hour I started coughing & spitting up phlegm continuously. Then it stopped, the bump & mucus was gone, and I had the best night's sleep I've had in awhile. The changes I've noticed so far include clear skin, I just don't seem to get acne now & I've had bouts of acne for over 25 years. My hair doesn't seem to split as bad as it used to. My teeth are whiter, tartar that has built up on the inside front of two of my lower teeth seems to be reducing, my gums are a lighter pink. I started breaking out in hives a few months back. I would feel like my heart was racing even though my pulse was normal or even slightly low. I would feel a burning inside that sometimes made me physically ill to my stomach. It looked like someone was drawing the world map on my back & legs from the hives. Numerous sleepless nights as a result. It took me awhile to figure out that the triggers were all grains & sulfites. I have had a couple of accidental exposures since the oil pulling & the hives symptoms are significantly reduced. In fact, there was only a slight feeling of racing and a couple small areas of hives. I have also noticed the fibrocystic lumps in my breasts seem to be shrinking and this has been the most pain free period in the last couple weeks than I've had for more than a year (although I should add that for the last few months I have also gone off all caffeine & no bra). Finally, there is no arthritis in my hands so far this year. By this time, last year, my hands were always either stiff or sore. Oil pulling is quite literally changing my life. I have always tried to live healthy, my weight is reasonable, in fact I've only had two periods of time my entire life where I was overweight. Once from childbirth and once from an injury that limited my movement for six months. However, despite all the healthy eating & use of natural medicine, nothing has created as noticeable a difference as oil pulling has. I want to thank you; because it was while I was trying to search for remedies for hives that I came across oil pulling on this site. Thank you!

Love this website. Very grateful for all the drug-free tips.

I've tried oil pulling for the last 3 months and I have only seen benefits. I have noticed my energy has soared and my breath is better, teeth are whiter and no more bleeding gums. I don't feel the need to smoke as much nowadays. Suppressed appetite, and I'm able sleep better and much deeper. I will now and forever keep oil pulling.

I have discovered this website and after reading about oil pulling (and researching on other websites) I decided to try it.......... After two weeks I need to share my story.

I was diagnosed 10 years ago with a tumor/goiter on the right side of my thyroid that was noticeable in size. Oddly enough the left side is trying to compensate for it so my specialist and I decided to just leave it be and I would monitor its size and my well being (noticing any changes to my health) so after several years of blood tests etc.... I am now on yearly monitoring. Seems to be fine but the size has never changed. No matter what kind of cleanse or supplement I did. I just thought it was my little pet to carry around with me. Now I need to mention that I eat very healthy clean whole foods as I am sensitive to a lot of things (thanks goodness my body has a natural defense to all the bad stuff, makes it easier to say no! ). And then I decided to try oil pulling!!!!!!!!!!! The first day I had an awful metallic taste in the back of my throat. From the second day on I would expel a considerable amount of phlegm a few times after I had spit out the oil, IT'S SHRINKING!!!!! I have also had a slight breakout on my chin that happens to line up with my thyroid and only on the affected side so I know its pulling upwards. I honestly think that the doctor may even miss it if I had a routine check up. Not to mention my teeth are so much whiter! I am honestly telling everyone I love because this is so easy! I am fortunate to have seen direct results so I am absolutely convinced that this is another practice that I will incorporate into my daily regime for the rest of my life! Just try it..... Sesame oil, 2 tsp, empty tummy, 20 min and swish-n-spit away your potential future diseases down the drain!

Hi Carly - I have several amalgam fillings, several porcelain fillings, two root canals and my husband has crowns but neither of us have experienced any problems at all with oil pulling. I've been oil pulling for over a year now, usually with sesame oil but I've also used coconut and olive oils.

Totally off the subject, but another thing I do for oral health is massage my gums (thumb on one side of the gum, forefinger on the other) - massage with light circular motion. It strengthens and brings circulation to the gums. I do it in the shower, because it can get a bit "drooly" - hope this helps! Cheers.

