Oil pulling is the practice of swishing a type of edible oil around in your mouth to clean and whiten your teeth. According to Ayurvedic medicine, an ancient practice with its roots in India, oil pulling helps to whiten your teeth. It also contributes to overall health, Ayurvedic practitioners say.
Performing oil pulling is simple—you just put a tablespoon or so of oil into your mouth, and move it around.1 To get the benefits, you need to keep the oil moving around your mouth for a long time—five to 20 minutes each day. According to Ayurvedic practices, that gives the oil enough time to draw out toxins and leave your mouth clean.
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