The Ultimate Remedy for Poor Oral Hygiene According to a Dentist Near Me
When you type “dentist near me” into the Google search bar, you’re likely to find a few top choices. Scheduling an appointment and visiting the dentist regularly is one of the best things you can do for oral health. But there is so much more you could be doing to keep your teeth, gums, and tongue happy. The best thing you can do is to start oil pulling.
Oil pulling is an ancient practice that involves swishing around pure oil in the mouth for a period of 10-20 minutes, followed by spitting it out. Research is still a bit inconclusive on the benefits, but most people find that oil pulling is a great way to detoxify the mouth. The oil essentially pulls toxins and bacteria from the teeth, gums, and tongue.
There are many dentists out there who won’t even mention this ancient practice to their patients. This is not because these dentists don’t believe in oil pulling, but rather because they fear that their jobs will become obsolete if every patient turns to oil pulling. Some people who start oil pulling find that they never have to see a dentist again.
So How Does Oil Pulling Work?
In order to detoxify the mouth, you’ll need to choose an oil that is high and quality. Ideally this oil will be organically-derived, cold-pressed, and 100% unrefined. This means that nothing has been added or taken away from the oil and it was cultivated using only organic means. The perfect choice for oil pulling is organic coconut oil, but sesame and olive oil also work. Just avoid using a cheap cooking oil, like the large bottles of canola and vegetable oils meant for frying food.
Once you’ve chosen your oil, it’s time to start pulling. Take a spoonful (a tablespoon works well) and place it in your mouth without swallowing. Then, simply begin swishing the oil around your mouth. Don’t swish too vigorously since this can quickly tire out your cheek muscles. The sensation will feel a bit odd at first, so start out slow with a small amount of oil. You can even begin by oil pulling for only 5 minutes, and then slowly work your way up.
Once finished, spit the oil out into a trash can. You’ll be tempted to spit it out in the sink drain, but this can cause major plumbing problems down the road. After spitting the oil out, take a sip of clean water and swish it around, then spit that out too. Then you’ll brush your teeth and flosh as you normally would.
The Main Benefits of Regularly Practicing Oil Pulling
The benefits of oil pulling are endless. The main benefit is detoxification. When done often enough, the oil will eventually pull all of the toxins, bacteria, and other bad stuff out of the mouth. In addition to detoxifying, oil pulling can help with common problems like bad breath and tooth sensitivity.
