Glass dish of golden-green olive oil with tablespoon, bamboo toothbrush and sand timer on pale limestone shelf

Oil Pulling with Olive Oil: Does It Work and How to Do It

By Yusuf Elsayed, Founder of Sidr & Stone · Last updated 2 October 2026

Oil pulling with olive oil means swishing a spoonful of olive oil around your mouth for several minutes and then spitting it out. It is an old Ayurvedic practice that has found a second life online, and olive oil is one of the edible oils people reach for. The honest answer to whether it works is narrower than most guides admit. Two meta-analyses of randomised oil pulling trials found it may lower bacteria in saliva and may modestly help gum health, but on very low-certainty evidence — and most of those trials used sesame or coconut oil. The olive-oil-specific research is a 2026 systematic review and a handful of small studies. And the American Dental Association does not recommend oil pulling as a dental hygiene practice. Below: what the studies found, how to do it if you choose to, and the safety points most guides skip.

For our own oil — made for the kitchen first — see our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml).

The Short Answer

  • Yes, you can oil pull with olive oil. The ADA lists olive oil among the edible oils used, alongside sesame, sunflower and coconut.
  • Most oil pulling trials used sesame or coconut oil. Their results cannot simply be transferred to olive oil.
  • A 2022 meta-analysis of 9 randomised trials (Peng and colleagues, Healthcare) found lower salivary bacteria counts with oil pulling, but no significant difference in plaque or gum scores.
  • The olive-oil evidence is small: a 2023 study of 75 adults with gingivitis found plaque and bleeding scores fell after 30 days of rinsing with extra virgin olive oil, and a 2026 systematic review of 12 olive oil studies called it a promising adjunct that needs better trials.
  • The American Dental Association does not recommend oil pulling as a dental hygiene practice. It is not a substitute for brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, cleaning between your teeth and seeing a dentist.
  • If you try it, use a fresh extra virgin olive oil, never swallow it, and keep it as an extra to brushing — not a replacement.
  • Sidr & Stone makes extra virgin olive oil for eating. We do not claim it treats any dental condition.

What Oil Pulling Is, and Where It Comes From

Oil pulling is a traditional folk practice from India and southern Asia, long associated with Ayurvedic medicine. You hold a spoonful of edible oil in your mouth and push and pull it through your teeth, without gargling, for several minutes before spitting it out. The American Dental Association's MouthHealthy guide describes a tablespoon of oil swished for anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes up to 20 minutes or longer.

The proposed explanations, none firmly established, are mechanical and chemical: swishing dislodges loose debris, and the oil may carry some bacteria out with it when you spit. Online claims go much further — whiter teeth, "detox", clearer skin, better energy. None of those wider claims has trial support, and the "toxins" idea in particular has no evidence behind it.

Silver tablespoon of golden-green olive oil across a white ceramic bowl beside green olives on pale stone

Can You Oil Pull with Olive Oil?

Yes. You can oil pull with olive oil, and the ADA names olive oil among the edible oils commonly used. Extra virgin olive oil is the sensible choice because it is unrefined and tastes fresh. But most published oil pulling trials used sesame or coconut oil, so the evidence for olive oil specifically is thinner than for the practice in general.

Olive oil has a stronger, more peppery flavour than coconut or sesame oil, which some people find harder to hold for long. Starting with a teaspoon and a few minutes is a reasonable way to find out whether you can tolerate it.

What the Research on Oil Pulling Actually Shows

The oil pulling literature is large in number but small in scale. Most trials run for one to six weeks, enrol a few dozen people, and compare oil against chlorhexidine (a prescription-strength antiseptic mouthwash), water or nothing. Here is how the main evidence lines up:

Study Oil Design and size What it found
Peng et al., 2022 [1] Various edible oils Meta-analysis of 9 randomised trials Lower salivary bacteria counts; no significant difference in plaque or gingival index
Jong et al., 2024 [2] Edible oils, half of trials sesame Systematic review of 25 trials, 1,184 participants Better gum scores than non-chlorhexidine mouthwashes; chlorhexidine better for plaque; overall certainty very low
Narasimhan et al., 2026 [3] Olive oil (pulling, mouthwash, toothpaste, ozonated) Systematic review of 12 studies Gum inflammation and plaque generally reduced; ozonated forms did better than regular olive oil; higher-quality trials needed
Zumbo et al., 2023 [4] Extra virgin olive oil 75 adults with gingivitis, 30 days Plaque index down 48% and bleeding index down 64% in the olive oil group; control group used no rinse
Valasingam et al., 2025 [5] Extra virgin olive oil 20 children aged 6–12, 1 month, versus chlorhexidine Plaque and gingivitis scores fell in both groups; results described as comparable

The wider oil pulling evidence

The two meta-analyses tell a consistent story. Peng and colleagues pooled 9 randomised trials in 2022 and found oil pulling reduced bacterial colony counts in saliva compared with controls, but made no significant difference to plaque index or gingival index scores [1]. Jong, Ooi and Teoh, writing in the International Journal of Dental Hygiene in 2024, included 25 trials with 1,184 participants: oil pulling improved gum scores compared with non-chlorhexidine mouthwashes, chlorhexidine reduced plaque more than oil pulling did, and the overall quality of the evidence was rated very low [2]. Earlier systematic reviews reached similar conclusions — Gbinigie and colleagues found only 5 eligible trials with 160 participants in 2016 [6], and Woolley and colleagues found 4 coconut oil trials with 182 participants and a high risk of bias in 2020 [7].

