Last July I wrote an article about Oil Pulling – Can It Help With Fighting Disease. I mentioned at the time that I was waiting on results for whether I did in fact have neuralgia or not. Here’s an update and the result from that episode.

The results from the MRI came back negative – in that the specialist was looking for a tumour, a blood clot or signs of Multiple Sclerosis, ruling out any of the major causes for Neuralgia. What was found from the blood tests was, unfortunately, a series of red flags in the testing for autoimmune disease. What the specialist was concerned about was that the “mother ship” of autoimmune disease, the Anti-nuclear antibody, showed positive along with about 5 others. The next step was to wait 3 months and re-test or come back and see him if the symptoms became worse. Armed with this new information, I went home and made a decision. I needed to pull more coconut oil. My decision was based on 2 things.

Oil Pulling – An Aid to my Tooth Infection

1. Coconut oil is known for it’s ability to cure many diseases and conditions. From Sinus congestion to Alzheimers and everything in between, coconut oil is by far the best one stop medicine chest.

2. The technique of oil pulling has a long history of treating and aiding the health of the mouth and consequently the health of the body.

My thinking was either the nerve pain was caused from a tooth infection that had not been detected on the X-ray from the dentist or that because of testing positive to autoimmune antibodies that my body was in a major battle to fight off inflammation and infection. At the very least, coconut oil could not do any harm and at the very best it could be the aid/cure to the problem.

Besides all this, I was still in a fair bit of pain in my jaw. While the extreme spectrum of pain had shifted from a travelling pain to my temple and down through the eye, mouth and throat, it had become this constant ache in my upper and lower jaw. I needed pain relief and wasn’t interested in taking prescription medicine.

Oil Pulling Relieved My Tooth Pain

I started oil pulling immediately when I got home and noticed instantly a subsiding in the pain in my jaw. Success! I continued oil pulling twice a day for the next 2 weeks, each time noticing that immediately following this the pain would subside. The pain didn’t completely go away but it became bearable. This was August of 2012. After 2 weeks something weird happened. A small pustule or sack of fluid had formed on my gum directly below the tooth that had been X-rayed. I knew the coconut oil pulling had worked in some way. The sack was the plumb line from the infected tooth. While that sack was on my gum the pus and fluid from the infection had somewhere to go. I kept oil pulling as the gum where the sack was would get quite sore and really I was hoping that the oil pulling would eventually deal with the infection and eradicate it. By October it had not shifted and it was becoming quite annoying, despite the oil pulling therapy.

I had a scheduled visit at my dentist for my kids and while I was there I asked her to have a look at it. She confirmed what I knew, that it was a plumb line, although, she was convinced that it was from a nerve that had died and therefore possible root canal would have to be thought about. She sent me for a scan which by the time I got around to it was in fact February this year. Partly this was because of timing with christmas, holidays and school preparation but also I was avoiding what might show up on the scan. A few days after the scan, the tooth in question cracked and a few days after that the cap and filling fell out and the sack and it’s contents went down. I took the scan back to my dentist along with my broken tooth and hoped and prayed for the best outcome.

My dentist was convinced it was a dead nerve from what she could see. I broached the subject of having the tooth pulled, rather than root canal. She advised against it as it was 1 of my 3 grinders, which in her opinion would cause stress on the other 2 teeth causing possible fractures in these teeth in the future. It was a good point which I understood, however faced with the prospect of root canal with a specialist followed by a crown and a hefty $2500 fee,  I was not impressed and not convinced really that I needed root canal.

I truly believed and had  great faith in God that this was not a problem I needed right now. I prayed that the tooth would be fillable and nothing more. My dentist sent me away with a tooth that she cleaned out, packed with an antibiotic swab and a temporary cover. Her instructions were that if the sack did not fill up and there was no further pain then the tooth was fillable. My dentist was convinced that the sack would swell and that the tooth would need root canal. I was to come back in 7 days.

Well the sack never returned, the pain had gone and I was greatly relieved. I went back in 7 days only to be sent away again for 2 weeks just to make “sure”. In 2 weeks my dentist, completely flawed and gob-smacked at the fact that she could find no evidence of the tooth needing root canal, cleaned and filled my tooth. Her constant comment for the 30 minutes that I was there was “it’s a miracle”.

Now this story has 2 points to it.

1. I truly believe that the oil pulling did in fact draw that infection out into the open. There was no doubt it alleviated the pain.

2. Never underestimate the power of prayer.

Could Coconuts Be The Fruit From The Garden

Whether God recommends oil pulling or not I’m not sure, but He does give us “every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And for Healing.” My paraphrase in Italics.