Hi Dee, no, as I used to be a photographer and travel writer I had my fillings changed to modern ones a few years ago as the dentist was afraid that I would get problems due to my many flights.

By the way, I want to thank all the advice I got here after losing my tooth. I have chose to do an implant but I will do it in a very good clinic in Switzerland since we found out that I lost my tooth (which had had a root canal and the filling replaced a lot of times) only because the dentist here in France didn't care to cap the tooth. We don't know why he didn't do it yet but we have written him a letter. All the dental treatments cost a lot of money, so did pulling the tooth and now the implant is going to be awfully expensive, all for no reason! Be careful and if you don't trust some treatment get a second opinion, it may be worth the money!

Cure for the dentist!

I've been oil pulling off and on for over a year with sesame/sunflower oil. Extreme tooth sensitivity (hot, cold, and warm) completely gone, toothaches from 1 troublesome tooth completely gone, teeth ridiculously clean smooth (stains tartar are gone). I dont think im ever going to the dentist again! I use in combination with a few drops of oil of oregano as i no longer use toothpaste (tried every brand/type of toothpaste, they all aggravated sensitivity and toothache and don't do squat for healthy teeth (in my opinion)).

BEE propolis with Manuka honey along with the oregano oil (P73 WILD is best) and the ACV ;and the cayenne pepper in tandem will cure the sinus infection. I used to get them 7x yr. All that chronic sinusitus is from candida. Eat clean and no sugar or refined carbs. I take a plastic spoon (as bee propolis will stick to a metal spoon) and dip it into the Manuka honey- then add a full dropper of Bee Propolis... Slide it down ur tounge into the back of ur mouth(as it can stick to ur teeth). Do 2xday. The Bee pollen in both the propolis and from the Manuka (i get any type over 80%pollen )has an antiallergen effect.

Dont believe the drug pushing drug companies. GOD gave us everything we need. How do u think other cultures survived for thousands of yrs? why was evoo, and herbs etc considered currency? EVEN BEER! Modern medicine is yesterday news. They try diff things but then 10yrs later u always see that people have lawsuits due to drugs they took. ESPECIALLY Now! DETOX first, then inflammation will go away, then restoration occurs. All diease comes from inflammation and cellular degeneration. Oxidation is also important. BUT THE MOST BY FAR- IMHO- is normalizing/testing regularly ur Ph. of BOTH the BLOOD/URINE. EVERYone is finding that acidosis is the main contributor of cellular degeneration. Check it out.

Canola oil should not be used for oil pulling. I agree with this comment 100%. I have researched Canola oil and it is bad stuff.

Hello everyone! I have become addicted to the site like everybody else. I have a question about oil pulling. I made it through five pages and did not see anything about food grade Castor Oil. I kept thinking about the Cayce remedies and his great results for many ailments using Castor Oil. Has anyone tried it? Does anyone know of a reason it should not be used for oil pulling? My intuition keeps telling me to try it, and I believe that we are often led to the right thing for ourselves. To everyone who is working on healing themselves, don't give up! If one thing does not work for you try again and again. In the trying you reinforce the "health"vibration around you. You are not alone in your seking and all of us who read your posts are pulling[no pun intended] for you and with you!

It's day two of my oil pulling. The first shot, I felt my sinuses start to drain down my throat while doing it! This after a 10 day round of antibiotics that did not work!I was just AMAZED! As a bonus: my teeth felt like glass...as if I had just had a professional cleaning! I'm waiting for the fountain of youth thing to kick in. It was also not as unpleasant as I had imagined. I did it on my commute, then spit in the parking lot! That will give 'em something to speculate about at the water cooler! Tee-Hee!

Have started using coconut oil but not sure how you can fit a whole tablespoon in your mouth, even a full teaspoon feels a lot of oil! Are you sure its not meant to be a teaspoon?!

