"Oil Pulling"

BobbyMac

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My girl is a oral hygiene consultant for dental groups and we were just talking about this recently. She says there is no scientific proof or reliable studies regarding the practice which is frustrating because she has many clients in her practice that swear by it.

I am interested in this practice also. I have heard from the folks at my health food grocer in Phoenix that it is a great way to keep bacterial loads throughout the body in check and of course, every bit of plaque you keep out of your mouth is less that ends up in your arteries. The one thing they say is key is to add Oil of Oregano to your oil solution as it's the best oil for general health applications. Besides coconut, raw, organic, centrifuged & filtered light extra virgin olive oil is supposed to be an excellent pull. You can find it at quality health food grocers or on trusted online retailers. Olive oil is only good for about a year from manufacturer and when you get some REAL oilive oil, you will taste the difference.

You're got the #1 step down... Sonicare tooth brush. Hands down, the best thing you can do for your teeth and gums.

Couple of other things to suggest:

1. Use dental picks amap. Not only do they keep debris from in between your teeth but they stimulate your gums which is often over looked. For me, it's better than flossing as it gets out more material, though I still floss as she's always watching...


300_deep.jpg



and these


41Z2OCBqP9L.jpg



2. Don't use mouthwash like Listerine and Scope. Alcohol is a no no. This was hard for me to grasp when we got together because I always felt a big mouth of original Listerine was killing everything bad in my mouth. Problem is, it's way too rough on your teeth, gums and the lining of your mouth. She started me on Oxyfresh Zinc and after a few days, I had to give it to her, I was hooked. It's the best my mouth has ever felt.

Lastly... ask your hygienist if they do laser therapy on gum lines. I have not had one bit of irritation since she started that procedure on me. It kills 99.9% of bacteria below the gum line. If you have that done every six months, you will be in fine shape.


I'll report back my experience with the oil pulling in the next month or so.

Good topic, good post.

.
 
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wizards8507

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1. Use dental picks amap. Not only do they keep debris from in between your teeth but they stimulate your gums which is often over looked. For me, it's better than flossing as it gets out more material, though I still floss as she's always watching...
I love those little bastards. They make your gums bleed like a river the first few times you use them but once you get in a routine, it makes trips to the dentist much more bearable.

2. Don't use mouthwash like Listerine and Scope. Alcohol is a no no. This was hard for me to grasp when we got together because I always felt a big mouth of original Listerine was killing everything bad in my mouth. Problem is, it's way too rough on your teeth, gums and the lining of your mouth. She started me on Oxyfresh Zinc and after a few days, I had to give it to her, I was hooked. It's the best my mouth has ever felt.
This one goes against everything I've ever been told by dentists. They've all recommended a mouthwash like Listerine Total Care (the purple one).
 

ulukinatme

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How is it different from say...traditional mouth wash? It sounds like the oil is essentially being used as mouth wash in any case, it just happens to be more natural.
 

MNIrishman

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great way to keep bacterial loads throughout the body in check and of course, every bit of plaque you keep out of your mouth is less that ends up in your arteries

That doesn't really make sense. In general, the more nonpathogenic bacteria in your system outside the mouth, the better. Oil is unlikely to disrupt your microbiome. Also, plaque on teeth is not the same thing as plaque in your arteries. Same name for completely different substances.
 

ulukinatme

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That doesn't really make sense. In general, the more nonpathogenic bacteria in your system outside the mouth, the better. Oil is unlikely to disrupt your microbiome. Also, plaque on teeth is not the same thing as plaque in your arteries. Same name for completely different substances.

I got the feeling from reading both articles that they're trying to sell me something, not that they're experts in any kind health field. I could be wrong, but that was the impression I got. If something sounds too good to be true or has miraculous properties, it probably is bogus.

Plus, I refuse to acknowledge anyone that creates upside down graphs, even if we're talking about measuring loss:
foster-et-al-2003.jpg
 

AdmiralBackhand

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My girl is a oral hygiene consultant for dental groups and we were just talking about this recently. She says there is no scientific proof or reliable studies regarding the practice which is frustrating because she has many clients in her practice that swear by it.

I am interested in this practice also. I have heard from the folks at my health food grocer in Phoenix that it is a great way to keep bacterial loads throughout the body in check and of course, every bit of plaque you keep out of your mouth is less that ends up in your arteries. The one thing they say is key is to add Oil of Oregano to your oil solution as it's the best oil for general health applications. Besides coconut, raw, organic, centrifuged & filtered light extra virgin olive oil is supposed to be an excellent pull. You can find it at quality health food grocers or on trusted online retailers. Olive oil is only good for about a year from manufacturer and when you get some REAL oilive oil, you will taste the difference.

You're got the #1 step down... Sonicare tooth brush. Hands down, the best thing you can do for your teeth and gums.

Couple of other things to suggest:

1. Use dental picks amap. Not only do they keep debris from in between your teeth but they stimulate your gums which is often over looked. For me, it's better than flossing as it gets out more material, though I still floss as she's always watching...


300_deep.jpg



and these


41Z2OCBqP9L.jpg



2. Don't use mouthwash like Listerine and Scope. Alcohol is a no no. This was hard for me to grasp when we got together because I always felt a big mouth of original Listerine was killing everything bad in my mouth. Problem is, it's way too rough on your teeth, gums and the lining of your mouth. She started me on Oxyfresh Zinc and after a few days, I had to give it to her, I was hooked. It's the best my mouth has ever felt.

Lastly... ask your hygienist if they do laser therapy on gum lines. I have not had one bit of irritation since she started that procedure on me. It kills 99.9% of bacteria below the gum line. If you have that done every six months, you will be in fine shape.


