Oil Pulling: Evidence and Safety in Detail

Where this page fits

Our overview, Oil Pulling, explains what the practice is. This page goes deeper into the studies and the safety reports. Oil pulling is linked with Ayurveda, where related mouth practices include gandusha; see eye, ear, nose and mouth care in Ayurveda and Ayurvedic dental and oral care for the traditional context.

The American Dental Association (ADA) describes it as swishing an edible oil, such as sesame, olive, sunflower or coconut, in the mouth, a folk remedy practiced for centuries in India and southern Asia. [1]

Evidence labels used here: promising but limited, mixed, insufficient evidence, marketing claim, evidence of harm (rare, specific).

What the studies measured

Most trials looked at proxy measures in the mouth, not at tooth decay or long-term outcomes: plaque scores, gum inflammation scores and counts of bacteria in saliva or plaque. [2] [3]

In the 2024 meta-analysis, more than half the trials (17) involved people with no reported oral health problems. [2] Trials where the comparison is plain water or nothing cannot hide which group is swishing oil, so expectation can inflate scores. Sesame-oil-vs-water in the 2025 trial helps, but it is a single small study. [6]

What the ADA and dentists say

The ADA's public page states there are no reliable scientific studies showing oil pulling reduces cavities, whitens teeth or improves oral health, and it does not recommend oil pulling as a dental hygiene practice. [8] That page predates the 2022 to 2026 reviews above, so the sources do not fully agree. A fair summary: low-quality trials suggest a possible gum or bacteria benefit, nothing shows tooth decay prevention or whitening, and nothing shows it replaces brushing. The ADA recommends brushing twice a day for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste and cleaning between teeth once a day. [9]

Other uses tested

A small randomized crossover trial of 26 adults (average age about 65) with medicine-induced dry mouth found oil pulling reduced dry-mouth burden, but oil did not beat plain water for symptom relief. [10] Claims that oil pulling "detoxifies the body" are traditional ideas and marketing claims; the studies above measured only mouth outcomes. See detox and cleanse claims.

Safety

• Inhaling the oil. Exogenous lipoid pneumonia, a lung inflammation caused by aspirating or inhaling oily substances, has been reported in people who oil-pulled for months. [11] In one report, two women with a history of tongue cancer developed pneumonia that did not clear, and the authors advised that people at risk of aspiration be told of the risk. [12]
• Who should be careful. Case-report authors advise that people at risk of aspiration be informed of the risk. [12] If you have trouble swallowing or coughing, talk to a clinician first; we advise against it for young children, who may swallow or inhale the oil.
• Stop signs. A new cough that lingers, breathlessness, fever or chest pain need medical care, not more oil pulling. In the US call 911 for severe trouble breathing.
• Do not swallow the oil. Spit it into a trash can rather than a sink.
• Mouth conditions. The 2025 trial authors noted that people with keratosis (thickened mouth lining) may experience adverse effects. [6] See a dentist for any white patch, sore or bleeding gums.

We give no amount, timing or schedule, because no source we read sets one.

Qualifications and regulation

Oil pulling needs no practitioner. A dentist is the right professional for tooth and gum problems. See also coconut oil as an ingredient.