Some may have heard or see the term "oil pulling" which some swear to its positive effects. Not sure what it is? Let's find out...
WHAT IS OIL PULLING?
Oil pulling has actually been used as an traditional old style remedy in India, originating from Ayurvedic medicine.
It involves swishing your mouth with oil anywhere for 5 to 15 to 25 minutes so it coats your teeth and gums with the oil. The oil is then spit out from the mouth. That's it.
So which oil can be used? The most common oil used is coconut oil; other oils used to a lesser extent include sunflower oil, sesame oil, corn oil, rice bran oil, and soybean oil.
HOW DOES OIL PULLING WORK ON THE TEETH AND GUMS?
The concept is simple and as follows: There exists in everyone's mouth a colony of microbial bacteria that are beneficial and bacterial that are harmful. The mouth has an extremely favorable environment for bacteria: it is constantly warm due to body heat, moist with saliva, has a narrow neutral pH of ~7.0, and has a constant source of nutrients from food and liquid ingestion.
Some of the beneficial bacteria include: Streptococcus sanguinis, Streptococcus oralis, Actinomyces naeslundii, Neisseria subflava, and Veillonella dispar. Some negative bacteria include: Streptococcus mutans, Tannerella forsythia, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Fusobacterium nucleatum.
The body's goal is to keep the "good" bacteria and the "bad" bacteria in check and in balance. If such microbial are dominated by the negative bacteria, the result in one's oral health and dentition may include dental decay (cavities), gingivitis, and periodontal disease (gum disease with bone loss). Bacteria causes such negative oral health effects by creating a visible biofilm, or a thin layer of plaque on the teeth.
The theory with oil pulling is that the oil disrupts the binding of bacteria to food particles, and that the oil traps and kills the bacteria.
WHAT IS THE COMPONENT IN THE OIL THAT IS EFFECTIVE AGAINST BACTERIA?
Coconut oil appears the most effective oil in oil pulling. Coconut oil contains Lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid. Lauric acid is rarely found in nature; aside from coconut oil, which contains the highest concentration of Lauric acid available, human breast milk also contains Lauric acid.
The body converts Lauric acid into monolaurin, a monoglyceride compound that has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. The monolaurin disrupts the mechanical formation of the gram negative bacteria's lipid membranes, hence destroying the bacteria. The monolaurin is also high effective against fungus (Giardia Lamblia) and lipid coated virus (ie. HIV, herpes).
Sesame oil and sunflower oils contain high concentrations of Oleic acid and Linoleic acid and are regarded as less desired than coconut oil. Sesame and sunflower oils are lesser used oils as such acids are respectively omega-6 fatty acids (high concentrations can disrupt the healthy effects of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and nuts) and omeg-9 fatty acids (a nonessential acid the body can manufacture).
OIL PULLING STUDIES AND EFFECTS ON ORAL HEALTH
Studies of oil pulling remain unfortunately not widespread. I was able to find a few published studies of oil pulling below.
A 2008 oil pulling study of S. Mutans count in plaque and saliva demonstrated the benefits of coconut oil on reducing the level of S. Mutans in the mouth, and has been shown to approach that of chlorohexidine, though not as effective as the chlorohexidine.
A 2010 study of oil pullling on microorganisms showed similar results of reduced bacteria count.
CONCLUSION
Oil pulling originally started in India many years ago, but its use is currently not commonplace in the United States. Though it has started to gain traction and popularity due to recent media events, it is the humble opinion of this author that oil pulling holds promise within its regard to positive antimicrobial oral health effects with respect to the teeth, gingiva, and periodontal bone structures, and that oil pulling has a sound scientific basis. More and larger prospective epidemiological studies are needed and recommended before the author can deem oil pulling a definitive practical recommendation to practice as one's daily oral hygiene habits .
From your gentle family dentist in Bellevue,
Dr. Peter Chien
(425) 614-1600
www.bellevuefamilydentistry.com
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