Not everyone knows what oil pulling is or has tried it, nonetheless it's a proven practice for decreasing plaque in oral health and lets talk about it! As an oral health care provider we need to keep up with as much as we can in the world of oral health.
Remember #1- The best at home bacteria biofilm disruption is physical: The best method to physically remove plaque and disrupt biofilm at home is to… no secret here… BrUsH andFLoSS!! Although there is some physical disruption to biofilm oil pulling is NOT as significant as brushing and flossing and shouldn't be used alone as a complete oral home care routine.
Remember #2- You do need more than oil to kill bacteria: As in the study noted here(1) about oil pulling we see that oil pulling itself does not have a statistically significant antibacterial effect. It does decrease bacteria, cell debris and plaque and provide other therapeutic benefits for oral health (moisturizing, nourishing). But for antibacterial effects you would need an additional substance. I recommend an essential oil.
However I will keep an eye on this study to see where this goes. The article is lacking on what enzymes they used to alter the coconut oil to make it an effective in inhibiting streptococcus growth.
Remember #3- Not for acute inflammation: As in the study noted here (2) we see that oil pulling, although effective in reducing salivary and plaque levels of Streptococcus Mutans (a disease causing oral bacteria) it is not the best method for acute management of oral bacteria. For example if you currently have gingivitis it would be better to use other methods to get it resolved and then, once resolved, continue oil pulling with brushing and flossing to prevent the gingivitis from returning.
photo credit: Fashionlush.com
