How to do oil pulling for teeth

In our last article we discussed about the benefits of oil pulling.  In this article we will discuss how to do Oil pulling properly.  Let's first look at Oil pulling briefly. Oil pulling is the practice of swishing oil around your mouth for a certain period of time has been in use from thousand of years. Oil pulling is also known as kavala or gandusha in Ayurveda. It is an ancient ayurvedic practice which involves swishing a tablespoon of oil in your mouth on an empty stomach for about 20 minutes . It is basically an ayurvedic mouth wash. Which oil is best for oil pulling? Any kind of edible oil like coconut oil,  sesame oil also called as tila taila or tila  oil, oil olive, sunflower oil, mustard oil.  Most people use coconut oil as it has strong anti bacterial and anti- inflammatory properties. Olive oil also has the ability to fight against infection. You can use any vegetable based oil. When to do oil pulling? To get the best benefits, oil pulling should be done on an empty stomach  before brushing your teeth. Oil pulling should be the first thing you should do in the morning. How to do Oil pulling In ayurvedic practice oil pulling can be performed in two ways:- 1.Gandusha  It is a practice in which you keep the oil in your mouth for 2-3 minutes  and then you spit it out. In Gandusha we just hold the oil with out moving it inside the oral cavity. 2. Kavala In the other method called kavala graha the oil is gently revolved  around in the mouth for 15 to 20 minutes till it becomes thin and whitish in color and then it is expelled out. Following the oil pulling practice, the teeth, gums and tongue are rinsed  with salt water. This can be followed by brushing and flossing as you normally would do. The oil should not be swallowed. Let's see how to do oil pulling Take around 15 to 20 ml of oil and keep it in mouth. Gently move the oil in your mouth. It doesn't have to be vigorous because you will be doing it for 15 to 20 minutes . Allow the oil to circulate in your mouth letting it to seep through your teeth.  Continue doing this till you start sweating slightly. Sweating is a sign of toxins being released from your body. You can warm up the oil little bit just before practicing oil pulling. After you are done spit it out and rinse your mouth with warm salt water to gently kill any leftover bacteria. You can brush your teeth after oil pulling. If it is difficult for you to do 20 minutes of oil pulling don't worry. Start with  just one minute for the first few days working your way up to 5 minutes then you can increase up to 10 and 20 minutes. Things to remember Don't swallow the oil when you finish oil pulling be sure to spit out the oil that has collected bacteria in your mouth. Swallowing it may result in stomach discomfort or diarrhea. If you are allergic to a particular type of oil avoid using that oil.  Don't totally replace all toothbrushing flossing and other oral care with oil pulling. For proper oral hygiene you should brush twice a day and after oil pulling also you should brush your teeth. Although it's not dangerous to your health you might experience a few minor side effects from oil pulling. Putting oil in your mouth might make you feel a little nauseous. Other side effects may include sensitivity, sore jaw and headache.