When people refer to coconut oil, I don't know if they mean the solid, white oil but that sounds yucky. I imagine it causing a gag reflex. Medium Chain Triglycerides oil (MCT) is the lighter, liquid version of coconut oil and would be easier to get whole tablespoon in your mouth. It's more expensive though but good to have on hand for diet. I just thought, you could warm up to liquefy the solid before taking and that may be what everyone does! Oh well, I prefer the lighter taste of MCT or sunflower oil and use less than a Tbs so that I can keep in my mouth for the entire 20 min.

I just OP'd for the first time. I used organic coconut oil because that's what I had on hand. When I spit out, mine was red, too. Can anyone shed light on this?

Also, my tongue and teeth (actually gums, I guess) were tingling, and I could feel the glands in my throat. Is this to be expected?

Lastly, it's just been discovered that my thyroid is enlarged. Does anyone have any idea if there could be a positive effect on the thyroid by OPing?

I'm *SO* glad I found this site!!

I've been pulling oil since 10/06 and feel that the most obvious improvment is in my teeth and gums.....bright white teeth and healthy gums that hold my teeth firmly in place where they used to be loose before. Also I sleep more soundly and feel refreshed in the morning. I want to do this for the rest of my life and wonder if that would be OK or not. Is there anything negative that could come from my pulling oil once a day forever.....I'm 65 and it sure beats medication.

Thank you so much. I haven't done this in a long while but I have some symptoms that are disturbing and I believe it is good to use the aged Remedies that heal the body.

I've read that it's better to do a sequence of 5 minute oil pulling sessions totaling 20 minutes instead of a single 20 minute session. Reason being that doing shorter “pulls” and spitting avoids the potential re-absorption of toxins one might get from the long pulling session. Makes sense to me! This might solve any gagging problems!

Why do all that gross swishing of oil and spit for 20 minutes? Just swish a small sip of hydrogen peroxide for 2 minutes then spit it out and rinse your mouth. This is even better for oxygenation of the gums and promotes healing of minor abraisions of the mouth and will not burn your mouth. (if you have a beard don't let it get on your beard especially if it's tinted or it may turn white. If you do rinse the beard immediately).

I have been oil pulling with coconut oil for almost 5 days now. On the evening of the second day I started a dense headache that has increased slowly and has now turned into a full blown migraine by the 5th day!! All week I did not take any OTC pain pills but I had to take something for the agonizing migraine. My question is, is this normal? My detox is horrific! I hear and read all these stories of how great people feel, I feel I've been hit by a bus! I want to continue OP, I'm am seeing positive results with skin and teeth but this detox is killing me. Do you have any words of wisdom?

You should try Jack's Tea for pulmonary fibrosis.

I have been using coconut oil for oil pulling for about 3 years now. I have never had any gagging or side effects from it. I do it every day for 20 minutes. I have allergies and the oil pulling makes my teeth feel much cleaner. I do also cough up some phlegm right after the oil pulling. Between the oil pulling and the All Natural Apple Cider Vinegar I take everyday, my allergies are much better and I have a lot more energy than I did before. No aches or pains either!

I "oil pulled" this morning with DMSO. I used a half of a teaspoon, just a small amount of 99.9 purity of DMSO.

Here is what happened: I noticed a slight throbbing in one of my teeth but not enough to stop so I continued to vigorously swish the DMSO around. Once again there was a very pleasant warming sensation in my mouth.

The sensation of pain was mild and went away after I spit out the DMSO. I did notice this slight throbbing the first time I tried DMSO. Teeth are alive, they have nerves perhaps there is a fissure in one of them that needs mineralize to fill the fissure? I don't know. But I am going to experiment and am experimenting with the Azomite/DMSO solution for tooth re-mineralization.

My finger tips have healed up well, I for got where I posted that my fifnger tips were in pain that it was difficult to type but that problem is now GONE. And they are tougher then they were now and I had no pain in clipping my nails like I had before.

I don't know what exactly I am doing but I do know that I am acting in faith and I am trusting in the Word.