Ask the Dentist: How Good is Oil Pulling For Your Teeth?

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Dr. Stephanie Murphy, DDS

Dear Dr. Murphy,

I've been seeing lots of posts on Facebook about oil pulling and how good it is for your teeth.. Is this true?

- Reader

Dear Reader,

I’ve seen those very same posts and, you’re right, oil pulling is very popular right now! As with many natural remedies, there is a shortage of reliable, long-term scientific studies to either prove or disprove it’s efficacy. Most of the ads that I’ve seen suggest swishing a high quality oil in your mouth for 20 minutes, the most common one seems to be coconut oil. I have heard the benefits range from tooth whitening, to plaque reduction to the prevention of cavities.

Here is the official stance of the American Dental Association:

“Currently, there are no reliable scientific studies to show that oil pulling reduces cavities, whitens teeth or improves oral health and well-being. Based on the lack of scientific evidence, the American Dental Association does not recommend oil pulling as a dental hygiene practice. The ADA continues to recommend that to maintain good dental health you brush twice a day for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste and floss between your teeth once a day and don’t use tobacco.”

My two cents on oil pulling is this; from a purely dental perspective, swishing anything in your mouth for 20 minutes would increase saliva and dilute the plaque and acid present in your mouth. And it is true that this would benefit the health of your teeth. However, there really is no substitute for the mechanical removal of plaque with brushing and flossing. While there are no indications that oil pulling is harmful for your teeth, with the limited amount of time each of has in one day, 20 minutes seems like a lot to dedicate to something that may/may not be beneficial. I think that taking 5 minutes, twice each day, to brush and floss thoroughly would likely result in better oral health and even greater benefits. For comparisons sake, the average American spends only 45-70 seconds per day on oral care!