I'll report back my experience with the oil pulling in the next month or so.

Good topic, good post.

.

Thanks for all of this information, my friend--reps!

One thing I am going to purchase would be a waterpik to use along with flossing. I have heard they work really well for the bacteria under the gumline as well. That laser therapy sounds interesting. Was it painful at all?
 

BobbyMac

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I love those little bastards. They make your gums bleed like a river the first few times you use them but once you get in a routine, it makes trips to the dentist much more bearable.

That's because your gums were in bad shape when you started... your gums didn't get used to it, you removed the debris / bacteria that causes the inflammation in the pockets between your teeth.


This one goes against everything I've ever been told by dentists. They've all recommended a mouthwash like Listerine Total Care (the purple one).

Listerine Total Care Zero has no alcohol so that makes sense. I'm sure the regular Total Care has much less alcohol than the original gold Listerine.
 

BobbyMac

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Thanks for all of this information, my friend--reps!

One thing I am going to purchase would be a waterpik to use along with flossing. I have heard they work really well for the bacteria under the gum line That laser therapy sounds interesting. Was it painful at all?

The laser treatment I'm referring to is painless... There are two levels of laser treatments. One is for deep cleaning... people with serious problems. It actually burns off dead / infected tissue as well as cauterizes. It is an expensive and invasive procedures done under mild anesthesia . The other is simply for the gum line and is again, painless.

I would love to use a waterpik but when I tried it, my teeth were too sensitive. I can use the skinny plastic picks and rinse and get the same conclusion.
 

BobbyMac

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That doesn't really make sense. In general, the more nonpathogenic bacteria in your system outside the mouth, the better. Oil is unlikely to disrupt your microbiome. Also, plaque on teeth is not the same thing as plaque in your arteries. Same name for completely different substances.


In regards to bacterial plaque in you mouth vs. arterial plaque... I thought the same thing when I first heard it but I guess there is a lot of research suggesting that there is a direct connection between the health of both. I'm no expert just passing on what I've heard and read.

I just did a 5 second goosearch and this was the first thing that popped up.

Heart disease and oral health: role of oral bacteria in heart plaque - Harvard Health Publications


In regards to the oil and body cleansing... that's the hippy position at the health food store I go to. They are all granola eating, Ironman participants, I can't call them liars in my current physical condition. lol
 

MNIrishman

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In regards to bacterial plaque in you mouth vs. arterial plaque... I thought the same thing when I first heard it but I guess there is a lot of research suggesting that there is a direct connection between the health of both. I'm no expert just passing on what I've heard and read.

I just did a 5 second goosearch and this was the first thing that popped up.

Heart disease and oral health: role of oral bacteria in heart plaque - Harvard Health Publications


In regards to the oil and body cleansing... that's the hippy position at the health food store I go to. They are all granola eating, Ironman participants, I can't call them liars in my current physical condition. lol

Interesting that they found the same species in atherosclerotic plaques, but I haven't the foggiest as to how they got there.
 

PLACforever

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"In order to oil pull, you put a tablespoon of oil in your mouth, then swish it around for 15-20 minutes."

Is this a typo? Who has 15-20 minutes for this?
 

NDohio

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My wife has oil-pulled for about 8 months now. She just had her second dental check-up since she started and she was very happy afterwards. She said the Hygienist hardly had to do any plaque removal. it seems to work really well on her teeth, as for the other health benefits, we are both skeptical.

I will probably start doing it as well.
 

wizards8507

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snopes.com: Oil Pulling

That said, there's no real harm to oil pulling: Its benefits may be unproven, and it may perform no better a job of promoting oral hygiene than ordinary dental rinse or mouthwash will, but it also doesn't produce any known detrimental effects, so all one really risks in undertaking it is the cost of the oil.

Oil Pulling Your Leg « Science-Based Medicine

What little scientific evidence exists shows that it is probably not as effective as standard mouth wash, and what benefit it has is likely entirely due to the mechanical act of swishing to remove particles and bacteria from teeth and gums.

There is no reason either theoretically or based upon any evidence to recommend oil pulling (which should be renamed “oil-swishing”) instead of standard modern health care with flossing, tooth-brushing, and mouth rinse. However, it does appear to be better than nothing, and might have a role in developing countries without access to modern oral care. The one caveat is that extended periods of swishing that are commonly recommended (10-20 minutes) are likely not necessary and further present a risk of lipoid pneumonia from accidentally breathing in small amounts of oil.

Sounds like a waste of time and money to me. At $13 for a 16 ounce jar of coconut oil, you're looking at $0.41 per day, or $300 a year for two people to use essentially very expensive mouthwash. A $7 bottle of Listerine would run you about $50 a year for two people. I'll pass on the fad and keep the extra $250.
 

ulukinatme

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How appropriate... coming from PLACforever.

How dare you even come into our dental hygiene thread, sir!

Gotta admit, I laughed on this one. Reps

How dare you, sir!

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/MNzWYVWfRIc?t=2m19s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

There's also the Ben Affleck impersonation of Keith Olbermann, but I can't link it. "How dare you, sir. How DARE you!"
 

Polish Leppy 22

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My wife has oil-pulled for about 8 months now. She just had her second dental check-up since she started and she was very happy afterwards. She said the Hygienist hardly had to do any plaque removal. it seems to work really well on her teeth, as for the other health benefits, we are both skeptical.

I will probably start doing it as well.

Then what's the point of going? Nothing against oil pulling, but I love getting my teeth cleaned.
 
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