Coconut Oil As Effective As Chlorhexidine For Plaque Reduction

[Kartoffel]

Believing myself to be invincible, I neglected by dental health a bit over the last years, just using a bit of peppermint and water for fresh breath. I recently discovered that even a nutritious diet doesn't completely protect you from dental problems, and was a little shocked to see that more than half of the back of my lower incisors was covered with plaque.
Ray's suggestion of using coconut oil pulling immediately came to my mind, and I looked for some evidence supporting his advice. This study here showes that just using coconut oil once per day for 30 days decreased the amount of plaque by more than half, and was at least as effective as Chlorhexidin, an antispetic most commonly used for this purpose.

Effect of coconut oil in plaque related gingivitis — A preliminary report

Moreover, this one showed that coconut oil reduces the concentration of S. mutans, considered as the most cariogenic of the oral microflora, also by more than half. It is involved in creating the initial biofilm that leads to carious lesions, and is present in saliva and plaque. Coconut oil halfed it's concentration in plaque mass as well as saliva.

Encouraged by these studies, I went to the supermarket, bought a few kilograms of extra coconut oil and used it thrice a day, thinking that this should yield some results, if using it only once was already very effective in these studies. Now, 25 days later I can say that my enthusiasm was justified - the plaque on my teeth is almost completely gone, and on top of that I don't feel any sensitivity to cold drinks any longer. I wanted to make some before-after pictures, but found it difficulty to find a proper angle that captures the back if my incisors.

 

[Makrosky]

Did you find a mention to reversing caries in any of the studies about the topic you read? I mean already formed caries.

 

[Kartoffel]

Did you find a mention to reversing caries in any of the studies about the topic you read? I mean already formed caries.

If it is still in the initial stage and mainly on the surface of the tooth, I can't think of any reason why it might not be helpful. But a local fluoride is probably more effective. Of course, combining both might be the best scenario.

 

[Makrosky]

If it is still in the initial stage and mainly on the surface of the tooth, I can't think of any reason why it might not be helpful. But a local fluoride is probably more effective. Of course, combining both might be the best scenario.

Fluoride you said???

 

[Kartoffel]

Fluoride you said???

Yeah, it's fairly safe when a skilled dentist applies it to a single tooth. I think even Ray is in favor of it sometimes.

 

[Makrosky]

Yeah, it's fairly safe when a skilled dentist applies it to a single tooth. I think even Ray is in favor of it sometimes.

Thanks for posting your experience anyway! Really interesting.

 

[Lucas]

For how much time each day you did the oil pulling?

 

[Kartoffel]

For how much time each day you did the oil pulling?

I do it three times a day. I just put a big tablespoon of it in my mouth and keep it there/swirl it around for 10-15 min. At the end I use a very soft toothbrush to clean my teeth briefly, while the coconut oil is still in my mouth.

 

[yerrag]

It really works. I do this once a day. It really helps keep plaque from forming. I would try to scratch of plaque before from my teeth, even after brushing my teeth. There would be plenty of them before, now there's only very little.

The bad thing is I only do it when I take my daily shower. It's the only time when I'm not in a hurry to spit out the oil. It's bad only because I take quick showers.

I wished I knew of this much, much earlier. There was a time when I left my job, and I skimped on regular dental visits to clean my teeth. It was when periodontal issues took root, which has been a thorn on my health. It was only late last year, 15+ years after, that I discovered (thru a very nice and new dental scan, yes, it still involves x-rays unfortunately) that I have 2 dying teeth with periodontal pockets underneath.

Apart from oil pulling, and to avoid having to get teeth pulled out, I also wished I had known of the importance of good calcium intake, as well as kept endotoxins to a minimum. Good calcium stores keep the teeth from being leached out, and endotoxins attach to the gingival area of the teeth, and it becomes a hotspot for bacteria to invade the seemingly tough teeth, which are actually porous, especially after the enamel protection is breached.

Ray has spoken of the role of endotoxins as a cause of periodontal issues, and it may seem he's on the wrong side of the chicken and egg argument of it, but I know believe he's right about it. I used to think it's the anaerobic bacterial colony harboring underneath the periodontal gum that is the source of endotoxins, and they still are, but the breach of bacteria beneath the gum line is actually initiated by endotoxins from the gut.

 

[Braveheart]

"Ray has spoken of the role of endotoxins as a cause of periodontal issues, and it may seem he's on the wrong side of the chicken and egg argument of it, but I know believe he's right about it. I used to think it's the anaerobic bacterial colony harboring underneath the periodontal gum that is the source of endotoxins, and they still are, but the breach of bacteria beneath the gum line is actually initiated by endotoxins from the gut."

It works....once a day at night before bed

 

[JessFields]

Did you find a mention to reversing caries in any of the studies about the topic you read? I mean already formed caries.

I've never had an actual cavity myself, but have heard from others that MiPaste is effective, especially in the early stages. They make one with fluoride and one without. It uses calcium and (I think) phosphate to remineralize

I use the one without fluoride all over my teeth about once a week for prevention. Ordered off ebay

 

[Runenight201]

I tried coconut pulling and it’s too tedious for the end value.

I find brushing my teeth with flossing and mouth washing to be superiorly effective, more satisfying, and less time and labor intensive.

 

[GelatinGoblin]

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