Success Stories of Oil Pulling

This is an excerpt from Bruce Fife’s book “Oil Pulling Therapy”

Perhaps the most convincing and motivating evidence for the effectiveness of oil pulling are the personal testimonies of hundreds of people who have done it. A therapy isn’t any good if it can’t produce results; oil pulling produces results. The quickest and most obvious results are improvements in oral health – cleaner teeth, fresher breath, healthy pick gums, and less bleeding. Oral infections are reduced or eliminated followed by an improvement in systemic conditions.”

Oil Pulling could possibly have eliminated autoimmune disease

Way back at the beginning of this story I mentioned that I needed a follow up on blood tests for autoimmune disease. The specialist had referred me back to my GP with the list of bloods that needed to be done after a 3 month break. Now this isn’t the first time that my bloods have come back positive or had inconclusive results for autoimmune disease – it’s something that seems to raise it’s ugly head every so often in my life, and I know that autoimmune conditions can be very sneaky and somewhat mysterious in how they present themselves. I have been told that I shouldn’t be surprised if one day I awake with a whole host of symptoms from a condition that has laid dormant for a long time. I ignore these comments most of the time as I don’t have the time or stress levels that would cope with pondering on such negative information.

Play the video

The good news is the blood tests came back negative. I often wonder if, while my focus was on fixing a tooth infection, the oil pulling did in fact pull out other nasties from my system at the same time.

Here’s a link to an article from Dr Bruce Fife – Oil Pulling for a Brighter Smile and Better Health

If you want to read a good book and a pile of testimonies on Oil Pulling then I highly recommend Dr Bruce Fife’s “Oil Pulling Therapy – Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing”

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Have you tried Oil Pulling? Would love to hear any comments or questions.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

64 COMMENTS

  1. I found your blog as I was researching oil pulling. I am definitely going to try it, but I think I will try it with oregano. I am worried that I might be in the same situation as you were in. I hate to spend money (I don’t have) on getting another root canal to replace the one I had done years ago. I am worried that my bottom tooth, as it is causing me pain and sensitive.

    With coconut oil, does it matter what type?

    I am glad you got positive results from it and that you are in good health.

    • Hi Nicole,
      Hopefully your tooth problem will have a positive outcome. As long as the coconut oil is cold pressed it should be fine. You can use any oil – as it’s not the oil that’s doing the healing, but rather the action of the pulling out of toxins that allows the body to heal itself. Good luck with it. Let me know how you get on.:) Kerry

      • I can't believe this. I was up all night with a tooth ache. I knew I had a bad tooth, and even took Gabapentin during the night and nothing worked. Went to the store and bought some over the counter Orajel SEVERE pain relief…and NOPE that didn't work either. Read this and JUST put some Coconut oil on the area…and the PAIN WENT RIGHT AWAY. Now not sure how long I'm supposed to keep it there…cuz after around 10 mins I swallowed and the pain came back.
        I'm taking some more right now. How long is recommended???

        • If you can, try not to swallow it. After swishing, the oil would have too much bacteria that you don't want to swallow.

          • I already did. I acted too fast when reading about it. I know better now. Thanks for the reminder. I had to do it twice for the pain to go away. But it's been like a 1/2 hour now, and it's SOOOO much better. Have a dental appt for this pain in around 45 mins. Just to check it out. I think they are going to suggest pulling it in a few days…but I'd like to save the tooth if possible. What do you think??? May have to leave before I see your response…but I'm NOT going to let them take the tooth today anyway.

          • Maybe you can take the time to get a second opinion? I don't know if you have insurance or if they would allow that, but I have found that a lot of dentists just default to pulling a tooth. We need our teeth! On the other hand, root canals are no fun and are generally not good for the mouth.

          • I did call another dentist who’s prices for the worst case would be around $200 cheaper than the dentist I’ve been seeing. My plan is to continue the “PULL” for at least a week or two before making any decision to hank the tooth. Only way that would change is if the pain gets unbearable and the “PULL” stops working. Can’t hurt to wait…right??? If it’s bad and has to go, then it’s bad. For now…I’m pretty happy with the way things are going. Knowing that when I feel pain…just applying the coconut oil to the area takes it away is AWESOME!!! Just pray that continues…and of course doing the “PULL”

          • Hi Dawn, It should be okay to wait but I’d check with your dentist. Providing the infection is under control either with the pulling or antibiotics then the waiting hopefully will mean that you can just get the tooth filled. Thanks for keeping us updated. 🙂

          • You were right…I’m getting better at the “pull”…up to around 15 mins sessions. Here’s what was strange. Yesterday I did the treatment right before leaving for the beach. Around an hour into my stay there…the pain came back so I had brought some oil with me. It had turned back into a solid but that was fine…it took the pain away as I let it melt at the affected area. Kept it there for awhile…but the pain kept coming back? I was laying down face up. Maybe that’s why…but it got to the point that I had to leave. I live 2 blocks away…and by the time I got home. NO PAIN and NO PAIN since??? I did another PULL last night, but still even this morning, no pain. I know I need to keep it up…but the gal at my dentist said the only reason the pain is going away is because of the antibiotics. Told her I think it’s both. Of course, she thinks the pulling is just putting off what needs to happen…but until it stops working, that’s what I’m going to do. Guess I’ll find out once the pills are gone.

