An experiment with oral hygiene

There is a lot of information out there about oil pulling. There is plenty of conflicting information as to whether or not it is effective in oral health. I have seen enough that is positive, that I am inclined to give it a try.

It is almost humorous to research the subject. There are countless of people who write about their experience and the positive benefits they experience. However, the American Dental Association and other traditional groups say that it is ineffective and pointless without taking a serious look into it. I was unable to find a peer-reviewed journal article researching the idea. It sounds like there needs to be an independent study researching the methods and benefits, one that is totally objective and unbiased (is that possible?). After all, if it truly is as beneficial as some people claim, wouldn't it be worth knowing?

The idea of it is gross though. Putting a spoonful of oil in my mouth and swishing it for 15-20 minutes. Ugh!

Today I saw yet another article talking about how well it works. I had enough...my curiosity got the best of me. I got out a spoon and my bottle of coconut oil. I put a spoonful in my mouth...and gagged at the texture! I was determined to see if I could make it work. As it melted, it became not so bad. There was no flavor, and I just swished away. I made it for the full 15 minutes. While I swished, I cleaned my room and took a shower. When I was done and spat out the vile stuff in the garbage, I was shocked at how clean my mouth felt. I followed up by brushing my teeth afterwards with baking soda (I don't use toothpaste), and my mouth felt REALLY clean. 

It wasn't so bad. 

I might just do it again. 

If you are curious as to what oil pulling is supposed to do, here are some websites to look at:

http://wellnessmama.com/7866/oil-pulling-for-oral-health/ 

http://www.realfarmacy.com/healing-cavities-a-true-weve-done-it-story/

Now, before I get comments from people about how stupid this is, I am not telling anyone this is how things should be. I am conducting my own experiment to see how well it works because I'm curious. Anything that has so much information that is so polar opposite automatically intrigues me.