Anyone who has done a little bit of research into natural remedies will probably be familiar with the term oil pulling. Oil pulling refers to personal dental care that involves swishing edible oil around your mouth to care for and whiten your teeth.
The oil of choice is usually coconut oil when it comes to oil pulling. This is because coconut oil is widely believed to be beneficial to gums, removes plaques, and whitens teeth. But just how does coconut oil whiten teeth? We’ve done the research and answered that question for you. But first, let us review the history of oil pulling and teeth whitening with coconut oil.
History of Coconut Oil in Teeth Whitening
The use of coconut oil in
teeth whitening dentists dates as far back as the origin of oil pulling about 2,500 years ago in Indian traditional medicine. Oil pulling was based on the concept of Ayurveda which uses oil to oil all tissues in the human body.
Some studies have shown that there might be benefits in oil pulling. Individuals who take part in oil pulling usually swish coconut oil in their mouths for about 20 minutes. However, because some individuals become nauseous while continually swishing oil in their mouths, they can swish for about 5 minutes. Some of the benefits include anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory advantages in dental health.
The standard amount of oil used in oral oil pulling is between a tablespoon and a teaspoon of oil. It is also possible to use less than the recommended amount for oil pulling.
What is Oil Pulling?
Oil pulling is the practice of cleaning the oral cavity with lipids such as sesame or coconut oil. The goal is to reduce the amount of bacteria in the mouth. The majority of the organisms that live there have a single cell structure. Fats cling to them, making bacteria easier to flush out.
Because it contains lauric acid, coconut oil is thought to be the best option for coconut oil pulling teeth. This is a natural antimicrobial agent that provides users with the quickest results. It can also slow down the formation of tooth decay.
How Does Coconut Oil Whiten Teeth?
There have been lots of claims that coconut oil whitens teeth. Even
teeth whitening dentists have attested that coconut oil reduces plaque formation, chances of developing gingivitis, and even halitosis or bad breath.
How does coconut oil whiten your teeth, coconut oil whitens teeth by using its proponents, which are made up of colonized bacteria. These bacteria have fatty membranes that are affiliated with plaque and bind to them. This causes the removal of plaque from the surface of the teeth. By removing plaque, coconut oil reduces plaque on the teeth and whitens the teeth.
What makes coconut oil for teeth whitening more enticing is that there is little to no evidence showing any side effects of swishing coconut oil for teeth whitening. This makes it safe for you to try out on your own without the need for
professional teeth whitening.
However, before beginning teeth whitening treatments with coconut oil, note that several factors can impede the effect of coconut oil in whitening your teeth. Such factors include:
- The amount of coffee you drink
- If you drink wine or not: Wine is well-known for staining teeth
Advantages of Using Coconut Oil To Whiten Teeth
Some of the coconut oil pulling benefits to whiten teeth include:
- Inexpensive, especially when compared to other teeth whitening remedies
- Helps soothe a dry throat
- Aids healing of dry and chapped lips
- Helps eliminate bad breath
- Easy to use and does not foam in the mouth
- Natural and does not contain any harmful chemicals
- Has anti-inflammatory properties
- Aids the healing of bleeding gums
How To Use Coconut Oil To Whiten Teeth
Follow the steps below to whiten your teeth with coconut oil:
- Take a teaspoon of coconut oil
- Place oil in your mouth and allow it to liquefy
- You can then begin swishing. Swishing can be done from as little as 5 minutes to 20 minutes. When swishing, ensure that the coconut oil touches every area of your mouth. You should not gargle on the oil.
- After swishing, spit out the oil into your trash. Spitting oil into your sink may cause clogging of your sink.
- You can rinse out your mouth with water. This is done if you want to get the taste of oil out of your mouth.
- You could also simply apply coconut oil to your toothbrush and brush your teeth normally.
There are a lot of professional
teeth whitening services available today. However, some of these methods might be expensive. Swishing coconut oil is a teeth whitening solution that is inexpensive and can be done without visiting a
Glenview Dentist. If you would like to learn more about professional teeth whitening services, get in touch with our
Teeth Whitening Dentist Glenview, IL or schedule an appointment, call (847) 892-4696 or contact us online.
