I discovered oil pulling a few months ago and I do it almost every day without fail. I keep a jar of organic cold processed unrefined coconut oil in my bathroom and a tablespoon, and "pull" for 20 min while I shower and dry off. (FYI, one time I accidentally bought "processed" coconut oil and the feel in the mouth and the taste were horrible! I couldn't use it.)
To oil pull you will take enough oil to give a full feeling in the mouth, but not so full as to feel that you can't hold it for long. For me, this is a rounded tablespoon. Less than a tablespoon feels like I begin to have more saliva than oil and it can be hard to swish, and more than a tablespoon feels like I can't hold it for the full 20 min. During the warmer months, if the oil becomes liquified, you can either refrigerate it or you can just "drink" it out of the jar.
Take the oil into your mouth and within a few seconds it will melt. Begin to swish it in your mouth and "pulling" it between your teeth. When you first begin oil pulling, you may develop a lot of saliva or the muscles in your mouth may feel like they can't swish for a full 20 min. Just go for as long as you can, spit it out and start over with a fresh spoonful. Soon your mouth will not produce so much saliva and your muscles will quickly adapt to the regimen.
When you spit the oil out, spit it into a container and then throw it in your trash (we usually have an empty bag such as a frozen fruit bag or chip bag that I use). You don't want to spit down the sink or into the toilet as the oil will begin to congeal in your pipes.
After pulling, rinse your mouth and spit. (I give my teeth a quick light brush before pulling, but other places will tell you to brush after pulling).
My experience with oil pulling is that my mouth feels fresher and cleaner than I can get with brushing and flossing. I feel as if my gums, tongue, and inside of my mouth have been cleaned and moisturized (I have used tongue cleaners before but oil pulling feels even cleaner). Even my throat and lips feel moisturized.
I have receding gums and deep pockets around my molars and about once every year or two, I will develop an abscess in one of these pockets. If you have ever experienced a tooth infection, you know how painful this can be. In the past I have gone to the dentist to get the pocket cleaned or have treated it at home with Tea Tree oil. The abscess usually takes about a week to run its course and I have a lot of pain. Shortly after beginning oil pulling, I developed an abscess. I continued to oil pull and within two days it was gone and I had almost no pain.
Oil pulling has become a favorite part of my morning routine.
Here is a link to an article and a video by Dr. Draxe with more information about oil pulling.
http://draxe.com/oil-pulling-coconut-oil/
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