More on Benefits of Oil Pulling: My Experience

A great new article posted on Natural News about the benefits of the Ayurvedic tradition of Oil Pulling reminded me to talk about my experience with it so far.

I've been more or less consistent with it for the past couple of months and I have definitely noticed a few differences. One being that my gums no longer bleed like they used to do and that my breath is noticeably fresher and the taste in my mouth is more neutral in the morning.

I started using coconut oil in the beginning and then switched to Hemp oil, which seems to work better and be less uncomfortable, but after reading the recent Natural News article I might try the recommended Sesame oil and see if I get even more results.

The great thing about it is that it is such an easy habit to form. Right upon rising, I simply take the tablespoon of oil and then do my morning yoga, shower, or prepare breakfast. The 12 to 15 recommended minutes go by really fast when you're doing other things.

It could be a really great habit to get children into as well as a powerful addition to their anti-cavity arsenal, as this excerpt from the aforementioned article details;

"Two scientific studies indicate the effect of oil pulling against specific bacteria in the mouth cavity. Streptococcus mutans, which reportedly causes dental caries, was measured. Subjects swished sesame oil in their mouths for ten minutes a day. Within a week, bacterial counts in the mouth were significantly lowered."

Check out this more in depth article here

ToothPaste Alternatives

A friend of mine just asked me if I use tooth soap, so I will answer that question and elaborate on what I have been using on my teeth these days.

No, I am not currently using tooth soap, but I will more than likely (as I've been experimenting a lot with different tooth cleaners lately) make my own tooth soap using the following recipe;

1 tablespoon of Dr. Bronner's castile liquid soap

5 tablespoons of coconut oil

1 tablespoon of olive oil

10 -- 12 drops of orange oil

10 -- 12 drops of peppermint oil

What I have been using lately is a combination of bentonite clay, filtered water, stevia and peppermint essential oil. Feels pretty good on the teeth and my five year old son loves to use it. The clay has also been shown to absorb bacteria from the gums and teeth, especially when left on overnight. My son has a brown spot on his front tooth that is caused from food bacteria getting caught in a surface cavity. When I dab some clay on the brown spot, the next morning it's gone.

Some other of my favorite store bought toothpaste alternatives are using 3 parts baking soda to one part sea salt - (makes your teeth feel extra squeaky clean!) and simply scraping my toothbrush over a bar of unscented Neutrogena glycerin soap (usually if I'm pressed for time).

A lot of people debate over whether glycerin coats the teeth and stops remineralization

or not, but I tend to agree with Dr. Paul Keyes at the OraMedia Dental Self-Sufficiency site.

In his article "What are you Brushing With?" he talks about his experience with glycerin leaving a very clean feeling to his teeth with no residue at all and that just a drop of glycerin can be seen to instantly stop bacteria motility under a microscope.

Here's another great dentifrice recipe I found on the Cooking Traditions forum boards;

2 TB extra virgin coconut oil

3 TB Baking Soda

Stevia to taste

20-25 drops peppermint oil

Related, but on another aspect of dental health, there's a great book by Ramiel Nagel called "Cure Tooth Decay" that explores the possibility of remineralizing and preventing tooth decay through nutrition. The book specifically explores the findings and research of famed dentist Dr. Weston Price, who studied the diets of traditional peoples across the world in the 30's and 40's to find why their incidences of mal-formed jaws and tooth decay were much less than inthe modern West.

More posts on this to come. Also look out for a post on "chewsticks" - another way to clean the gums and teeth practiced in Africa and many other parts of the world.

Happy brushing with your new toothpaste ideas!