Oil Pulling, the Viral Ayurvedic Practice Your Dentist Hates
Celebs swear by it. Western researchers call it pseudoscience. The ancient ritual is at the center of a deeper battle: whose medicine do we trust?
On a recent visit to the dentist, Spain-based health influencer Kirti Tewani got some unexpected news. Years of grinding had caused her gums to decay. She needed to get every filling redone or wear a night guard. Neither option felt ideal, so she searched for alternatives. That’s when she came upon oil pulling.
The Ayurvedic practice involves swishing oil in your mouth for several minutes before spitting it out. Celebs ranging from Gwyneth Paltrow to Anushka Sharma swear it whitens your teeth and transform your health. In the past three years, global interest — especially in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the U.K. — has surged. Still, oil pulling remains controversial, with Western dentists refusing to endorse it. Does oil pulling even work? The truth depends on which medicine you believe in.