The olive oil studies specifically

Only a few studies test olive oil directly. In the largest, Zumbo and colleagues gave adults with plaque-induced gingivitis extra virgin olive oil as a daily oral rinse for 30 days; plaque scores fell by 48% and bleeding scores by 64% in that group [4]. The control group received no rinse, so the study cannot separate the oil from the act of rinsing. A 2025 study in 20 children found extra virgin olive oil pulling performed comparably to chlorhexidine over one month [5]. The 2026 systematic review by Narasimhan and colleagues gathered 12 olive oil studies and concluded that olive oil appears to be a promising adjunct for gingivitis — while stating that better-designed, longer trials are still needed [3].

Bad breath

The halitosis evidence comes almost entirely from sesame oil. A 2011 randomised pilot trial by Asokan and colleagues in 20 adolescents found sesame oil pulling reduced breath scores to a similar degree as chlorhexidine over 14 days [8]. We found no trial of olive oil pulling for bad breath, so we will not claim one.

Three glass jars of amber sesame oil, white coconut oil and golden-green olive oil on a wooden board

What Dentists and Dental Bodies Advise

The American Dental Association's position, on its MouthHealthy site, is that there are no reliable scientific studies showing oil pulling reduces cavities, whitens teeth or improves oral health — and, on that basis, the ADA "does not recommend oil pulling as a dental hygiene practice". It recommends brushing twice a day for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste and cleaning between your teeth once a day.

The NHS guidance on keeping teeth clean covers the same essentials: brush twice a day for about two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste (at least 1,350 ppm for adults), clean between the teeth with floss or interdental brushes, and spit rather than rinse after brushing so the fluoride stays on your teeth.

A reasonable objection is that small positive trials exist, so the ADA is being too cautious. The fairer reading is that both are true: the trials hint at a modest effect on bacteria and gum scores, and the certainty is too low to recommend oil pulling as a dental hygiene method. Our reading of the evidence is that oil pulling is, at most, an optional extra to a fluoride routine — never a replacement for it.

How to Oil Pull with Olive Oil, Step by Step

If you decide to try it, this is a sensible routine based on the method the ADA describes and the protocols used in trials:

  1. Choose a fresh extra virgin olive oil. Avoid oil that smells stale, waxy or like crayons — that is rancid oil.
  2. Start small. Take a teaspoon at first, working up to about a tablespoon if you are comfortable.
  3. Swish gently, do not gargle. Push and pull the oil between your teeth with your mouth closed, keeping your head upright.
  4. Build up the time. Begin with 5 minutes. Many people work up to 10 to 20 minutes; stop if your jaw aches.
  5. Never swallow it. The oil now carries debris and bacteria from your mouth.
  6. Spit into a bin, not the sink. Oil can build up in drains over time; spit into a tissue or bin.
  7. Then brush as normal. Oil pull before you brush, not after, so you do not rinse away the fluoride from your toothpaste.

There is no published evidence that longer or more frequent sessions add any benefit.

Bamboo toothbrush, dental floss, glass of water, small glass of golden-green olive oil and sand timer on marble

Safety: What to Watch For and Who Should Skip It

For most adults, swishing a food oil and spitting it out is low-risk. The real risks come from inhaling or swallowing it, and from using it instead of proper care.

  • Do not gargle or tip your head back. Kuroyama and colleagues reported two cases of lipoid pneumonia, a lung inflammation caused by inhaled oil, in people who habitually performed sesame oil pulling through mouth or nasal washing [9]. It is rare, but it is the reason to swish gently with your head upright.
  • Supervise or skip it for young children. Children are more likely to swallow or inhale the oil, and the evidence in children rests on one small study [5].
  • Do not use it to manage symptoms. Bleeding gums, persistent bad breath, a toothache, a loose tooth or swelling need a dentist, not a home rinse.
  • Watch for nausea or jaw ache. Shorten the session or stop if either appears.

On teeth whitening, we found no clinical trial showing that olive oil pulling whitens teeth. If whitening is your goal, a dentist can tell you which options are safe for your teeth.

For the same evidence viewed through another oil, see our guide to black seed oil and oil pulling for teeth; and our look at ozonated olive oil explains the form that did best in the olive oil review.

