Coconut ScienceArticlesTop PicksStoreNewsletter
Research Guide

Coconut oil pulling: what the studies actually show for teeth and gums

Some links in this post earn us a commission, at no cost to you.

Oil pulling is supposed to pull toxins out of your mouth.

That's the version you'll find on social media: swish a spoonful of coconut oil for 20 minutes every morning and watch your teeth whiten, your gums heal and your breath turn fresh. It's an old practice with passionate modern fans. You've probably wondered whether it's worth adding 20 minutes to your mornings, or whether it's just a very slow mouthwash.

Here's the plan. First, what oil pulling claims. Second, what the clinical trials show, and how strong that evidence really is. Third, how to do it sensibly if you want to, and which oils to use.

Part 1: What oil pulling claims

The claims fall into four buckets:

  1. Less plaque, the sticky bacterial film that builds up on teeth.
  2. Healthier gums, meaning less gingivitis (redness, swelling and bleeding).
  3. Fewer bacteria in saliva.
  4. Whiter teeth and fresher breath.

The word "toxins" is the red flag in the marketing. It never names a specific toxin, and it can't be measured. Plaque, gum inflammation and bacterial counts can. So those are what researchers test, and that's what we'll look at.

Part 2: What the research actually shows

The early reviews: promising but thin

The first systematic review worth knowing was published in 2016. It found five randomized trials with a total of 160 participants, lasting 10 to 45 days, comparing oil pulling with chlorhexidine (the prescription-strength antibacterial mouthwash dentists use), placebo, or normal brushing. Three studies found no significant difference in plaque scores between oil pulling and the comparison groups. Two found no significant difference in gum scores between oil pulling and chlorhexidine (Gbinigie 2016).

The authors still concluded oil pulling "may have beneficial effects," noting it's cheap, and asked for better trials.

A 2020 review focused only on coconut oil. Four randomized trials with 182 participants, each lasting 7 to 14 days, showed reductions in salivary bacteria and plaque scores. But the authors were blunt: data were insufficient, study quality was mixed, and the risk of bias was high (Woolley 2020).

The bigger picture: gums yes, plaque less so

Then the 2024 meta-analysis landed.

Researchers pooled 25 trials with 1,184 participants. Compared with non-chlorhexidine mouthwashes, oil pulling clearly improved gum inflammation scores. But chlorhexidine was still better than oil pulling at reducing plaque. And the overall certainty of evidence was rated very low (Jong 2024). Notably, half of these trials used sesame oil, not coconut.

So the best summary of the field is this. Oil pulling probably helps gums a little. It does not beat a real antibacterial mouthwash for plaque. And the trials are small, short and often poorly designed.

Why these trials are hard to trust

It's worth slowing down on why every review keeps saying "low certainty," because it applies to almost everything you'll read about oil pulling.

First, you can't blind it. Participants know whether they're swishing oil or rinsing with mouthwash, and people who believe in a remedy often brush more carefully while they're in a trial. Second, the trials are short. The reviews describe studies lasting 7 to 45 days (Gbinigie 2016; Woolley 2020; Jong 2024). Gum disease develops over years. Third, the numbers are small. The 2020 coconut-only review covered 182 people in total, across four trials (Woolley 2020).

None of that means oil pulling doesn't work. It means we don't know how well it works, for whom, or for how long.

There's one more wrinkle. Many trials compared oil pulling to chlorhexidine, which is a strong benchmark. Coconut oil holding its own against chlorhexidine for four days of plaque regrowth is genuinely interesting (Sezgin 2019). But chlorhexidine isn't what most people use at home, and the bigger 2024 analysis still found it beat oil pulling on plaque overall (Jong 2024).

Coconut oil specifically

A handful of trials tested coconut oil directly.

A small preliminary study in India reported that plaque and gum scores began dropping from day 7 of coconut oil pulling and kept falling through the study (Peedikayil 2015). It had no control group to compare against, which limits what it can tell us.

A Turkish crossover trial used a tighter design: a four-day "plaque regrowth" model, where participants stop brushing and researchers measure how fast plaque returns. Coconut oil pulling held back plaque about as well as chlorhexidine, and caused less tooth staining (Sezgin 2019). A follow-up by the same group found coconut oil and sesame oil performed similarly (Sezgin 2023).

Think of it this way. Oil pulling is like mopping a floor with a damp cloth. It picks up some of the dirt, and done every day it keeps things cleaner. But it isn't a disinfectant, and it doesn't replace sweeping, which here is your toothbrush and floss.

What about whitening, cavities and breath?

