EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OIL PULLING

I'm sure you've heard about oil pulling several times in the past couple of years, and I'm sure a lot of you have watched at least one youtube video of somebody trying it and squirming the entire time. So why do people bother, and is it worth all the squirming?

What is oil pulling?
Funnily enough, oil pulling did not originate in Hollywood - in fact, it has been used for thousands of years as an Indian folk remedy. Traditionally, the Indians used other oils such as sesame oil or sunflower oil, but coconut oil (available from the supermarket) is often a more popular option as it tastes better. It involves swishing oil around your mouth in order to whiten teeth.

What does oil pulling actually do?
Because it is oil and not toothpaste, it is able to seep into small gaps that you miss with your toothbrush. Oil pulling whitens teeth, freshens breath, and it can reduce harmful bacteria (because of its natural antibacterial properties), plaque and gingivitis. Overall, it's amazing for improving oral and dental health.

How do I do oil pulling?
1. Put 1 or 2 teaspoons of coconut oil in your mouth (but use the right amount for you).
2. Swish it around your mouth for 5-20 minutes (obviously, the longer, the better).
3. Spit out the oil, swill your mouth with salt water, and brush your teeth.

- If you use coconut oil, make sure you don't spit it down the sink because when it cools and hardens it could block your sink (spit into a toilet or bin).
- Coconut oil is solid at room temperature and you will need to chew it a little before it melts down properly in your mouth (for me, this is the worst part of the whole thing, but it gets better once it becomes a liquid, then it's just like a mouthwash).
- Don't gargle it.
- It is recommended that you oil pull first thing on a morning, on an empty stomach, as this is the time when the body can produce more of the enzyme-containing saiva that will remove toxins and bacteria (also, you're less likely to get queasy from the oil when you have an empty stomach).

Is there a technique?
If you google it, you can get sucked into all kinds of oil pulling techniques - but keep it simple, just use your cheeks to swill the oil from one side of your mouth to the other, and push/pull it between and around your teeth,

How effective is oil pulling?
I've genuinely found that this really works - I've even had comments from other people saying that they've noticed a difference in the colour of my teeth! Whilst this is a little gross, I really actually started enjoying it because I could visibly see the results.

Other products on the 'oil pulling market':
There are companies now that provide products specifically for oil pulling - cocowhite.com. If you buy your coconut oil from Cocowhite, you are basically paying £20 for 140ml, as all they add is flavouring. And whilst they do come in handy little individual sachets, and taste a bit better, I don't really think it's worth spending your money here in the long term. However, I think that they make for a great introduction to oil pulling, particularly the mint flavoured ones, because there's a bit of familiarity in the taste and it makes for an easier way of getting used to the texture, technique, etc.

Will I be doing oil pulling more in the future?
Absolutely! I love the difference this makes to my teeth and general dental health - I've seen amazing results and I've got over the initial gross-ness of shoving spoons of solid coconut oil in my mouth. I would recommend this to anybody and everybody.

Let me know if you've ever tried oil pulling or if you think you'll try it in the future.