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7. Everything You Need to Know About Oil Pulling

Dr. Kanika Verma, Senior Ayurveda Consultant, EGA Wellness, explains to you all about the magic of Oil Pulling.

Thanks to the persistent efforts of previous generations of Ayurveda physicians, today everyone is talking about oil pulling. There is an increasing pile of testimonials from across the world that prove the efficacy of oil pulling for almost all kinds of oral disorders, whether it is a tooth cavity or oil ulcers. This simple process of oil pulling is effective for severe disorders like migraine, sinusitis, chronic headache, etc, too.

It positively affects all the organs in the head region and enhances the health of all sense organs, strengthens the scalp and hair roots, and increases cognitive function on regular usage. There is no wonder that oil pulling has become a recent rage in the field of oral healthcare.

What is oil pulling?

There are two processes defined in the ancient Ayurveda texts – kaval and gandush

Kaval

Kaval or kulla is the process in which you have to fill your mouth with medicated decoction or oil, swish it inside your mouth and throw it out after some time. This process is called oil pulling. There is a little difference between kaval and another process gandush.

Gandush

Gandush is a process in which you completely fill your mouth with the medicated decoction or oil and keep the liquid inside your mouth for a considerable time. Some ancient texts like Charak Samhita prescribe that you should keep your liquid in your mouth till the time it ascends through your nasal chamber to your eyes. At this stage, you will have tear formation in the eyes. This is a sign of a perfect process for Gandush.

Gandush can be better-called oil-filling rather than oil pulling.

There are some similarities and differences between both the processes. However, gandush or oil-filling is much more effective for oral hygiene.

The use of kaval, is more prominent in the case of immediate oral cleaning, for example, it is a tradition in India to clean your mouth by swishing water immediately after a meal. This simple process is kaval. However, the duration of kaval may vary according to the health requirements of an individual.

The one significant similarity is that you are not supposed to ingest the medicated oil used for oil pulling. As, this liquid dissolve all the rotting food particles, germs, undesirable acids, it is not advisable to ingest this liquid, even when it may contain a lot of beneficial herbs.

How to do oil pulling?

Kaval or oil pulling is a simple process. You have to fill your oil with a convenient amount of oil-pulling liquid/decoction/oil/water and swish the liquid inside your mouth and throw it out.

Options for Oil Pulling –

It is not necessary to buy expensive oil-pulling preparations with a load of exotic herbs. Ayurveda is very simple science. Therefore, you can start this exercise with plain water at room temperature.

However, some ayurvedic preparations can bring you additional benefits of oil pulling.

Ayurvedic Oil pulling oils

One of the most important classical Ayurvedic preparations for oil pulling and oil-filling is Irimedadi oil. It is an ancient preparation with powerful herbs like clove, majishtha, turmeric, camphor, dhataki, and many more.

It is useful in the prevention of tooth cavities, toothache, yellowness, foul oil odor, lack of appetite, inflammation, oral ulcers, etc.

There are many more Ayurvedic preparations for oil pulling apart from Irimedadi tailam.

EGA Oil pulling is one such authentic Ayurvedic oil pulling product that is sesame oil based and contains 27 Ayurvedic herbs like cloves, turmeric, long pepper and cinnamon. It helps to clean taste buds and activate salivary glands, thereby improving digestion. It detoxes the oral cavity, improves breath, strengthens gums and teeth, alleviates headaches and sinusitis, among many other benefits.

Mouth Pulling with Herbal Decoctions

Apart from the classical Ayurvedic preparations, mouth pulling with simple herbal decoctions or juices also brings a significant relief in all kinds of oral disorders.

Some of the effective preparations are –

Turmeric water with normal salt

Boil 1 tsp of turmeric powder or crushed turmeric roots in 500 ml water for 10 min. Remove from the flame and add ¼ tsp normal salt.

Use this turmeric liquid for mouth pulling. This liquid is especially very effective in healing oral infections, excess salivation, and oil ulcers.

Clove ginger water with normal salt

Prepare this water using the same procedure as turmeric water. Add 5-6 crushed cloves and ½ tsp of dry ginger powder.

This mouth pulling preparation is especially helpful in case of tooth cavities, and tooth pain.

What are the benefits of oil pulling?

Oil pulling offers an incredible bouquet of healthy benefits, not only for the oil but for the entire head region. Some of the significant benefits of oil pulling are –

Preserves tooth and gum health

• Oil pulling helps to remove the food particles stuck between the tooth and effectively prevents the incubation of germs on them.

• Thus, it eliminates the very fundamental cause of tooth problems.

• Also, regular oil pulling helps to maintain a healthy pH inside the mouth and discourages microbial growth.

• As a result, there is a less acidic environment inside the mouth. These factors also help to prevent foul smells, as the small causing rotten food particles are swished away from the mouth regularly.

• It also protects the tooth enamel and makes it stronger, whiter, and brighter.

• Oil pulling enhances the blood circulation to the gums and ensures a better nutritional supply to the teeth. Thus, healthy and strong gums are a natural result of regular oil pulling.

• Thus, oil pulling also prevents gum problems like hypersensitivity to hot/cold contact, bleeding, or infection in gums.

• The result of oil pulling with clove oil is so powerful that it is recommended as an SOS remedy for tooth pain.

Shields against oral infections

• Oil pulling improves blood circulation and lymph drainage throughout the oral cavity. Thus, the cells in the oral cavity get better nutritional and develop stronger immunity against microbial infections. And this is crucial as most of the pathogens enter our body through the mouth.

• It is also very helpful in the prevention and cure of oral infections like pyorrhea, gingivitis, etc.

• Many times, you may cut your oral lining with your teeth. In a bad oral hygiene condition, such cuts get infected and develop into oil ulcers. However, regular oil pulling heals these small cuts and prevents them from developing into mouth ulcers.

Promotes health in the head region

• The oil cavity is directly connected to other cavities in the head region, like the auditory cavity (ear canal), nasal chamber, eyes, sinuses etc. Any infection in any of these cavities, esp in the mouth, can directly affect all these chambers. This is the reason why you are not able to feel the taste of the food when you have a bad cold. The infection from the nose affects the oral lining and the taste buds as well.

• Since oil pulling helps to protect the oral cavity from infections, it reduces the possibility of infections in other parts of the head region.

• The effects of regular oil pulling exhibit profounds results in case of chronic cold, chronic headache, and sinusitis. Some part of the oil spills into the sinuses, nasal chamber, and other cavities too, and magnifies the benefits of oil pulling.

• Regular oil pulling offers an intense moisturizing impact on the oral cavities and protects the oral muscles from numbness, stiffness, morning swelling, etc.

Reduces aging and ensures a youthful look

• Oil pulling is like a short exercise for the oral muscles. Also with its deep moisturizing effect, it works like a mild massage for the facial muscles. Over a long time, oil pulling ensures stronger facial muscles.

• It also enhances the rate of cell regeneration in the facial skin and helps to prevent wrinkles, blemishes, and dryness, thus naturally preserving a youthful face.

These are a few of the multiple other benefits of oil pulling. Since all the organs are deeply intertwined to form a complete metabolic structure, oil pulling produces a butterfly effect of health benefits all over the body.

I sincerely believe that anyone who wants to maintain sound oral health must practice oil pulling, or even simple mouth pulling with plain water.