Effect of Oil Pulling on Tooth Whitening In Vitro

Abstract

Objectives: Oil pulling is the act of swishing oil in the mouth and has been gaining popularity in recent years as people turn to the internet for natural health-improving home remedies. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of oil pulling on whitening teeth in vitro. Materials and Methods: A total of 30 human de-identified extracted teeth were separated into groups of six. Each tooth had an intact crown with no restorations, and each group consisted of one molar, one pre-molar, two canines, and two incisors. Teeth were placed into a plastic tube with 15 ml of phosphate-buffered saline and 15 ml of commercially available coconut, sesame, or sunflower oil. As controls teeth were treated with 15% H2O2 or saline alone. The tubes were vigorously shaken for 20 min, and then the teeth were washed and stored in saline overnight. This process was repeated for 14 days to simulate the oil pulling instructions available on the web. Tooth shades were measured before and after treatment using a VITA Easyshade(R) Compact, in both the classical A1-D4 shade guide format as well as in CIELAB color space. A statistical analysis was completed using ANOVA with Tukey post-test and significance set at P < 0.05. Results: All six teeth treated with H2O2 showed an increase in value (brightness or lightness) of three to seven shade values. For teeth treated with saline, or sesame oil two teeth of the six showed an increase in three shade values. For coconut and sunflower oil, no teeth showed any change in shade value. Conclusions: This in vitro study suggests that despite claimed oral benefits of oil pulling, and anecdotal internet information that it can whiten teeth, there is no evidence to suggest that coconut, sesame, or sunflower oils have any effect on the whitening of teeth.