For healthy teeth and gums Groton Wellness recommends Oil Swishing. This old Ayurvedic techinique helps pull bacteria from the mouth in a simple and non-invansive way.
Oil swishing or pulling is the act of swishing oil (we recommend organic Coconut) in the mouth for up to 20 minutes to improve oral health.
Benefits of Oil Swishing
You can find hundreds of testimonials online from people who have experienced benefits from oil swishing, including improving skin conditions, headaches, arthritis, asthma, infections, liver issues, hormone imbalances, and more.Our main reasons for recommending swishing are the oral health benefits (less plaque) and less sensitive (whiter) teeth.
There is no downside to oil swishing as long as a quality oil (that is high enough quality to eat) is used and it is done correctly. Oil swishing is an inexpensive therapy that could potentially have great benefit on oral health, so give it a try and let us know the results.
Oil Swishing Instructions
- Put 1-2 teaspoons of oil into the mouth (organic coconut oil).
- Swish for 20 minutes. The timing is important, according to Dr. Bruce Fife, author of Oil Pulling Therapy. This length of time is long enough to break down plaque and bacteria but not long enough that the body starts re-absorbing the toxins and bacteria. The oil will get thicker as you swish and will be white when you spit out. It will increase in volume due to saliva. At first, it will be difficult to make it the full 20 minutes, so don’t worry if you can only swish for 5-10 minutes.
- Spit oil into the trash can or out side. Don’t spit into the sink because the oil may thicken and clog pipes. Do not swallow the oil as it is hopefully full of bacteria and toxins that have been pulled from in and around your teeth!
- Rinse well with warm water. Swish a few times with warm water to get any remaining oil out of your mouth. Some sources recommend swishing with warm salt water.
- Brush well to make sure any remaining bacteria is killed.
