Olive Oil for Teeth: What Oil Pulling Has and Hasn't Shown
Olive oil for teeth is one of those ideas that sounds plausible: it is a food, it is rich in polyphenols, and people have swished it around their mouths for generations. But "good for your teeth" covers very different things — plaque, gums, cavities, enamel, whiteness and sensitivity — and the research has looked at some of them and almost ignored others. This guide goes outcome by outcome. The short version: small trials of olive oil rinses and an olive oil toothpaste found less plaque and gum bleeding over a few weeks to four months; nobody has shown that olive oil prevents cavities, protects enamel, whitens teeth or eases sensitivity in people. And the American Dental Association does not recommend oil pulling as a dental hygiene practice.
For our own oil — made for the kitchen first — see our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml).
The Short Answer
- The best olive oil evidence is for gums and plaque. A 2025 meta-analysis of 12 randomised trials (456 people) by López-Valverde and colleagues found olive oil and ozonated olive oil products improved plaque, gum and bleeding scores in gingivitis over 2–8 weeks.
- Plain extra virgin olive oil has been tested as a rinse in small studies — the largest in 75 adults with gingivitis (Zumbo and colleagues, 2023) — and inside a formulated toothpaste in two Spanish trials, never as a replacement for fluoride toothpaste.
- Cavities have not been measured: no trial has counted new tooth decay in olive oil users.
- We found no clinical study showing olive oil protects enamel, whitens teeth or reduces sensitivity.
- Eating olive oil is a separate question: a 2024 meta-analysis found no statistically significant link between Mediterranean diet adherence and periodontitis.
- The ADA says there are no reliable studies showing oil pulling reduces cavities, whitens teeth or improves oral health. Fluoride toothpaste twice a day, cleaning between teeth and a dentist remain the routine.
- Sidr & Stone sells extra virgin olive oil as a food. We make no dental claims for it.
Olive Oil and Your Teeth: An Outcome-by-Outcome Scorecard
Most pages blur everything into "oral health". Split it up and the evidence is modest in one place and absent in others. Here is what has been measured in people, as of October 2026:
| Outcome | Best evidence on olive oil | Measured in people? | Honest verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plaque | Rinse study (75 adults); toothpaste RCT (61 analysed); meta-analysis of 12 RCTs | Yes, short term | Small, short trials show less plaque; low certainty |
| Gingivitis and gum bleeding | Same trials; two systematic reviews (2025, 2026) | Yes, 2 weeks to 4 months | The most consistent signal — as an extra, not a substitute |
| Cavities (tooth decay) | 20-child saliva test study; lab work on decay bacteria | No new cavities ever counted | Not shown |
| Enamel erosion | Enamel blocks in the lab; 6-person splint study | Not in natural teeth | Not shown |
| Whitening and stains | None for olive oil | No | Not shown |
| Sensitivity | None found | No | Not studied |
If you want the oil pulling technique itself — how much, how long, before or after brushing — our guide to oil pulling with olive oil covers the method and safety in full. This article stays on what happens to your teeth and gums.
Plaque and Gums: Where the Olive Oil Evidence Is Strongest
Gingivitis — red, puffy gums that bleed when you brush — is driven by plaque at the gum line, and it is the outcome olive oil has been tested on most.
Olive oil as a rinse
Zumbo and colleagues, writing in the Journal of Clinical Medicine in 2023, split 75 adults with plaque-induced gingivitis into two olive oil mouthwash groups and a control group for 30 days. In the extra virgin olive oil group, the plaque index fell by 48% and the bleeding index by 64% [1]. The control group used no rinse at all, so the study cannot tell the oil apart from the simple habit of rinsing.
Olive oil inside a toothpaste
A Spanish team has tested a toothpaste made with extra virgin olive oil, xylitol and betaine. In a double-blind randomised trial published in Scientific Reports in 2023, Rodríguez-Agurto and colleagues found gum bleeding and plaque fell more than with a placebo toothpaste over four months, with 61 people in the final analysis [2]. A follow-up trial of 96 patients, by Mesa and colleagues in the Journal of Periodontology in 2026, reported steadier markers of gum inflammation than with a commercial anti-gingivitis toothpaste [3]. Both are formulated toothpastes with other active ingredients, not kitchen oil, from the same research group.
What the reviews conclude
López-Valverde and colleagues pooled 12 randomised trials with 456 participants in Frontiers in Oral Health in 2025. In gingivitis, olive oil or ozonated olive oil products reduced plaque, gingival and bleeding indices over 2–8 weeks; in periodontitis, they reduced bleeding on probing but did not reduce pocket depth [4]. A 2026 systematic review by Narasimhan and colleagues reached a similar view: olive oil looks like a promising adjunct, ozonated forms did better than regular olive oil, and better-designed, longer trials are needed [5]. Ozonated olive oil is a processed product, not the oil in your kitchen — our explainer on ozonated olive oil covers the difference.
