Ive heard about this new craze oil pulling over the past month or so, but honestly had no clue the far reaching phenomenon it has become in the U.S. Lets begin with the facts regarding oil pulling, and it honestly may be as far as some need to read: 1. Its safe. Go ahead and try it if you so desire 2, It cant substitute brushing twice daily and flossing. It just cant. Well get to that in a minute. 3. Theres no evidence it cures anything. Oil pulling is an ancient Ayuverdic medical technique touted as a natural way to detoxify and boost the immune system, improve oral health, and many many other proposed (unproven) benefits. Its a process whereby someone swishes a tablespoon of sesame, coconut, sunflower or olive oil in their mouth for 10-20 minutes and then spits it out. Lets stop there for a second. If my patients spent 20 minutes a day doing ANYTHING good for their mouth I would lay down my drill and retire. I hear theres nice weather in Florida. It just doesnt happen. I read posts online about people turning an abscessed tooth that was recommended for a root canal back to perfect health. And the guy who had advanced periodontal disease where his gums bled every time he brushed (if he even ever did), and after oil pulling for a week, saw no bleeding and his teeth were WHITER!!!!!! The magical cure all, so he says. OK, all joking aside, heres my take: I want my patients to use every available tool to improve their oral health. Brushing, flossing, rinsing with a fluoride mouthwash, waterpik, oil pulling, teeth whitening, home remedies. Theres not much I will talk someone out of doing. Oil pulling has been proven to be AS EFFECTIVE as mouth rinses in reducing the amount of Strep mutans bacteria-- a significant contributor to tooth decay-- in the mouth. Scientists believe the lipid properties of the oil both pull off the bacteria and bathe the teeth in a layer that makes it tougher for the bacteria to reattach. This I am OK with. There are proponents out there, however, that claim oil pulling whitens teeth, cleans sinuses, rids a hangover, clears up acne, and even cures diabetes. Is there anything it cant do?!? To date, there is zero research that supports any of these claims, and this isnt a new drug just hitting the market, with little time to do research on. If it worked in these regards, scientists have had plenty of time to support or deny such claims. The bottom line: Im thinking of two types of patients when I write this, so figure out which category you fall in to and go from there. *Category A: These patients have great oral hygiene-- they floss, brush and even rinse with a fluoride mouthwash. They see their dentist (hopefully us!!) twice a year, and get restorative work done when necessary. *Category B: These patients have not so great oral hygiene-- they floss when theres a full moon, brush when they remember, and havent seen a dentist for some time, There is likely active decay and periodontal disease present. And this is honestly more than 60% of the population, so be honest. If you fall in the first category, Im officially rolling out the red carpet for you to try oil pulling. Its been proven to work as well as mouthrinses, so go for it. Know though, that while youre swishing for 20 minutes, Ive swished with a fluoride mouthrinse and am now in the car, almost to work. If you are in category B, please make the call to one of our offices and get back on track! This is not a magic elixir, and will not make cavities or gingivitis disappear. If so, I would be out of a job and out selling oil! So, to pull or not to pull (oil), that is the question.
Posted on: Tue, 20 May 2014 15:54:36 +0000
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