4 ms·

Tooth health was solved thousands of years ago - and it's called Oil Pulling. Toothbrushes are the norm because of marketing budgets of teaching society to buy

by loceng 13y ago

Tooth health was solved thousands of years ago - and it's called Oil Pulling. Toothbrushes are the norm because of marketing budgets of teaching society to buy 1 disposable product (toothbrush), which then requires buying another product on a recurring basis (toothpaste). There are different kinds of oils you can use for different benefits, though overall you just need the suction and vacuum that the oil allows for (with the density of the oil). It's great for your gums and teeth overall - and has other benefits relating to tongue health, tasting of food, etc..

alanctgardner2 13y ago
I was really curious, so I looked up Oil Pulling [1]. 15-20 minutes of swishing oil around in my mouth? I don't see how that's ideal for anyone, it sounds disgusting and terribly time consuming. The literature linked from Wikipedia also doesn't talk about any of the benefits you discuss, and I'm a little skeptical. Why can't I achieve this by just swishing my own spit around all day? 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_pulling http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_pulling
- talmand 13y ago
  Not only all that, but the Wikipedia article states that after spitting out the oil you would then clean your teeth, gums, and tongue as you normally would. It only seems to be a remedy for specific situations.
- loceng 13y ago
  Try it. I don't have any links that reference the technique I learned, though you want to only have so much oil in your mouth that you can maintain swishing it around (through your teeth, back and forth, etc) for the 15-20 minutes. I wouldn't start with 15-20 minutes either - you won't be able to maintain it, your muscles in your mouth will get tired. You need to rinse after with a roughly half-water, half-hydrogen peroxide mix - after spitting the oil into your toilet (into sink could cause clogging issues) - and swish it around in your mouth for 10-15 seconds, through your teeth, etc.. This will help whiten your teeth too - most toothpaste companies add a bit of hydrogen peroxide to the toothpaste for this effect. Spit isn't as dense as oil, and so it won't create as much pressure when being squeezed through your gums - which will loosen out anything stuck in your gums, that floss could otherwise get, and instead of floss jamming in say a piece of meat in further, the swishing and suction that occurs from a 'tight' vacuum in your mouth helps pull the stuck material away. You don't have to swish for 15-20 minutes either, even a few minutes will do similar - though 15-20 minutes has added benefits, mainly related to the blood flow with your tongue, and the muscles in your mouth / throat, etc.. More so if you use sunflower oil because sunflowers absorb radiation (another thing you'll probably want to look up because you'll say "BULLSHIT!" -- Wikipedia doesn't have anything on it, though a search on Google brings up various results). P.S. If you oil pull with sunflower oil (can't remember if you want refined or unrefined) then after ~3 days you'll start to get a brown spot at the back middle of your tongue - you can gently scrap that off with a spoon. After a week or so that'll likely stop showing. Anyway, try it yourself - is all I can really suggest..
standeven 13y ago
Keep your pseudo-science to yourself, please.
vectorjohn 13y ago
Random Hacker News commenter finds home dental remedy that outsmarts the entire field of dentistry. Toothbrush companies hate this! But seriously. This is not real.
brennenHN 13y ago
One weird trick for whiter teeth!!!
loceng 13y ago
Just to add - for all those downvoting me - if you oil pull AND maintain a diet low in sugars, you won't have to really brush your teeth afterward. I am assuming most others you need to brush afterward in order to avoid potential liabilities. Great to see such strong bigotry here on HN..
aric 13y ago
You're being downvoted and yet your comment is worthy and even a "hack" so to speak. That's sad and typical. On behalf of people who care and are fascinated, thank you. Oil pulling works and remineralizes tooth enamel. I do it occasionally. However, using a toothbrush to remove most food particles beforehand saves a lot of time. Do both. Then cleanse with a quick water rinse after. There are some biodegradable and recyclable toothbrushes on the market.
- driverdan 13y ago
  He's being downvoted because it sounds like pseudoscience and he didn't provide any sources to back up the claims.
  - aric 13y ago
    I'm skeptical about everything. However, I try not to downvote that which sounds pseudo-scientific even when it contradicts deep preconceptions. I try to remain open, intrigued, and investigative. Fewer things in life have several major, unbiased studies that can act as evidence. It's helpful to reject any broad claim of a "fact" while accepting it as a matter of thought. Hmm... Upon further consideration, in defense of downvoters, the person's claim was pretty extreme to reject the benefits of brushing. That makes it a disservice to his/her other point. Ah well. Most people haven't tried oil to remineralize. Most people won't. I'm in the minority of those who have, with empirical benefit.