Choosing an Olive Oil for Oil Pulling

You do not need a special "pulling oil". Any good extra virgin olive oil will do — and it is worth choosing one you would happily eat, because a tablespoon spends several minutes in your mouth. Look for:

  • Extra virgin grade — the unrefined top grade, not "light", "pure" or "pomace" oil.
  • A clear harvest or best-before date, ideally from the most recent harvest.
  • Dark glass or a tin, which protects the oil from light.
  • A single named origin rather than a vague multi-country blend.
  • A fresh, fruity, peppery smell — never stale or waxy.

Extra virgin olive oil also contains polyphenols such as hydroxytyrosol and oleocanthal, which are studied for their antioxidant activity. Our explainer on olive oil polyphenols covers what that research does and does not show — it is mostly research on eating olive oil, not swishing it. For a fuller walkthrough of grades, dates and labels, see our guide to choosing a quality olive oil.

Unbranded dark glass olive oil bottles and a tin behind a tasting glass of golden-green oil on oak

Why Sidr & Stone

We would rather give you the honest evidence than sell olive oil as a dental product. Sidr & Stone's olive oil is a food, made for eating; if you also use it for oil pulling, here 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 oil pulling — no trial has compared olive oil brands, and that would be the kind of unsupported 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.

Sidr & Stone Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml) beside a dish of oil on limestone

Frequently Asked Questions

Does oil pulling with olive oil work?

The evidence is limited. Small studies found olive oil rinsing or pulling reduced plaque and gum bleeding scores, and a 2026 systematic review called it a promising adjunct, but the trials are small and short. The ADA does not recommend oil pulling as a dental hygiene practice.

Is olive oil or coconut oil better for oil pulling?

No trial has shown one is clearly better. Coconut and sesame oil have been studied far more, so their evidence base is larger, but it is still rated low quality. Choose an oil you can tolerate holding in your mouth.

How long should you oil pull with olive oil?

The ADA describes sessions from 1 to 5 minutes up to 20 minutes. Starting with 5 minutes and building up is sensible; longer sessions have not been shown to add benefit.

Should I oil pull before or after brushing?

Before. The NHS advises not rinsing straight after brushing because it washes away the fluoride from your toothpaste, so oil pull first, spit, then brush.

Can I use Sidr & Stone olive oil for oil pulling?

You can — it is an unfiltered, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and a single ingredient. We sell it as a food and make no dental claims for it; keep brushing, cleaning between your teeth and seeing your dentist.

Can olive oil pulling whiten teeth or cure gum disease?

We found no clinical trial showing olive oil pulling whitens teeth, and no food cures gum disease. Bleeding or receding gums need a dentist's assessment.

Where can I buy extra virgin olive oil for oil pulling?

Any fresh extra virgin olive oil in dark glass with a clear date will do. 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

Oil pulling with olive oil is easy to do and, done carefully, low-risk. What it is not is a proven dental treatment. The wider oil pulling research — mostly sesame and coconut oil — suggests a modest effect on mouth bacteria and gum scores on very low-certainty evidence, and the olive oil studies, though encouraging, are few and small. The ADA does not recommend the practice, and nothing in the research replaces brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, cleaning between your teeth and regular dental check-ups.

If you enjoy it as an extra step, use a fresh extra virgin olive oil and keep it alongside your fluoride routine, never in place of it. 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.

Sidr & Stone Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml) with pourer beside green olives on oak

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.

Pre-Order Sidr & Stone Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml) — Limited Single-Harvest Batch →

References

  1. Peng TR, Cheng HY, Wu TW, Ng BK. Effectiveness of Oil Pulling for Improving Oral Health: A Meta-Analysis. Healthcare (Basel). 2022;10(10):1991. PMID 36292438. doi:10.3390/healthcare10101991
  2. Jong FJX, Ooi J, Teoh SL. The effect of oil pulling in comparison with chlorhexidine and other mouthwash interventions in promoting oral health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Dent Hyg. 2024;22(1):78–94. PMID 37635453. doi:10.1111/idh.12725
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. Gbinigie O, Onakpoya I, Spencer E, McCall MacBain M, Heneghan C. Effect of oil pulling in promoting oro dental hygiene: A systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Complement Ther Med. 2016;26:47–54. PMID 27261981. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2016.02.011
  7. Woolley J, Gibbons T, Patel K, Sacco R. The effect of oil pulling with coconut oil to improve dental hygiene and oral health: A systematic review. Heliyon. 2020;6(8):e04789. PMID 32923724. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04789
  8. Asokan S, Kumar RS, Emmadi P, Raghuraman R, Sivakumar N. Effect of oil pulling on halitosis and microorganisms causing halitosis: a randomized controlled pilot trial. J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent. 2011;29(2):90–94. PMID 21911944. doi:10.4103/0970-4388.84678
  9. Kuroyama M, Kagawa H, Kitada S, Maekura R, Mori M, Hirano H. Exogenous lipoid pneumonia caused by repeated sesame oil pulling: a report of two cases. BMC Pulm Med. 2015;15:135. PMID 26518258. doi:10.1186/s12890-015-0134-8

Disclaimer: This article summarises published research and public dental guidance on oil pulling with olive oil 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 persistent bad breath, consult a qualified dentist or medical professional.

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