Oil pulling explained

Oil pulling is an alternative medical practice in which an edible oil is swished around the mouth for a period of time and then spat out, similar to mouthwash.[1] It originates from Ayurvedic medicine.

Practitioners of oil pulling claim it is capable of improving oral health.[2] Its promoters claim it works by pulling out toxins,[1] but there is no credible evidence to support this.[1]

History

Oil pulling stems from traditional Ayurvedic medicine,[1] [3] [4] [5] whose practitioners may use sunflower oil, olive oil, or other herbal oils instead of coconut oil.[1] [6]

Criticism

There is no high-quality research on oil pulling,[1] [7] [8] no understanding of a possible mechanism explaining how it would work,[9] and no evidence that it provides any benefit.[1] [10] [8] The American Dental Association agrees that there are no reliable scientific studies supporting the practice of oil pulling for any benefit to oral hygiene or overall wellbeing.[11]

The Canadian Dental Association assessed the practice of oil pulling in 2014 stating: "We sense oil pulling won't do any harm, we're not convinced there are any particular benefits to it."[12]

See also

Notes and References

  1. 29651060. British Dental Journal . 224. 7. 470. Bad science: Oil pulling. King A. 13 April 2018. 10.1038/sj.bdj.2018.281. 4808148 .
  2. News: Everyone is talking about 'oil pulling.' But does this health practice actually work? . 20 March 2014 . Butler . Bethonia . The Washington Post .
  3. Puri, Nividita (2015) "Holistic Approach of Oil Pulling in the Dental World: a literature review". The Dental Assistant 20–23
  4. Web site: Oil-Swishing Craze . Bronson Gray . Barbara . 18 April 2014 . WebMD.
  5. Web site: Cheshire . Sara . 6 August 2014 . Does oil pulling work? . CNN . Turner Broadcasting System.
  6. Web site: Live Well: Oil pulling draws fans, skeptics in Colorado Springs . Mulson . Jennifer . 19 August 2014 . The Gazette . . 5 September 2014 . 23 August 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140823044203/http://gazette.com/live-well-oil-pulling-draws-fans-skeptics-in-colorado-springs/article/1535792 . dead .
  7. Web site: Novella. Steven. Steven Novella. Oil Pulling Your Leg. Science Based Medicine. 22 April 2017. 12 March 2014. Oil pulling is a suggestive misnomer, implying that something bad is being pulled from the mouth (toxins and bacteria). 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 ... Oil pulling for general health or any other indication is pure pseudoscience. Detox claims are based on nothing, as are all detox claims. There is no evidence or plausible rationale to recommend oil pulling for any indication other than as a poor substitute for oral care..
  8. Gbinigie O, Onakpoya I, Spencer E, McCall MacBain M, Heneghan C . Effect of oil pulling in promoting oro dental hygiene: A systematic review of randomized clinical trials . Complementary Therapies in Medicine . 26 . 47–54 . June 2016 . 27261981 . 10.1016/j.ctim.2016.02.011 . Review . To the best of our knowledge this is the first systematic review assessing the effect of oil pulling on oro dental hygiene. The results should be interpreted with caution because of the small number of included studies. Furthermore, the included studies were not adequately powered, and small sample sized studies could lead to misleading results .
  9. 10.4103/2155-8213.122675 . Perspectives of oil pulling therapy in dental practice . Dental Hypotheses . 4 . 4 . 131–134 . 2013 . Lakshmi . T . Rajendran . R . Krishnan . Vidya . free .
  10. Kensche A, Reich M, Kümmerer K, Hannig M, Hannig C . Lipids in preventive dentistry . Clinical Oral Investigations . 17 . 3 . 669–685 . April 2013 . 23053698 . 10.1007/s00784-012-0835-9 . 30589353 . Review .
  11. Web site: Oil Pulling . American Dental Association.
  12. Web site: Oil pulling: Ancient practice now a modern trend. Anna Lazowski. 5 June 2014. CBC News. 10 June 2014.

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