Coconut oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic technique that can whiten the teeth and generally improve oral health. In modern times, daily plaque removal is done by brushing the teeth to prevent and control two globally leading oral infections. After all, maintaining oral health is considered a reflection of the person's general well-being.
However, failure to comply and the lack of technical skills of a person renders toothbrushing ineffective. Due to this, research efforts have focused on adjuvant therapy, such as coconut oil pulling, along with toothbrushing to reduce and control plaque-induced oral diseases.
Coconut oil pulling has been extensively used in India for many years to prevent decay, bleeding gums, oral malodor, dryness of the throat, cracked lips, and many more. Since coconut oil has many benefits, researchers believe that it is an effective adjuvant against oral diseases.
Researchers evaluated the benefit of oil pulling along with toothbrushing techniques on middle-aged adults aged 35 to 44.
Coconut Oil Pulling to Prevent Oral Problems in Middle-Aged Adults
According to the World Health Organization's study, around 80 percent of people in India are using herbal medicine to improve their health. One of the organic techniques is oil pulling, which is done using either sunflower oil or sesame oil, or coconut oil. Among these three, coconut oil is the most commonly used since it also has health benefits that can be used as an effective plaque control agent.
Coconut oil pulling destroys the toxins and microbes in the oral cavity and can reduce inflammation, improve gum health, fights bacteria, reduce bad breath, and prevent dental caries. Since coconut oil is edible, the chances of it becoming toxic to human health are very low.
In their study, there are 40 healthy adults from 35 to 44 years old belonging to both sexes who presented with plaque-induced gingivitis. These 40 individuals are divided into study groups and the control group.
Before starting the research, the participants are informed of the nature and purpose of the study, which is to test the effectiveness of coconut oil pulling in preventing oral diseases.
The coconut oil pulling technique was demonstrated to the participants, and they were directed to brush their teeth twice a day for three minutes using the toothbrush and toothpaste provided by the researchers.
In a group of 20 participants were told to continue their regular oral hygiene habits along with coconut oil pulling. The scientists then collected the data and used appropriate statistical tests using version 20 of SPSS.
READ: Coconut Oil Acts As a Natural Antibiotic and Helps Boost Immunity
Coconut Oil in Preventing Oral Diseases
During the first weeks of the experiment, the scientists found that there is no significant difference between the two groups, which means that both groups have the same scores. So they decided to wait for another six weeks.
The researchers found that by the time the six weeks is done, the two groups have shown significant differences, in which there is already a reduction of gingival index and plaque index in the two groups.
In conclusion, the study shows that using coconut oil pulling is an effective adjuvant to oral hygiene, which gives promising results.
READ MORE: What's the Difference Between Cold-Pressed & Cold-Processed Coconut Oil?
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