Oil Pulling and Dental Health

Can this ancient remedy really prevent gum disease?

As happens from time to time, a particular ‘alternative’ therapy pops up in the media, usually endorsed by a celebrity or two. Some of these may have some medical basis whilst others are plainly extreme and even possibly dangerous.
One which caught our eye recently is called ‘oil pulling’. This is an ancient Ayurvedic ritual which involves swilling oil, usually coconut oil, around the mouth for twenty minutes or so before spitting it out.

The theory goes that, by doing this, the oil pulls out the toxins and bacteria that cause gum disease; some even claim that it pulls toxins from the whole body and can ease even serious illnesses. There are claims too that it can help to whiten teeth.

Does it Work?

Here, the jury seems to be out, with some claiming success whilst others say that it makes no difference and actually made them feel sick whilst doing it.

Whilst we don’t discourage patients from looking into complementary therapies, and this particular one would not do any harm, we do discourage them from thinking that alternative remedies alone will enable them to have strong and healthy teeth. Indeed, taking that approach alone is more likely to lead to invasive dental surgery later on.

A procedure such as this should probably be considered in the same way as a mouthwash, in that using it alone will not prevent gum disease, but may help. We would apply the same principle to oil pulling, although whether it actually works, we really can’t say.

Professional Dental Care

The reality is that the mouth and teeth are vulnerable to a number of problems, from gum disease to rotting teeth to even extreme problems such as oral cancers. For this reason, whether you have an interest in alternative and complementary therapies or not, we can’t emphasise enough how important it is to keep regular appointments at a professional local dentist such as Alexandra Dental Care.

Our highly trained dentists based in Burton and Ashby are qualified to spot problems early on and will be able to treat them effectively. One of the main risks of relying entirely on alternative therapies is that an issue such as gum disease may become significantly worse without the sufferer really noticing, and then, by the time major problems such as loose teeth, caused by advanced gum disease, become noticeable, it will no longer mean a simple scrape of the hardened plaque but a deep clean that involves cleaning the tooth right down to the root. In many cases, it is likely to be too late even for this procedure and the teeth may need to be extracted and, possibly, replaced with a dental implant.

Whether or not you use alternative or complementary therapies, nothing will protect your teeth like professional dental care and even claims such as whiter teeth through oil pulling are highly unlikely to meet the standard of teeth whitening done by a professional dentist.

To find out more about our gum disease and teeth whitening treatments, please call Alexandra Dental Care on 01283 216347.

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