Never say never, huh? I didn’t think I ever, ever would try oil pulling. A mouthful of oil swishing around my mouth? Um, thanks but no thanks. Feeling like barfing isn’t one of my favorite past times. (Which is what I figured oil pulling would make me feel like.)

But, darn it, I’m endlessly curious. Like a 2-year-old who stops being cute when she just asked, “Why?” for the billionth time. I could no longer ignore all the good stuff I’d been hearing and reading about oil pulling.

So, on a last read through the ‘net before I did it or didn’t do it, I came across a writer who titled hers: Gargling with grease. That made me laugh! Indeed, that’s the proper name. Oil pulling, my butt. It’s gargling with grease. And, like many things, I grow a ton more receptive when something injects a sense of playfulness, makes me laugh and helps me take it much lighter.

Gargling with grease

Gargle with grease I tried. With coconut oil. Seemed the least offensive of the oil choices plus I always have coconut oil around. And what I want to tell you, bottom line, is: I survived. And … I liked it. (Hey, Mikey.)

Well, not at first. At first, I gagged. Big time. And again. And again. Okay, finally decided this wasn’t going to work with me sticking a huge mound of coconut oil in my mouth. So then I decided to try melting it. Ah, whew, that was do-able. I could melt it, then spoon it into my mouth, then swish it around.

You can read millions of articles about oil pulling (and I’ll put some brief info below just so you have it in one place), but let me add my how to help:

How to get started

Start with a small spoonful of oil. There are other oils besides coconut oil that are recommended, like sesame oil and sunflower oil. (Don’t use just any oil; the type does matter.) But coconut oil makes the most sense to me. It’s antimicrobial, meaning it can kill bacteria and more. Good stuff. But it’s solid. I was trying to start with a tablespoon or so per instructions, and that was too much solid grease in my mouth to avoid gagging. If I’d started with less, maybe that would have helped. Today, I put around a tablespoon of solid oil way up in my cheek, then let it start to melt. That works.

Or melt it. An extra tiny step, but if it gets you going, it gets you going. I found my way after that so it was worth it.

In other words, do what you can in whatever small way you can. Skip the rules. You’ll get there. If you can’t swish for the recommended 20 minutes, swish for 5. If you can’t stand a tablespoon of oil in your mouth, try a teaspoon. The start is what’s important. It gets easier after that.

All the good stuff that happens

I grew pretty impressed with the results pretty darn fast. What am I noticing? My teeth are whiter and shiner. Yeah, I know, that may sound weird, but that’s the only way I can describe it. Like they are newer, more polished teeth. I don’t have scientific studies, but that seems like a good thing. My teeth are less sensitive to hot and cold. Bits of plaque that were forming are falling away. Pretty much gone at this point … and without any dental cleaning.

My two biggest wins so far are these:

One: At the back pocket around one wisdom tooth, there was some ick. Even though I brushed and flossed well, it seemed to come back at race car speed. No matter what. In no time, it was there. Probably some sort of bacteria forming, trapped, I don’t-know-what. What bothered me (well, the other should’ve bothered me most, but, you know …) was that it smelled. Yeah, I’m hanging my head. I hated it. Probably (hopefully, fingers crossed) it wasn’t noticeable to anyone else. But didn’t matter — I knew it was there. And I didn’t like it one tiny bit. That stuff is gone. Totally, completely gone. Not even present when I haven’t brushed my teeth yet in the morning. I wake up, and it’s not there. No morning breath on this girl. That’s pretty impressive. Whatever the hell thought it should live there doesn’t live there anymore. That has to be great for the health of my mouth, teeth and gums.

Two: I had one little indentation at the upper part of one front tooth where food sometimes would stick. You know, the whole — Ummm, you have something stuck in your teeth? Then there were more. Subtle, but still catching food at times. Not a health threat, but a threat to my self confidence eating out with others. My dentist said those could be filled in. I laughed — I never, ever … ever … want to undergo any type of voluntary dental work. Hell, I never, ever want to undergo needed dental work.  So the answer was: No way, no how. Now … those are disappearing as well. It’s filling in. With new tooth or something. I’ve read that teeth can remineralize so perhaps that’s what is happening.

And, get this: I’ve only been at this for less than two months. All that has happened in only two months? What more is going to take place that’s awesome? I’m sold, that’s for sure.

Cool, huh? I guess I just gave you the benefits of oil pulling as they occurred for me. There are more. They are worth it. It’s easy. It’s safe. I get up in the a.m., stick my gob of coconut oil in my mouth and swish away while I do other morning stuff (like feed the zoo/aka my dog and cats). Spit into the trash (never, ever spit it into your sink or toilet; it’ll clog the drains), gargle with some warm water with sea salt added, and I’m good to go in no time.

You don’t know what good can happen for you if you don’t try. Me? I’m hugely glad I tried.