          • Oh no! I followed this entire thread/story only for it to end abruptly. I hope to find that Dawn updates us on what wound up happening… did the pulling save your tooth, or did you ultimately have to pull it?? THE SUSPENSE!!!! Best wishes to you and to Kerry. I feel like I’ve truly been educated today, I’m so glad I ran across your article 🙂

          • Hi Crystal 🙂 Glad you joined in the conversation. Did you hit load more comments? You may have missed some of the comments below the one that you posted. Hopefully Dawn will see this and give us an update! If you want more info on oil pulling you could join my 30 day oil pulling challenge on facebook – it has a ton of info and daily challenges that you can follow if you wanted to try oil pulling. https://www.facebook.com/groups/30dayoilpullchallenge/?ref=bookmarks Have a great day 🙂 Kerry

          • Thank you SO MUCH for replying, Kerry!! And so quickly 😉 yes, I read ALL 60 comments haha obviously Dawn’s story stood out, so hopefully she’ll fill us all in on what eventually transpired. I just received most of my pulling supplies in the mail today so in preparation for getting started, I wanted to do some research and bone up on the do’s & dont’s, etc., which led me to you…and a WEALTH of knowledge! I am SUPER excited about your FB group, I would absolutely love to join!!! I don’t have an account under my name, but I do have one under my “alias” hehe (its mainly just for family) so when you get a request from Ariel Cruise…it’s me! 🙂 🙂 Can’t wait to get started, thanks again Kerry!!!!

          • Hi Crystal 🙂 Love your “alias” and yes have accepted your request. The facebook group is a great place to ask any further questions or back on this post. Good luck – hope it all goes well for you. 🙂 K

          • Hi Dawn, Sorry the time difference has probably meant that I've missed you, but wanted to reply anyway. Depending on what was causing the toothache will depend on how much pain you end up with. If it's infected as mine was, then the pain can be excruciating, but I did have success with pulling oil to help with the pain and to obviously clear the infection away. Not a good idea to swallow the oil. The motion of pulling or swishing the oil is what shifts the toxins, bacteria and ultimately the pain from the tooth or the mouth. Swish for a solid 20 mins and then spit the entire amount out into the rubbish and rinse your mouth well with water and then give your teeth a brush. I was pulling twice a day when I had my tooth problem and the pain was significantly reduced within a day and eventually very little pain at all. I hope you don't lose your tooth but also hope you don't have to have root canal. Good luck and please let me know how you got on. Best wishes Kerry

          • UPDATE for both Kerry and Ro. Well, as suspected the Dentist said it has to go. OR…root canal and a crown. Which would cost around $1,000. Can't see myself doing that…so pulling is the only answer according to him. I thought that would take place on Thursday if it was needed, but he was ready to do it right now. I said…OK, let's do it. Then after sitting there for a few minutes, I decided…Hummmm, maybe this Coconut Oil pulling thing would work? And decided to wait…and give it a try. I did schedule the extraction for Friday 9AM (West coast time zone) but that can always be canceled. I also stopped at my favorite health food store and talked to the guy in the holistic meds department and asked him what he recommends. He likes to use "Clove" and also said many people buy "Kava". Said it's hard to keep the Kava on the shelf. So, I bought both. I also believe in Oregano Oil….so I'll be trying all these things. I just hope to get some sleep tonight…as I'm out of gas so to speak. Dentist also gave me antibiotics to kill any infection. I'll have to make a decision by Thursday 9am to avoid paying for a "no show" appointment. I'll keep you updated as to what transpires. STILL…the coconut oil is the only thing I've tried, and it does seem to take the pain away. Have to get use to keeping it in my mouth for the whole 20 mins. Thats a awfully long time. Also…is it OK to take like a tablespoon full, hold it in the effected area for around 10 mins, then spit out and do it again right away??? That is what I've done so far. PS…THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP regards this matter. Very cool of you!!!

