Oil pulling is a traditional ayurvedic treatment which helps to cure inflamed gums, fight caries, and naturally whiten and strengthen the teeth. In India, people usually would use sesame oil for pulling (ayurvedic doctors infuse it on herbs), but I prefer this modern coconut version.
COCONUT PASTILLES FOR OIL PULLING
I came across this recipe when I was looking for natural anti-caries remedies. After pregnancy, my teeth’ health worsened, and I wanted to find a natural and effective solution. I’ve heard about oil pulling before, but I’m not a huge fan of sesame oil taste, so for me, the traditional option was a no-go. This recipe I found in Paleo Mama blog (really love and recommend it!), tried, and loved it!
Coconut oil has a lot of healing, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties, and together with essential oils, it really helps to improve teeth health. It also dissolves the plaque (in a very gentle way, unlike harsh abrasive components in whitening kinds of toothpaste). It whitens the teeth without destroying the enamel.
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What I find great about coconut oil is that it is solid at the room temperature (well, it melts down at 25ºC or 77ºF), so you can make a batch of pastilles in advance. Very handy if you have limited time in the morning, and don’t want to prepare fresh oil mixture for pulling every day.
Just melt coconut oil in a double boiler, pour into silicon ice cases (1 tbsp of oil per case), add to each case 2 drops of essential oils, and let coconut oil get back to solid form. For pulling, take one pastille and put it in the mouth – coconut oil will become liquid again, and you can start your pulling ritual. Swish it around for 15 minutes, trying not to swallow. Spit it out. Done!
You can read more about the benefits of oil pulling here.
ESSENTIAL OILS FOR OIL PULLING
Several essential oils are beneficial for teeth and mouth health, you can try any of it (or mix it up, if you want). For one pulling, you need 2 drops of oils (essential oils are highly concentrated substances, so you want to be careful with it).
You can try any essential oil from the list:
- peppermint – disinfect and soothe inflamed tissues
- basil – eliminate odor-causing bacteria
- clove – kills bacteria
- myrrh – reduce inflammation and promote wound healing
- tea tree – antiseptic and anti-fungal, helps stop caries
You will see significant improvement after just one week of oil pulling (whiter teeth and no bad mouth odor). But for better results, make for three weeks and repeat every 3 months.
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