“PULL” BACTERIA FROM YOUR MOUTH
Even though “pulling” is growing in popularity, most people are still unaware of the method or why people do it. Pulling is an ancient Indian therapy that involves swishing oils in the mouth for a brief time, allowing the oil to pull bacteria and germs from the gums, tongue, and teeth. You literally spit the harmful elements out of your mouth, thereby ridding your body of germs and impurities that could cause infections. In past centuries, a variety of oils were used for the pulling method, but recently coconut oil has become one of the most popular due to lauric acid’s potent germ-killing property.
TO PERFORM PULLING, USE:
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
Swish the coconut oil all around your mouth—teeth and gums, under the tongue—for 15 to 20 minutes. Spit the oil from your mouth into a sink and rinse the sink thoroughly. Immediately after spitting out the coconut oil, brush your teeth thoroughly. Repeat the process daily.
The mouth contains both good and bad bacteria. Coconut oil is one of the only oils that attacks the bad while promoting the growth of the good. Pulling with coconut oil helps to preserve the health of your mouth and safeguard teeth, gums, and tongue from infections that can result from plaque buildup and bad bacteria. Pulling with coconut oil can also improve the appearance of your teeth and gums by removing stains and preventing redness and irritation around the gums. (See the entry “Whiten Teeth” in this chapter for more information.)