          • Hi Dawn, Sorry for the prognosis! But then again that was my dentists opinion and I also reneged and saved my tooth from root canal. So I highly recommend oil pulling as a remedy. Clove and Oregano oils are a great addition, both very antiseptic – never tried Kava. Is the Kava in a powder format or is it sold as a drink. Read the ingredients very carefully to see what's in it and how to take it. I know it has sedating effects but watch out for side effects. Melatonin is a sedative as well and I think might be safer. Anyway back to the tooth. If you are struggling with the amount of coconut oil in your mouth, then start with a smaller amount, say a teaspoon and then work up to a larger quantity. The holding in the mouth is probably helping with topical pain relief but won't extract the bacteria causing the infection. You really need to pull the oil through the teeth in order to activate the saliva glands which then releases the toxins. If you are finding 20 minutes too long, then again start with just 10 mins and spit and then rinse. Repeat more often, say 3 or 4 10 min sessions at different times during the day and see if you can increase each time by a few minutes. The reason for the length pull is that the initial pulling action reaches the initial bacteria in the mouth and teeth but the longer you can pull the more saliva is created and the further into the bloodstream it can work. And remember my dentist was completely mortified that I had only had topical antibiotics into the tooth cavity and that I hadn't filled the script and taken the oral antibiotics. So the pulling had completely cleaned the tooth cavity and to do this day have had no more problems. Praise the Lord! That was 2 years ago. Really hoping for a positive outcome for you. Keep me posted!

          • WOW…you give me such hope! Thank you. I did the 10 min sessions yesterday and had a super mini one in the middle of the night for the pain. Seemed to work…I ended up sleeping in till a few minutes ago. I know I needed the sleep. Today, I'll continue with the 10 min sessions and WILL try and increase the time. I do feel good this morning…no pain, but I also know I need to keep this up if it's going to work. Oh…I also daped some Clove oil on the area last night…and once used oregano oil. Actually think the oregano is stronger therefore lasted a little longer as far as the pain goes.

            I'm also taking the antibiotics they prescribed me. I don't like taking them, but I don't use them that much. If I can do both what the Doc suggests and the "PULL" too, I think my chances are pretty good, and I won't have to sacrifice the tooth. That's my prayer anyway.

          • HEY Ro and Kerry…do you suggest brushing BEFORE or AFTER pulling. I would think leaving some of the coconut oil on there might be good??? Then again…I guess it's pulling out the bad stuff. What do you both think??? I'm off to the beach today…but I'll be pulling before and after I go. I really like the idea of multiple sessions at least in the first few days. Again, I need to cancel my Friday extraction appt as to not get charged, if all goes well today. Got my fingers crossed…hahahaha.

          • Hi Dawn, I'm so glad you are feeling hopeful. I don't usually brush before pulling. A simple rinse is usually enough. But I do brush afterwards as you want to rid all of that bacteria out of your mouth. One of the best things you can do is after rinsing your mouth, brush with the coconut oil toothpaste recipe. That way you get the benefit of leaving some coconut oil in your mouth. You can find my recipe here –

            https://coconutoilpost.com/coconut-oil-benefits/homemade-natural-coconut-oil-toothpaste/

            You could though, apply coconut oil mixed with some clove or oregano oil onto a cotton swab or soft gauze (a little bit like a poultice) into the tooth during the day. This may also be a solution for when you go to bed. Oil the gauze again and pop it into the tooth before you go to sleep. That would be super cool if that worked! Praying for you – go well and have fun in the sun! Seriously jealous as I am dredging through winter over here in Oz land.

          • Hi RO and KERRY…for the 1st time in a couple of days I hit a PAIN spot while brushing. Nothing HORRIBLE but definitely felt it. This was right after pulling. I’m not super concerned at this point…as once again, I slept great! No need to apply anything during the night…and didn’t have to do anything for several hours after I woke up either. I did decide to PULL prior to my daily brushing (after my standard 2 cups of coffee) and I haven’t applied more coconut oil yet. I might do another 10 min session prior to taking off for the day…but all in all, I’m happy with whats going on.

          • Is it a cavity? I've read that bone broth and toothpaste with coral (like Coral White) can help remineralize teeth, along with the oil pulling to keep the gums healthy.

          • It's a cavity that is to far gone, they say. For now the pull and other topicals seems to be doing the job. We'll see how today goes. If it goes pretty well…I'm gonna cancel the pulling of the tooth scheduled for Friday. Then I'll just keep the "PULL" going and hope it does the trick without having the tooth pulled out. Got my fingers crossed. LOL

  2. Did you do anything besides the oil pulling for infection? Were you afraid of the infection spreading? I had a toothache a few weeks ago, finally got in to the dentist and was told it was because of a deep cavity that was likely infected. They gave me antibiotics, but I would rather oil pull if it’s effective. I do have an appointment with the oral surgeon next week.