Cavities and Tooth Decay: Not Yet Measured
No trial has counted new cavities in olive oil users against a control group, so no study shows olive oil prevents tooth decay. What exists is indirect:
- A saliva test, not a cavity count. Valasingam and colleagues followed 20 children aged 6–12 for one month, half oil pulling with extra virgin olive oil and half using chlorhexidine. "Caries activity" — measured with the Ora test, a saliva-based screening test — fell in both groups [6]. That is a risk marker over four weeks, not fewer cavities.
- Bacteria counts over three days. In a randomised trial of 84 hospitalised children, Deshpande and colleagues found olive oil applied with gauze cut plaque and decay-linked Streptococcus mutans counts over 72 hours — but so did the saline control [7].
- Laboratory dishes. Ozonated olive oil mouthwashes inhibited Streptococcus mutans in vitro (Nardi and colleagues, 2020) [8] — not a clinical outcome.
Fluoride is what has strong evidence for preventing tooth decay, and olive oil contains none. If cavities are your concern, NHS guidance is to brush twice a day for about two minutes with a toothpaste containing at least 1,350 ppm fluoride, and to spit rather than rinse afterwards so the fluoride stays on your teeth.
Enamel, Whitening and Sensitivity: The Gaps
Enamel erosion
Erosion is enamel dissolved by acid — fizzy drinks, citrus, reflux — rather than by bacteria. The olive oil work here is laboratory and early. In a 2017 study in the Journal of Applied Oral Science, Ionta and colleagues treated enamel blocks (with a saliva pellicle formed in the mouth) with five vegetable oils before an acid challenge; pure palm and sunflower oil were the most protective, and olive oil was not among the best performers [9]. In a 2023 study with six volunteers wearing enamel samples on splints, Flemming and colleagues concluded olive oil was not a suitable carrier for the plant compound they tested, although the compound dissolved in olive oil reduced calcium loss more than in water under one acidic condition [10]. Neither shows olive oil protects the enamel on your own teeth.
Whitening and stains
We found no clinical trial showing olive oil whitens teeth. The nearest study is useful mainly for what it does not say: in a 2026 randomised trial of 100 dental students, Şahin and Aydın compared coconut, black cumin and terebinth oil pulling with chlorhexidine and water. The oils caused less tooth discolouration than chlorhexidine (which is known to stain), but also controlled plaque less well [11]. Olive oil was not tested, and staining less than a staining mouthwash is not the same as whitening. The NHS warns that whitening chemicals should only be used by dental professionals.
Sensitivity
We found no clinical study of olive oil for sensitive teeth. Sensitivity can signal exposed dentine, a crack or decay, so it is one for a dentist and a sensitive-teeth toothpaste rather than a kitchen remedy.
Eating Olive Oil vs Swishing It: The Diet Evidence
Some articles claim that consuming olive oil "protects teeth and gums". Diet studies look at whole eating patterns, usually the Mediterranean diet, and they are observational — associations, not causes.
In a 2026 cross-sectional study of 195 hospital patients in the UK, Mainas and colleagues reported that low adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet may be associated with more severe periodontitis (a borderline result), and that more frequent red meat was associated with more severe disease [12]. But a 2024 meta-analysis by Aalizadeh and colleagues, pooling seven studies, found no statistically significant association between Mediterranean diet adherence and periodontitis (odds ratio 0.77, 95% CI 0.58–1.03) [13]. Neither isolates olive oil.
The fair reading: eating olive oil as part of a varied, plant-heavy diet is a good food choice for many reasons, which our guide to olive oil polyphenols covers — but no study shows that olive oil on your salad prevents gum disease or cavities.
What the ADA and NHS Say Today
- American Dental Association (MouthHealthy, read October 2026): there are currently no reliable scientific studies showing that oil pulling reduces cavities, whitens teeth or improves oral health and well-being, and the ADA "does not recommend oil pulling as a dental hygiene practice". It lists olive oil among the edible oils people use.
- ADA routine: brush twice a day for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste, clean between your teeth once a day, and do not use tobacco.
- NHS (page last reviewed 30 June 2025): brush twice a day for about two minutes; adults use toothpaste with at least 1,350 ppm fluoride; do not rinse straight after brushing; do not use mouthwash straight after brushing. The NHS page does not mention oil pulling.
A fair objection is that the positive trials above contradict the ADA. Not quite: they show short-term changes in plaque and gum scores, often against weak controls, while the ADA judges whether the evidence is strong enough to recommend the practice. Meanwhile, a 2025 analysis of 47 YouTube Shorts by Yaung and colleagues found oil pulling videos were mostly posted by influencers, some claiming it reverses cavities or remineralises enamel — claims no trial supports [14].
