General Dentistry |2 min read

Oil Pulling VS. Listerine ProGrin Dental Greenville SC

Oil Pulling VS. Listerine ProGrin Dental Greenville SC

Coconut oil has been publicized recently as the cure all ingredient for a variety of ailments. But does it live up to its name as much as people say? Let’s explore this topic a little more, shall we? Much like the recent essential oil fad, the science is inconclusive on oil pulling. At ProGrin Dental Greenville SC We do know that the ADA has performed multiple studies performed over years of research that suggests that traditional fluoride toothpaste and mouth washes have been used to protect teeth from cavities and remove harmful bacterial residue. Oil pulling should never replace any of your routine forms of dental hygiene (two visits a year, brushing and flossing daily) since the research is so spotty. We encourage patients to try oil pulling and conduct their own little study to see if they see positive effects, but not follow the crowd and believe the effects to be real just because the fad craze says they are. Here are some of the health benefits reported by peer studies:

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Benefits of Over the Counter Mouth Washes

Did you know that Listerine contains essential oils? Yep, that’s right! Listerine contains methyl salicylate, thymol, eucalyptol, and menthol. But let’s talk about other traditional dental rinses that contain chlorexidine. One study3 that compared oil pulling to the use of a chlorhexidine rinse found chlorhexidine to be much more effective in reducing S. mutans levels in plaque and saliva. However, the same study did not look at whether the S. mutans reduction provided the clinical benefit of reducing cavities. We are still a big fan of over the counter mouth washes because we have seen the years of research behind them and continue to give them out to our patients on a daily basis. Our dentists are highly trained professionals who have gone to years of medical school to learn about the different forms of oral care and if there is a method that is more beneficial than another, we will be the first to endorse it. Unfortunately we cannot endorse oil pulling at this time because we have not seen the tried and true research to back it up.

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