    • Hi Bee Happy, I only oil pulled. I was given an antibiotic script but never filled it as I have a history of candida and antibiotics trigger problems. I wasn’t concerned about the infection spreading as it was localised in the one tooth. Hope that helps and you have success. 🙂 Kerry

  3. Haven’t had any pain since Wednesday around noon. It’s now Friday morning…and still good. I did pull twice yesterday…and plan on pulling at LEAST two times a day if not three for at least a week or two. Then everyday simply for my health. I am noticing some congestion coming up when I get up in the morning and when I lay down at night. I guess from my readings that’s a good thing. Stuff inside my sinuses and other parts of my body is also affected by the pulling. I’m still AMAZED at how this is working. I’m sharing it with friends…not sure they believe me, but that’s not my problem. Did I tell you, I ordered the book called “Coconut Cures” for both myself and a copy for my Dad. He just loves holistic stuff too. Off to the beach again today…I heard about your crazy weather, Kerry. Hop a plane and come visit me…??? Enjoy your weekend.

    • Hi Dawn, That is brilliant news! Yes oil pulling will start to shift all sorts of stuff that’s been sitting in your system for awhile. Fabulous that you are pain free. Hopefully that tooth will just need a fill and it will be done. Enjoy the beach and the book! Kerry 🙂

      • That’s certainly what I’m hoping for. I’m thinking I’ll do the pull 2 or 3 times daily for a couple of weeks before going back to the dentist. What do you think? Is that a good time frame or should I go sooner? Today will be the end of the Antibiotics that I’ve been taking. After they are done…that will be the real test on the pain level, as they said the only reason the pain went away was because of the pills. I’ve been spreading the word about my wonderful experience so far. People are shocked…not even sure they believe me, but as I’ve said before…I’M THRILLED ABOUT THE WHOLE THING!! I’m even eating “Coconut Oil Potato Chips” I found…and drinking coconut water. HAHAHAHA

        • You might want to consider going in 7 days rather than the 2 week period, but I suppose you could gauge it by the pain. Go easy on the coconut water, even though it’s great as a summer drink, it’s quite high in sugars particularly fructose which won’t be great for your teeth. One of the best ways to drink coconut water is to ferment it with a culture or water kefir grains. The end result is a lovely drink that tastes a little bit like champagne but without the alcohol! 🙂 Kerry

          • That sounds interesting! I don’t drink alcohol at all anymore…and I also watch my sugar intake as I’m diabetic. So have ONLY one coconut water a day at the very most, and I’ve selected those lowest in sugar. As far as going to the dentist….will he be able to see by another x-ray if the tooth is OK to fill or what? I’m concerned he’s still going to try and tell me it has to be pulled or root canal & crowned.

            ALSO…I must say how much it means to me that keep in touch while I go through this crazy journey. It’s means the world to me. I trust you’ve been through it yourself, and I TOTALLY value your opinion on things. You’re my TOOTH Angel…GOD BLESS 😉

          • If he’s insisting on root canal or crowns then I would be insisting on an x-ray. I know our system is a little different to yours and it may cost more to get that X-ray, but in the long run it might be worth spending the money for a correct diagnosis. Otherwise I’d be looking for a 2nd opinion. I wouldn’t feel comfortable with a dentist who didn’t take the measures to ensure he was correctly diagnosing. How did he arrive at the first diagnosis of root canal, was it from an x-ray or was he just speculating or assuming that it must be a root canal. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, after all it’s your tooth. Will continue to pray for you…..:)

          • I have had extensive work done on my mouth for the last couple of months. All my silver fillings replaced with white ones, deep cleaning…and a crown on one molar. When he was putting the crown on he mentioned that the tooth next to it (a smaller one) needed a crown too. I told him I couldn’t afford it so he did a temporary type of crown on it. When the pain came I just assumed it was that smaller tooth. He did take x-rays again and said it was “borderline” but if I had problems and it had become sensitive to cold & hot that it was bad and should be pulled or root canaled. I don’t know what an x-ray shows…I know it does show the root of the tooth but I’m not sure show actual decay. Either way…I will tell him about what I’ve done with the “Pull” and ask him to x-ray one more time before any procedures take place. I have given this dentist almost $4,000 in cash to work on my teeth. I now have what is called a “Snap on smile” for my upper teeth as I’ve NEVER been happy with the way my teeth have looked. Figures after spending all this money to get my mouth in shape for those, I get this other issue hahahahaha. BUT…I must say, since I’ve been dealing with this dentist…my mouth have NEVER been healthier. Despite the setback for this one tooth. Took my last antibiotic today…so a week from today (or next Monday) I’ll call and schedule an appointment to see what he thinks. If I’m not comfortable with how the situation is being treated…YES, I will go get a 2nd opinion. I agree with you, it would be well worth it!!! Prayers to you and your loved ones too…

            Also…he isn’t insisting on a root canal and crown…thats just the best option. The only other option is to PULL it. I don’t have a lot teeth as it is so I’m trying to save it…also, because of the tooth location I worry about the other teeth shifting and causing issues down the road.

