Experts say a beauty regime that has been around for thousands of years could help you whiten your teeth naturally.
Whilst it may sound like a painful practice, oil pulling is quite simple and has been linked to brighter looking teeth and fresher breath.
Oil pulling has been around for centuries, originating in India and southern Asia. It involves swishing an edible oil in the mouth for a period of time and then spitting it out, similar to mouthwash.
Coconut oil is a popular choice. However, the American Dental Association states that there is no scientific evidence supporting the benefits of oil pulling for oral hygiene or overall health.
But people who do it regularly claim they notice whiter smiles and better overall oral health.
Dr Shaadi Manouchehri, a London-based dentist, took to TikTok and discussed the possible benefits and why she has “one problem” with how some people treat the idea.
With around a decade of oral health expertise, she said: “I get this question a lot from a lot of people both online and offline whether they should be oil pulling to protect their teeth.”
In simple terms, she explained the concept, scientifically, is that the oil should bind to the bacteria that’s on the teeth.
Swishing it around will “grab all the bacteria like a magnet” and remove it from your mouth once you spit.
The surface of the teeth should then be more slippery as a result and “make it more difficult for things like stains to build up again – therefore protecting your teeth”. However, this is all just theoretical, she adds.
Dr Manouchehri accepted that there still isn’t much evidence-based research out there to prove this does work.
Of the few available, a study from 2016 involving 60 adults found that using coconut oil for oil pulling for 10 minutes each day led to a significant decrease in the amount of S. mutans in saliva in just 2 weeks, when compared to using distilled water.
Currently, no studies confirm the teeth whitening benefit. These claims online often come from personal experiences with the practice and may not be the most accurate for person to person.
The dentist added: “What we know works is brushing twice a day for two minutes using flouride toothpaste, flossing, cleaning your tongue.”
She went on to say that there is no problem with adding an oil pull into your normal routine to keep your teeth clean. But, she draws the line at one idea.
She said: “What I do have a problem with is people thinking oil pulling is a replacement for proper toothbrushing, flossing and use of flouride.
“I understand people want to be natural in their oral hygiene routine and they want to avoid flouride, so what you could use instead is a nanohydrxy appetite that can also protect the teeth. Just using oil as a replacement is never an option in my book.”