Recent trends such as “Oil Pulling” have become popular with the celebrity and marketing influences in the media.
Oil pulling is an old dental technique that involves swishing a tablespoon of oil in your mouth on an empty stomach for 20 minutes. The action supposedly draws out toxins in your body, primarily to improve oral health but is also said to improve overall health.
On researching the available information on the internet, there are many people who promote the use of the oil pulling on the web. On further investigation there is such a small amount of real evidence and research into this topic to convince consumers that they should swish coconut oil for 20 min each day, especially when some of the users report side effects including tummy aches and nausea.
Studies have even shown that using a chlorhexidine mouth rinse such as Savacol/ Rivacol compared to oil pulling is much more effective in reducing damaging bacterial levels in your saliva (Asokan et al, 2008). In addition the Australian Dental Association has not approved this method for use for tooth whitening or bacterial prevention.
Almost all of the websites which promote the use of oil pulling also make it clear that regularly visiting the dentist and brushing 2x daily with fluoridated toothpaste is essential in maintaining oral health.
At Concord Dental Practice we promote methods based on strong evidence and research, as health professionals we all want the best (and most clinically proven!) techniques for our patients.