          • I don’t want to overwhelm you but if you have the chance and are interested get the Oil Pulling book from Bruce Fife. You can purchase the book through my website and the link is at the bottom of the article. He goes into a lot of detail about the risks associated with root canal. One of the things that Bruce says as well as many other holistic dentists will agree is that root canal is one of the worst procedures available and classifies a tooth that requires root canal is basically dead and a better option would be to pull it. Of course this depends on where the tooth is located. The biggest problem with root canal, even though the treatment today has improved on what it used to be, is that no dentist can clean out that cavity and believe it to be 100% free of bacteria. The tooth that still has a percentage of bacteria in it is then filled and crowned and creates a breeding ground for bacteria inside the cavity that eventually makes it’s way into the bloodstream. Yes, oil pulling will help with that, but he mentions that the few people who are not affected by root canals are the ones with incredibly strong immune systems. You are probably thinking at this point that maybe I’m not the tooth angel anymore! Personally if it was my tooth and it could be pulled, I would pull it rather than have the root canal. Again it depends on where the tooth is. Food for thought Dawn…….better to read up and know ahead of time so you don’t get put on the spot with the dentist then at least you can make an informed decision rather than one under pressure. Hope that helps and not hinders 🙂

          • Frankly, the doc and I discussed it. I can’t afford the root canal and then the crown which would have to be done too, it’s OVER $1,000. If I must…we’ve agreed to just pull it. I most likely will be getting “Snap on smile” for the bottoms too at some point. That alone is almost as expensive at the root canal & crown. The affected tooth isn’t very noticeable. It’s towards the back, but I do worry about the other adjoining teeth shifting if it’s pulled. I’m no spring chicken. This Friday I’ll be 56 so hopefully it won’t be an issue if it has to go. AND YES…you STILL are my tooth Angel. Maybe better put…my Coconut Angel??? HAHAHAHA. Have a great day, my dear. God Bless.

          • Hi Dawn, Good news that your dentist is on the same page. Hope all goes well when the time arrives for the tooth to be pulled. Happy Birthday for Friday and really 56 is hardly old. Keep up that oil pulling and you will be a spring chicken in the years to come, it will put life back into you. Get on to a maintenance dose of taking coconut oil (up to 3 tablespoons a day) and before you know it, you’ll be skipping wherever you go with an abundance of energy. Blessings xx 🙂

  4. Well, it’s July 31st and an update is due. Woke up this past Sunday with TERRIBLE pain. Of course I RAN to my coconut oil and yes, it took the pain away but unfortunately it didn’t stay away as it had done in the past. Monday was even worse. Called and made an appointment for the dentist to take care of the issue as I couldn’t stand the pain any longer. Had the tooth pulled Wednesday and the dentist said it was in really bad shape and that a root canal and crown wouldn’t have been a good idea. In his opinion a waste of money. It’s been a couple of days now…and of course the pain is gone, but I STILL BELIEVE IN COCONUT OIL!!! It’s kept the pain at bay for over 2 WEEKS and that’s saying something. I plan on doing the PULL on a daily basis to keep any other mouth issues from arising. Also a table spoon daily for general good health and hopefully some weight loss too. Can’t thank you enough, Kerry…for helping me through this journey. Unfortunately I ultimately had to loose the tooth, but it’s not very visible. Thank goodness!!! I’ll be in touch…;-)

    • Hi Dawn, Good news mostly! Shame about the tooth but sounds like it was for the best. Yes keep pulling oil, as it will definitely help with keeping bacteria and toxins in check. For the most benefit, see if you can work up to eating 3 tablespoons of coconut oil a day. Throw it in your cooking instead of other oils or use it in smoothies or even in your coffee. Glad you are free of pain and life is looking up again. Will be great to hear from you again. Cheers Kerry 🙂

      • Oh I can do THREE TABLESPOONS no problem. I kinda like the taste. Is more better? If so, I can use it in cooking n my coffee ontop of the 3 tblsps. Let me know, n thanks again for all healthy tips! You’re an Angel!

    • 15-20 minutes swish by pulling the oil in and out of your teeth. Your mouth will probably be fatigued. Spit the oil in the trash not sink. Rinse and brush to get out as much oil/bacteria as possible. Do this 1-2 times a day.

