Rinsing with oil ‘more effective than mouthwash’
The practice is rooted in Ayurvedic medicine
Oil-pulling, in which a tablespoon full of oil is swished around the mouth until it becomes milky and thin before being spat out, is a “natural, well-tolerated alternative to conventional mouthwashes”, according to a study1.
The practice is rooted in Ayurvedic medicine, an ancient system that focuses on mind, body and spirit using natural products, diet adjustments and daily lifestyle habits to promote health.
Opinion over the effectiveness of oil-pulling has been divided, with a 2018 ‘Bad Science’ article2 in the British Dental Journal saying that it was “uncertain” whether the practice can make a positive contribution to good dental hygiene.
However, the new study, in which 63 adults were split into three groups – one using oil-pulling, another a marketed alcohol-based anti-gingivitis mouthwash and the third a placebo for 15 days – found that the test group demonstrated a greater reduction in bacteria compared with the comparator and placebo groups.
Gum inflammation and plaque index measurements were shown to be improved in the test group. The group also exhibited improvements in oral dryness, breath freshness and teeth shade. No adverse events (AEs) were reported.
“The evaluated oil-pulling oral rinse showed potential to reduce oral microbial counts and improve plaque and gingival parameters during short-term use,” said the study’s authors. “It presents a natural, well-tolerated alternative to conventional mouthwashes.”
However, the authors highlighted the short intervention period, the modest magnitude of change observed for some outcomes and the limited sample size. “Larger, multicentre randomised controlled trials with longer follow-up periods are warranted to confirm these findings and establish the long-term efficacy and clinical applicability of the intervention,” they said.
2www.nature.com/articles/sj.bdj.2018.281