If You Want to Use Olive Oil Anyway
The defensible way to use olive oil for teeth is as an optional extra to a fluoride routine, never a replacement: keep brushing twice a day and cleaning between your teeth, and if you rinse or oil pull, do it before brushing and spit the oil out. Our step-by-step oil pulling guide covers timing and safety, and our guide to choosing a quality olive oil explains grades and dates. Bleeding gums, toothache or persistent sensitivity need a dentist, not a home rinse. For the same evidence through another oil, see black seed oil for teeth.
Why Sidr & Stone
We would rather tell you what the dental research does and does not show than sell olive oil as a dental product. Sidr & Stone's olive oil is a food, made for eating; this is how it is made:
- Single-estate: Sidr & Stone's olive oil comes from our own family-owned farm on the plains outside Marrakech, Morocco, and we control every step from tree to bottle, with no blending across origins.
- Rain-fed: our trees are not irrigated; they take what the season gives.
- Organically grown: no synthetic fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides are used on Sidr & Stone's farm (not yet certified organic; certification is in progress).
- Single harvest: a small, limited single-harvest batch, picked when the fruit is ready; the current batch's harvest details are on the product page.
- Cold-pressed within hours of harvest: mechanical extraction only, to preserve flavour, aroma and polyphenols.
- Unfiltered extra virgin: minimally processed, so a little natural sediment in the bottle is normal.
- 100% natural: a single ingredient — olive oil — with nothing added.
- Dark glass with a gold label: a 500ml bottle that protects the oil from light.
- 10% of profits to charity, as with every Sidr & Stone product.
- Fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
We will not tell you Sidr & Stone is the best olive oil for teeth — no trial has compared olive oil brands for oral health, and that would be exactly the kind of claim this article warns against. What we will say is that our oil is single-estate Moroccan, rain-fed, organically grown and cold-pressed within hours of harvest, and that it is made to be eaten.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is olive oil good for your teeth?
It may help gums a little. Small trials of olive oil rinses and an olive oil toothpaste found less plaque and gum bleeding over weeks to months, but no study shows it prevents cavities, protects enamel or whitens teeth. It is not a substitute for fluoride toothpaste.
Does olive oil remove plaque?
In the Zumbo trial, plaque scores fell 48% after 30 days of an extra virgin olive oil rinse, against a no-rinse control. Brushing and cleaning between your teeth remove plaque far more reliably.
Is it safe to brush your teeth with olive oil?
It has not been studied, and the bigger problem is that it means skipping fluoride, which is what protects against decay. The trials used a formulated olive oil toothpaste, not oil on a brush.
Can olive oil whiten teeth?
We found no clinical trial showing it does. The NHS advises that whitening chemicals should only be used by dental professionals.
Is Sidr & Stone olive oil better for teeth than other olive oils?
No trial has compared brands for oral health, so we make no such claim. Our oil is a single-estate, cold-pressed, unfiltered extra virgin olive oil sold as a food.
Is ozonated olive oil the same as olive oil?
No. Ozonated olive oil is treated with ozone gas for use in dental gels and rinses. It did better than regular olive oil in the 2026 review, but it is not a cooking oil.
Where can I buy extra virgin olive oil?
Our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml) is available to pre-order, with fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
Is olive oil a medicine?
No. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine. It has a long traditional history — including being honoured in the Prophetic Sunnah — and a substantial body of modern research, particularly around polyphenols, cardiovascular health, and the Mediterranean diet pattern. It can be a worthwhile part of a healthy routine, but it does not cure diseases and is not a substitute for medical care. Be cautious of any olive oil marketed with specific disease-cure claims.
Final Thoughts
Split "olive oil for teeth" into its parts and the picture is clear: a modest, consistent signal for plaque and gum inflammation from small, short trials, and nothing in people for cavities, enamel, whitening or sensitivity.
So treat olive oil as food first and, if you like, an optional extra to a fluoride routine — never the routine itself. Our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml) — single-estate, rain-fed and cold-pressed within hours of harvest — is made for your kitchen and is available to pre-order from our limited single-harvest batch, with fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
Our extra virgin olive oil is grown organically on our own single-estate farm on the plains outside Marrakech: we control every step from tree to bottle, and no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers are used. It is not yet certified organic — certification is in progress, and we will publish it as soon as it comes through.