        • Hi Qwerty, I did reply to your comment a while ago but it must of been lost in the system somewhere. If your mouth or jaw is hurting after 3 mins then definitely slow down the pulling action. One option is to work up to 20 minutes in small doses, so maybe you can manage 5 minutes one day then go for 10 minutes the following and so on. It sometimes takes a bit of practice and your jaw and mouth getting used to the action. But consistency will win in the end. Do a bit each day and before you know it you will be pulling without even noticing for 15-20 minutes. 🙂

  6. I don’t know if oil pulling is a long term solution for my teeth BUT it does work. I am 28 and I have 3 root canals with crowns. Two I got when I was in college and one two years ago. 4-5 months ago my RCT teeth started to give me pain. I went to my Dr. at the time and she took x-rays and examined my teeth and said she couldn’t find any infection. I was confused how my teeth could hurt this much but not have anything wrong. The pain wasn’t unbearable like I had before having a RCT done but was pain that was achey and would come and go. two of my RCT teeth are upper molars so i would get these periods of sinus pain. I went to my uncle who is a dentist and he too couldn’t find any pathology on a x-ray and said I am grinding my teeth and made me a professional grade mouth guard ($400). While praying that this little piece of plastic would save my mouth I looked at my uncle’s Facebook one day and his daughter recommended an article about oil pulling. I read it and decided why not and went to Trader Joe’s and got some cold pressed coconut oil. I started to pull for 15 minutes at a time, I would then Waterpik, and then brush my teeth. My teeth felt really really clean. After about 2-3 weeks this putrid smell I was getting from one RCT went away. After a month the pain was greatly minimized if not completely gone. The mistake I made was stopping and now recently the pain has come back so I just started re-pulling and even after 2 days my teeth feel less achey and cleaner. So oil pulling works but eventually my RCT will need some TCL and will need to be redone, extracted, or implants put there. I will note during this time I was diagnosed with proctitis and the more I read about RCT the more I believe it had something to do with me developing proctitis. Fortunately I don’t have colitis. So advice is as crazy as it sounds oil pull. The worst that happens is you loose $5-$10 on oil and 15 minutes out of your day which is a lot less than the cost of repairing or loosing teeth

    • Hi jrasero, What an amazing story. I’m so glad oil pulling has been able to relieve some of the pain and incredible that it seemed there was some infection or toxicity happening there that the oil pulling worked on. Good luck with the RCT for the future. I am sorry to hear of the Proctitus. That is not pleasant at all. Are you taking coconut oil orally. As in cooking with it or taking it in dose form, or applying it to the inflamed area. Coconut oil works incredibly well on gut inflammation, so think about applying to or taking it orally (up to 3 tablespoons a day) to help with the Proctitus. Blessings 🙂

  8. I am going through something similar. I have a possible cracked tooth that is causing me pain and my dentist wants to do a root canal. I just started doing oil pulling so I’m hoping it will work.

    Can you go over your oil pulling routine, what type of oil you used, how long, etc.?

    I’m just hoping for the best right now. I really want to avoid a root canal

    • Hi May, You can use many oils to oil pull – although I prefer coconut oil as the MCFA contents provide antibacterial and antifungal properties. As far as how long you pull for – I usually pull for up to 20 minutes. You can go longer if you wish, depends on how tired your jaw gets from the pulling action. When I was dealing with this, I pulled 2 or 3 times a day everyday. You should notice that the pain will be reduced (if you’re in pain) and if there is an infection in the tooth, the oil pulling will help to draw the toxicity out. The best outcome would be that you simply need the tooth repaired without having to have a root canal. Go well – let me know if have anymore questions. Hoping for a positive result. 🙂

      • Thanks for the encouragement Kerry. I don’t know if I can tough it out though. Dental pain can be so scary.

        Did you happen to change your diet during this time as well, to aid the healing?

        If my tooth can’t be saved im wondering if it’s just better to do an extraction and implant rather than a root canal. It feels so hopeless at this point 🙁

        • Hi May, My diet was already fairly clean so to speak due to my GI issues. Low carbs, no refined sugars, protein and high in fats, coconut oil, ghee. The more coconut oil you can take orally as well as pulling will help. The pain I was in was probably close to a 10 given that it was impacting nerves up to my temple and down through my throat. The thing that got me through though was oil pulling. Every time I pulled, the pain would ease for a short time. The more I pulled the more the pain left. Yes you may be better off having the tooth out and an implant if you can afford it. Not sure if you are in the U.S. or not but it’s an expensive treatment here in Australia. A root canal IMO is treating a tooth that is already dead so why would you bother, given that there seems to be so many secondary issues with root canals. All the best with the pulling. Look forward to a positive update. 🙂

          • Thank you Kerry – here’s an update.

            Originally I was recommended that I get root canal treatment on my back molar by my dentist. I ended up scheduling an appointment with the endodontist, and after looking at X-rays and doing some testing, he actually said everything looks healthy and I don’t need a root canal. He couldn’t explain why I was feeling pain/discomfort but he said it could be due to stress/grinding. STRESS! My gosh I was so relieved I didn’t need a root canal. He does recommend that I use a mouth guard to see if it’ll help though.

