An ancient Ayurvedic method, commonly known as oil pulling, may help prevent enamel erosion and gum disease among other things such as headaches, chronic illnesses, insomnia and even cancerous tumors. Oil pulling has even been said to cure those ailments and more. This is a fun dental curiosity and in no way represents a statement of scientific fact.
Can you imagine that one of the keys to preventing oral disease and dental erosion could be sitting in everyone's pantry right now? The ancient concept of oil pulling is to swish a small amount of sunflower or sesame oil in your mouth on a daily basis to form a protective coating against harmful ingredients that we may ingest throughout the day.
The reasoning behind why oil pulling could be effective lies in the stimulation of the body's eliminatory system. The constant swishing not only kills germs in the mouth, but it also aids in cleansing the fluids that flow through microscopic tubules in teeth. This allows the teeth to bypass toxins and allow necessary minerals into the tubules. According to an article published last year by the Baseline of Health Foundation, at any given time, there are over 500 different types of bacteria loitering in our mouths – oil pulling could decrease that number by not only neutralizing our saliva, but by aiding in the removal of particles stuck between the teeth.