What Is Oil Pulling—And Why It’s a Game Changer for People with Gum Disease

Keeping up with brushing and flossing every day can be challenging. Sadly, lacking oral hygiene has been linked with gum disease, a damaging condition linked with an increased risk of strokes, cardiovascular issues, and even immunological deficiencies. When this happens, visiting the holistic periodontist immediately is crucial to protecting your health.

Your periodontist can perform treatments like deep cleaning and root scaling, which help prevent the spread of gum disease. Additionally, you might look into oil pulling, an ancient technique that is said to eliminate bacteria and protect your overall health for years to come.

What Is Oil Pulling?

Oil pulling is an ancient dental hygiene practice rooted in traditional Indian medicine and Ayurveda. Swishing oil in your mouth can remove potentially harmful bacteria and microbes from the mouth and teeth, promote oral hygiene, and improve dental health.

This technique works by reducing plaque buildup on the teeth and possibly preventing it. In fact, a 2023 review of 25 studies discovered that oil pulling reduces the amount of Streptococcus mutans bacteria in the mouth. This harmful bacterium plays a significant role in tooth decay by forming plaque.

Oil pulling has also been associated with improved gum health. To do so effectively, you must swish an edible oil in the mouth for a set amount of time, such as sesame or coconut oil, typically around 15-20 minutes, before spitting it out.

Spitting the oil is important, as it can cause stomach issues if consumed.

What Are the Benefits of Oil Pulling?

Oil pulling can be a crucial step to add to your oral care routine. By preventing plaque buildup and eliminating bacteria, this ancient practice can help prevent various oral health issues, such as:

1. Tooth Decay

Studies have shown that doing an oil pull with sesame oil appears to have oral health benefits similar to using mouthwashes that help fight tooth decay and cavities—but without the harmful chemicals.

A 2016 laboratory study compared the antibacterial effects of coconut oil versus chlorhexidine (a special mouth rinse). The results showed they were equally effective in reducing Streptococcus mutans.

2. Bad Breath

By eliminating plaque buildup, swishing with oil like sesame oil could help fight bad breath (halitosis).

3. Gum Disease

As mentioned, oil pulling is associated with improved gum health, and experts associate this with the anti-inflammatory effects of the oils used.  

In a 2020 pilot study, oil pulling with coconut oil was shown to reduce plaque-induced gingivitis. Oil pulling can also improve oral health by preventing and helping treat gum disease and all its associated health issues.

Gum disease (also known as periodontal disease) affects more than just your mouth—it can have serious consequences for your overall health. When gum inflammation and infection go untreated, the bacteria can enter the bloodstream, affecting multiple organs and systems.

Some important systemic health risks linked to gum disease:

• Gum disease is linked to a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries).

• Chronic periodontal inflammation is associated with increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

• Gum disease can make blood sugar harder to control, worsening diabetes.

• Bacteria from infected gums can be inhaled into the lungs, contributing to pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or worsening of asthma.

• There is a strong link between gum disease and RA, both of which involve chronic inflammation.

What Is the Best Oil for Oil Pulling?

These are various options you can choose from when performing oil pulling. Many types of oil can be beneficial, but each offers its unique properties, such as:

• Coconut oil is frequently recommended for oil pulling because it helps reduce inflammation.

• Extra virgin olive oil has antimicrobial properties that fight bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

• Sesame oil also has antibacterial effects.

Besides these options, you may also consider oil pulling with ozonated oils. These combine oils like coconut or other options with ozone, which helps fight against bacteria and microbes in your mouth and promotes healing.

They taste like mint or possess no flavor and are made of natural products!

The Benefits of Ozone for Fighting Gum Disease

Ozone therapy is a brand-new, all-natural dental procedure that helps strengthen teeth and combat bacteria. It uses ozone (O3), a substance with a potent antimicrobial effect.  

This approach departs from conventional dental care, which frequently involves harsh chemicals and invasive procedures, and moves toward more environmentally and patient-friendly dental care. Ozonated oil pulling can improve your oral health by:

• Eliminate the bacteria, viruses, and fungi that lead to gum disease and tooth decay to maintain the health of your teeth and gums.

• Preventing and treating cavities. When applied to early cavities, ozone can help strengthen tooth enamel and stop the spread of decay.

• Heal faster after periodontal procedures like deep cleaning and root scaling. Keeping the area free of bacteria that cause infections reduces the likelihood of complications.

• Reduce dental sensitivity caused by gum recession. Ozone strengthens dentin and tooth enamel by blocking the tiny tubules that cause sensitivity.  

Ozone Oil Pulling with Periodontal Treatment: The Best Combination to Fight Gum Disease

Treatments for recovering from gum disease involve removing plaque buildup from under the gumline to stop gum inflammation and help restore your gum tissue to its optimal condition. Two main non-invasive treatments help achieve that:

• Scaling involves meticulously cleaning the root surfaces at the diseased sites to remove plaque and calculus (tartar) from deep periodontal pockets.

• Root planing is the smoothing of the root surface to remove embedded bacteria and bacterial toxins.

These treatments are frequently carried out as part of a rigorous, continuous periodontal maintenance (frequently planned cleanings) regimen to maintain periodontal health. Depending on your specific situation, this might occur every three to four months.

You can also use ozone oil treatment to enhance your oral hygiene at home. Due to ozone's antimicrobial and plaque-fighting properties, it's a simple but effective step you can add to your routine to keep periodontal disease at bay!

Learn the Benefits of Ozone Oil Pulling for Gum Disease From a Holistic Periodontist  

Oil pulling can do wonders for oral health by "pulling" harmful substances from the mouth. This practice decontaminates the mouth, reduces the risk of cavities, helps reverse gum disease, and improves the microflora, maintaining an optimal environment.

At Dental Healing Arts, we promote natural healing techniques that protect your smile while keeping the health of your overall body a top priority. If you’d like to learn more about our periodontal treatments or purchase ozonated pulling oils, reach out!