Oil Pulling: A Review

Oil pulling is extensively used traditional Indian folk remedy to prevent decay, bleeding gums, oral malodor, dryness of throat, cracked lips and for strengthening teeth, gums, and jaws. In this procedure, the practitioners rinse their mouth with approximately one tablespoon of an ordinary cooking oil for 3-20 min, then spits it. This practice is usually performed on a daily basis. This technique is believed to cure more than thirty systemic diseases when practiced regularly and as directed. As a result of  side effects to modern medicines and oral hygiene products, people are increasingly attracted towards such traditional practices. The present article attempts to review and discuss this ancient practice and its effects on one’s oral and general health