by loceng 13y ago

alanctgardner2 13y ago

I was really curious, so I looked up Oil Pulling [1]. 15-20 minutes of swishing oil around in my mouth? I don't see how that's ideal for anyone, it sounds disgusting and terribly time consuming. The literature linked from Wikipedia also doesn't talk about any of the benefits you discuss, and I'm a little skeptical. Why can't I achieve this by just swishing my own spit around all day? 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_pulling http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_pulling

talmand 13y ago
Not only all that, but the Wikipedia article states that after spitting out the oil you would then clean your teeth, gums, and tongue as you normally would. It only seems to be a remedy for specific situations.
loceng 13y ago
Try it. I don't have any links that reference the technique I learned, though you want to only have so much oil in your mouth that you can maintain swishing it around (through your teeth, back and forth, etc) for the 15-20 minutes. I wouldn't start with 15-20 minutes either - you won't be able to maintain it, your muscles in your mouth will get tired. You need to rinse after with a roughly half-water, half-hydrogen peroxide mix - after spitting the oil into your toilet (into sink could cause clogging issues) - and swish it around in your mouth for 10-15 seconds, through your teeth, etc.. This will help whiten your teeth too - most toothpaste companies add a bit of hydrogen peroxide to the toothpaste for this effect. Spit isn't as dense as oil, and so it won't create as much pressure when being squeezed through your gums - which will loosen out anything stuck in your gums, that floss could otherwise get, and instead of floss jamming in say a piece of meat in further, the swishing and suction that occurs from a 'tight' vacuum in your mouth helps pull the stuck material away. You don't have to swish for 15-20 minutes either, even a few minutes will do similar - though 15-20 minutes has added benefits, mainly related to the blood flow with your tongue, and the muscles in your mouth / throat, etc.. More so if you use sunflower oil because sunflowers absorb radiation (another thing you'll probably want to look up because you'll say "BULLSHIT!" -- Wikipedia doesn't have anything on it, though a search on Google brings up various results). P.S. If you oil pull with sunflower oil (can't remember if you want refined or unrefined) then after ~3 days you'll start to get a brown spot at the back middle of your tongue - you can gently scrap that off with a spoon. After a week or so that'll likely stop showing. Anyway, try it yourself - is all I can really suggest..

standeven 13y ago

Keep your pseudo-science to yourself, please.

vectorjohn 13y ago

Random Hacker News commenter finds home dental remedy that outsmarts the entire field of dentistry. Toothbrush companies hate this! But seriously. This is not real.

brennenHN 13y ago

One weird trick for whiter teeth!!!

loceng 13y ago

Just to add - for all those downvoting me - if you oil pull AND maintain a diet low in sugars, you won't have to really brush your teeth afterward. I am assuming most others you need to brush afterward in order to avoid potential liabilities. Great to see such strong bigotry here on HN..

aric 13y ago

You're being downvoted and yet your comment is worthy and even a "hack" so to speak. That's sad and typical. On behalf of people who care and are fascinated, thank you. Oil pulling works and remineralizes tooth enamel. I do it occasionally. However, using a toothbrush to remove most food particles beforehand saves a lot of time. Do both. Then cleanse with a quick water rinse after. There are some biodegradable and recyclable toothbrushes on the market.

driverdan 13y ago
He's being downvoted because it sounds like pseudoscience and he didn't provide any sources to back up the claims.
- aric 13y ago
  I'm skeptical about everything. However, I try not to downvote that which sounds pseudo-scientific even when it contradicts deep preconceptions. I try to remain open, intrigued, and investigative. Fewer things in life have several major, unbiased studies that can act as evidence. It's helpful to reject any broad claim of a "fact" while accepting it as a matter of thought. Hmm... Upon further consideration, in defense of downvoters, the person's claim was pretty extreme to reject the benefits of brushing. That makes it a disservice to his/her other point. Ah well. Most people haven't tried oil to remineralize. Most people won't. I'm in the minority of those who have, with empirical benefit.