            I wonder if oil pulling or the western price diet helped. Who knows, but I do plan on keeping it up for a while to see if the symptoms subside. I wonder if it’ll help with stress too.

            Anyways, I feel like your story gave me a lot of hope and encouragement throughout this time. The discomfort is not gone, but at least I know there’s no infection or severe issues. Thank you!

          • What a great outcome May! Well at least not having to have root canal. Stress is never any fun and it sounds like you are on the right track with tweaking your diet and oil pulling. Hopefully the mouth guard will make a difference to prevent the grinding. All the best with that. xx 🙂

          • Thank you Kerry!

            Even without the night guard my tooth feels so much better. Couple days ago one side of my face started to feel swollen and numb. It was so scary!

            What I think might have helped was my use of Chinese herbs. In Chinese medicine, water boiled from honeysuckle helps with inflammation. You can buy it at Chinese herbal shops. It’s a traditional remedy that my mom always had me drink to clear out any inflammation.

            Hope this information will be helpful to anyone experiencing tooth pain (without any serious dental issues).

          • Hi May Great tip about chinese herbs. I’ve heard also of infusing the coconut oil with things like Garlic, Turmeric, Clove or Oregano which also help with inflammation and tooth related pain.

  9. Hi Kerry, I have bridges (metal-ceramic) on all my molars. Do you recommend oil pulling while a person has bridge work done?

    • Hi Kamal, There are two schools of thought around this one. Firstly some dentists say that oil pulling will affect the bonding (cement) that the crowns or bridges are attached with. It won’t actually affect the ceramic or the metal. Secondly some say that there is no way possible that oil pulling can affect any dental work, including crowns, bridges or amalgams. I don’t have any crowns or bridges but I do have very old fillings from childhood. I actually stopped oil pulling for about 6 months as one of these old fillings came loose and a part of it broke off. At the time I assumed it was the oil pulling that had loosened it but I’m not 100 % sure. Funny thing was that the winter following that 6 months of not oil pulling I came down with 2 of the worst winter colds that I’ve had in years. Consequently I am oil pulling again and my teeth and fillings are all okay. Bruce Fife who wrote the book OIl Pulling Therapy says if dental work comes loose from oil pulling then you should “thank” the oil pulling for bringing it to your attention as it is most likely that the tooth under the dental work is either infected or decaying. I hope that helps. 🙂

  10. Hi Kerry,

    I’m back with another issue and I wanted to know your thoughts. I previously had a root canal in my front tooth about 6 months ago, and lately it’s been feeling sore, like there’s constant pressure on it. On top of that, my cheek area (assuming it’s the sinuses) are also feeling intermittent pain. Do you think oil pulling works on root canaled teeth? I haven’t visited the dentist yet, but I’m expecting that at some point I’ll need to extract it and replace it with an implant, which is devastating to me because it is a front tooth 🙁

    I don’t know what implants feel like and how they affect overall health either.

    • Hi May, Sorry to hear that. I just wrote another article titled “oil pulling and why you should do it” where I go into more explanation of root canals and bacteria. Bearing in mind I’m not a dentist, but someone who has researched fairly extensively into oil pulling and dentistry, my thoughts are as follows. Root canal treatments can often run amuck due to the fact that it’s no guarantee that 100% of the bacteria inside the cavity is successfully killed, meaning that when they fill that tooth and then cap it, the chances of bacteria lingering can cause more decay and eventually infection. It’s very possible that the sinus or cheek pain is associated with what’s happening in your tooth. When my tooth was at it’s worst, I had pain up and down my whole left side of my face into my temple and down through my throat. Will oil pulling help? Don’t stop oil pulling – It won’t do any harm and at the best would draw out the infection and ease the pain. However you may have to have the tooth x-rayed to determine if there is other damage caused by further decay. While oil pulling is great for drawing out the bacteria that causes decay, I don’t believe it can mend a tooth that has already decayed. Hope that makes sense. Keep up the oil pulling, maybe increase it to twice daily or whenever you are in pain and see what results in say a few days to a week. Thoughts and prayers for you. Let me know how it goes. 🙂

  11. I have a tooth the dentist could feel the swelling. Like a blister on the top of my mouth. He could
    not detect infection on the X-ray. How long did you oil pull each time? I do it the last two days for 1/2 hour.

    • Hi Ann, I thought I replied to you the other day but alas technology has fooled me again. The blister is possibly a plumbline that is draining what could be a possible infection from the tooth. I oil pulled for 2 weeks twice a day both for 20 minutes. However in the first few days I was oil pulling every time I felt pain in my gums or jaw and especially when the blister was sore. Each time I oil pulled the pain subsided. Go well – hope you have success. 🙂

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