Want Squeaky Clean Teeth? This DIY Makes It Easy

Today’s post concerns the practice of oil pulling. For those who aren’t familiar, oil pulling involves swishing a small amount of oil (commonly coconut oil) around in your mouth for 10-20 minutes at a time to promote oral health. (For a more in-depth explanation, check out the link below!)

The thing that intrigued me the most about oil pulling was the idea that the manual action of swishing oil could help dissolve gunk trapped between your teeth. It certainly seems to work that way based on my own experience, and while research on oil pulling is still limited, a small-scale study published in the European Journal of Dentistry last year did find that participants who practiced oil pulling showed reduced plaque formation and gingivitis compared to a control group!

If you haven’t tried oil pulling for yourself, I’d encourage you to give it a try! I think you’ll be surprised at just how clean your teeth feel after a session of oil pulling and a good brushing.

But because I’m me and can never leave well enough alone, I thought I’d take the practice to the next level by incorporating essential oils into the mix. Peppermint essential oil was the obvious choice, because it lends the oil that fresh, minty flavor that we’ve come to associate with oral hygiene.

In addition to its aroma and flavor, peppermint essential oil also has antiseptic properties that can help keep your mouth clean. So just by adding peppermint essential oil, you can bump up the benefits of oil pulling and make it taste great too!

I’ve found that I’m more likely to practice oil pulling regularly if I keep a batch of ready-made coconut oil tablets on hand. Here’s how you can make your own convenient peppermint-flavored coconut oil tablets for oil pulling too!

How To Make Flavored Coconut Oil Tablets For Oil Pulling

You’ll need:

1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
10 drops peppermint essential oil
Small silicone mold

Directions:

Start by warming your coconut oil to the point that it liquifies completely. To do this, you can microwave it for a few seconds, or place your jar of coconut oil into a pan of simmering water for a minute or two.

Once the coconut oil has melted, add 10 drops of peppermint essential oil and use a wooden spoon or a skewer to combine.

Next, carefully pour the flavored coconut oil into the cavities of a silicone mold. (The ideal amount of oil to use for oil pulling is around two teaspoons, so look for a silicone mold with fairly small cavities.)

Carefully move the filled mold to your freezer or fridge until the oil solidifies again, then carefully push each finished tablet out of the mold. Place them in an airtight container and store it in your fridge to ensure they don’t melt on you.

To use your oil pulling tablets, just pop one of them into your mouth and wait for it to melt, then swish, swish, swish. :-)

Note: After oil pulling, avoid spitting the used oil into your sink drain. Coconut oil can solidify in your pipes and contribute to clog formation, so make sure it goes in the trash instead.

Have you tried oil pulling?