This is where the evidence runs out. We didn't find any well-designed trial showing coconut oil pulling whitens teeth. A narrative review of coconut oil research described "limited but consistent" evidence for oil pulling in preventing cavities (Wallace 2019), but the studies behind that were small. For bad breath, the evidence is thinner still.

Short version: unproven.

Is it safe?

For most adults, swishing an edible oil and spitting it out is low-risk. Two practical cautions are commonly given: spit the used oil in the trash rather than the sink, because coconut oil solidifies and can clog pipes, and don't swallow it. If you have a tooth infection, pain or swelling, oil pulling is not a treatment. See a dentist.

Part 3: How to do it, and what to use

If you want to try oil pulling as an add-on to brushing and flossing, here's a sensible routine based on how the trials ran it.

  1. Use about a tablespoon of oil, melted if it's solid.
  2. Swish gently for 5 to 20 minutes. Trial protocols vary; start short and build up.
  3. Spit into the trash, then rinse with water.
  4. Brush and floss as usual. Every trial added oil pulling to normal hygiene; none replaced it.

Best coconut oil for oil pulling

Any virgin coconut oil works, because the trials used ordinary coconut oil, not a special formula.

Nutiva Organic Virgin Coconut Oil is our default pick. It's organic and unrefined, and one jar can double as your cooking oil (keep a separate jar for your mouth routine).

Dr. Bronner's Organic Virgin Coconut Oil is a good alternative if you prefer the brand's fair-trade sourcing.

Viva Naturals Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is the value pick in larger tubs if you oil pull daily.

Best ready-made pulling oil

GuruNanda Coconut Pulling Oil is a pre-mixed pulling oil sold specifically for this routine. Read the ingredient list before you buy: if it contains added oils or flavors, know that the trials tested plain coconut oil, so extras are for taste, not proven benefit.

Pair it with a tongue scraper

A stainless steel tongue scraper is a cheap, simple tool many people add to a morning mouth routine. We're including it as a habit you might like, not because any trial we found tested it alongside oil pulling.

Coconut or sesame?

If you dislike coconut, the head-to-head trial found sesame oil performed similarly for plaque regrowth (Sezgin 2023), and half the trials in the big 2024 review used sesame (Jong 2024). Choose the oil you'll actually use. If you go with coconut, a plain jar like Dr. Bronner's Organic Virgin Coconut Oil or Viva Naturals Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is all the trials required.

Who should skip it

We'd skip oil pulling for young children, who may swallow the oil. If you have gum disease, a dental infection, or are being treated for any oral condition, talk to your dentist first. Oil pulling is an add-on, not a treatment.

The bottom line

Oil pulling with coconut oil probably gives your gums a modest boost, and in one tightly controlled trial it slowed plaque regrowth about as well as chlorhexidine with less staining (Sezgin 2019). It doesn't pull out toxins, it hasn't been shown to whiten teeth, and the evidence overall is very low certainty (Jong 2024).

Try it for two weeks: swish one tablespoon of Nutiva Organic Virgin Coconut Oil for 10 minutes before you brush each morning, and ask your dental hygienist at your next cleaning whether your gums look any different.

This article is for general education and is not medical advice. If you have a health condition, take medication, or are pregnant, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before changing your diet or skincare.

Sources

  1. Gbinigie O et al. (2016). Effect of oil pulling in promoting oro dental hygiene: A systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Complement Ther Med. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27261981/ | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2016.02.011
  2. Woolley J et al. (2020). The effect of oil pulling with coconut oil to improve dental hygiene and oral health: A systematic review. Heliyon. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32923724/ | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04789
  3. Jong FJX et al. (2024). The effect of oil pulling in comparison with chlorhexidine and other mouthwash interventions in promoting oral health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Dent Hyg. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37635453/ | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/idh.12725
  4. Sezgin Y et al. (2019). Efficacy of oil pulling therapy with coconut oil on four-day supragingival plaque growth: A randomized crossover clinical trial. Complement Ther Med. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31780023/ | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2019.102193
  5. Peedikayil FC et al. (2015). Effect of coconut oil in plaque related gingivitis - A preliminary report. Niger Med J. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25838632/ | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/0300-1652.153406
  6. Sezgin Y et al. (2023). Comparison of the plaque regrowth inhibition effects of oil pulling therapy with sesame oil or coconut oil using 4-day plaque regrowth study model: A randomized crossover clinical trial. Int J Dent Hyg. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34124840/ | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/idh.12532
  7. Wallace TC et al. (2019). Health Effects of Coconut Oil-A Narrative Review of Current Evidence. J Am Coll Nutr. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30395784/ | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2018.1497562

Affiliate Disclosure

Coconut Science earns a commission when you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. On the live site every affiliate link carries rel="sponsored nofollow noopener".