References
- Zumbo G, Corridore D, Sciscione S, Stamegna C, Guerra F, Polimeni A, Vozza I. Oil Pulling and Polyphenols: Treatment of Gingivitis Patients with 'Itri Extra-Virgin Olive Oil'. J Clin Med. 2023;12(16):5256. PMID 37629298. doi:10.3390/jcm12165256
- Rodríguez-Agurto A, Bravo M, Magán-Fernandez A, López-Toruño A, Muñoz R, Ferrer J, Mesa F. Randomized clinical trial on the clinical effects of a toothpaste containing extra virgin olive oil, xylitol, and betaine in gingivitis. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):6294. PMID 37072503. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-33521-4
- Mesa F, Rodríguez-Agurto A, Bonilla M, Rodríguez-Vilaboa D, Rodríguez-Vilaboa B, Bravo M. Betaine-, xylitol-, and extra virgin olive oil-based toothpaste modulates inflammation and oral nitric oxide pathway: Clinical trial in gingivitis. J Periodontol. 2026 (online ahead of print). PMID 41981946. doi:10.1002/jper.70135
- López-Valverde N, López-Valverde A, Blanco Rueda JA. Systematic review and meta-analysis on the effect of olive oil in the treatment of periodontal diseases. Front Oral Health. 2025;6:1735845. PMID 41487705. doi:10.3389/froh.2025.1735845
- Narasimhan S, Alkandari G, Buhamad H, Alqattan R, Shamouh A, Saad A, Khaleel M, Bouhasan S, Taleb K, Ram Shetty S, Al Kawas S. Olive oil-based interventions for gingival inflammation and plaque control — A systematic review of clinical evidence. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2026;17(5):101391. PMID 42753329. doi:10.1016/j.jaim.2026.101391
- Valasingam SK, Kanikaram PL, Vadla A, Reddy SNP, Nagasamudram L, Kuravadi RV. Effect of Oil Pulling Using Extra Virgin Olive Oil on Plaque and Gingivitis Scores and Caries Activity Evaluated by Ora Test in Pediatric Dental Patients: An In Vivo Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2025;18(6):666–670. PMID 41040996. doi:10.5005/jp-journals-10005-3142
- Deshpande A, Baishya S, Dori S, Wadhwa M, Shah K. Clinical and microbiological evaluation of dental plaque on topical application of olive oil, olive oil with 35% Curcuma zedoaria, and olive oil with 30% Azadirachta indica in hospitalized children: A randomized control trial. J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent. 2025;43(2):236–243. PMID 40586465. doi:10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_68_25
- Nardi GM, Fais S, Casu C, Mazur M, Di Giorgio R, Grassi R, Grassi FR, Orrù G. Mouthwash Based on Ozonated Olive Oil in Caries Prevention: A Preliminary In-Vitro Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(23):9106. PMID 33291253. doi:10.3390/ijerph17239106
- Ionta FQ, Alencar CRB, Val PP, Boteon AP, Jordão MC, Honório HM, Buzalaf MAR, Rios D. Effect of vegetable oils applied over acquired enamel pellicle on initial erosion. J Appl Oral Sci. 2017;25(4):420–426. PMID 28877281. doi:10.1590/1678-7757-2016-0436
- Flemming J, Meyer-Probst CT, Hille K, Basche S, Speer K, Kölling-Speer I, Hannig C, Hannig M. Olive Oil as a Transport Medium for Bioactive Molecules of Plants? — An In Situ Study. Molecules. 2023;28(9):3803. PMID 37175213. doi:10.3390/molecules28093803
- Şahin AB, Aydın T. Clinical Evaluation of Edible Oils Used in Traditional Oil Pulling Therapy for Plaque Control and Tooth Discoloration: A Randomized Trial. Healthcare (Basel). 2026;14(13):1985. PMID 42450995. doi:10.3390/healthcare14131985
- Mainas G, Grosso G, Di Giorgio J, Hurley J, Alamri MM, Isola G, Ide M, Nibali L. Relationship between Mediterranean diet and periodontal inflammation in a UK population: A cross-sectional study. J Periodontol. 2026;97(1):85–96. PMID 40952033. doi:10.1002/jper.70016
- Aalizadeh Y, Khamisi N, Asghari P, Safari A, Mottaghi M, Taherkhani MH, Alemi A, Ghaderi M, Rahmanian M. The Mediterranean diet and periodontitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Heliyon. 2024;10(15):e35633. PMID 39170303. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35633
- Yaung J, Park SH, Al Khalifah S. A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Oil Pulling on YouTube Shorts. Dent J (Basel). 2025;13(7):330. PMID 40710175. doi:10.3390/dj13070330
Disclaimer: This article summarises published research and public dental guidance on olive oil and teeth at the time of writing; research findings and guidance may change, and readers should check current sources. Sidr & Stone olive oil is sold as a food and is not a dental product or a treatment for any dental condition. References to the American Dental Association and the NHS describe their published guidance and imply no affiliation or endorsement. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine, and is not a substitute for medical treatment of any condition. For any health concern, including bleeding gums, toothache or tooth sensitivity, consult a qualified dentist or medical professional.