Intro to Oil Pulling

2 min readJun 7, 2022

I used to have fangs.

During one of the most pivotal periods of my adolescence, my teeth totally turned on me. It turns out, my mouth is too small to support 32 tusks. As a result, two of my adult teeth came to a dead halt during their descent. Rather than reaching their planned destination, they stopped in a position that only a vampire would have been comfortable with. Needless to say, the orthodontist came to my rescue. Two pulled teeth and three years of braces later, I’ve really grown into my smile.

Now that my teeth and I are amicable, I’m always open to learning new ways to show them some love. During my first yoga teacher training, I was introduced to a brand new technique to keep my gums and teeth clean and healthy: the Ayurvedic practice of oil pulling.

What is oil pulling?

Originating in ancient India, oil pulling has become a popular complementary or alternative method to modern dental care. A traditional Ayurvedic practice, oil pulling is performed to gently remove toxins from gums and teeth using a single all-natural natural ingredient: oil. Most often, oil pulling is done with coconut oil, however sunflower and sesame seed oil can also be used.

How to do oil pulling :

Measure out 1 tbsp of your chosen oil and begin swooshing it in your mouth, being sure not to swallow.
When you’re done, you simply spit out the oil. You can choose to follow this by rinsing your mouth out with warm water or brushing your teeth.

This process should be performed early in the morning on an empty stomach. Oil pulling can be practiced for up to 20 minutes. If you’re new to the method it may be best to start with 1–5 minutes and gradually work your way up as you get used to the ritual.

Important note — Oil can actually clog pipes! It’s best not to spit oil out in the bathroom sink, rather into a paper towel or tissue paper and place it in the garbage.