We’ve all seen articles on the miracle of oil pulling and its untold health benefits. But how much of this is true? Let’s examine this practice a little more deeply to see if there’s anything to the craze. What exactly is oil pulling? The practice itself is quite simple: you take a tablespoon of edible oil (coconut seems to be especially popular, but you can use sesame, sunflower, olive, etc.) and swish with it, pulling it through the teeth for anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes. It is an ancient...

It’s easy not to think about it - why would what’s going on in our mouth affect the rest of our body? As it turns out, the mouth is more than just a vehicle for food to enter our system! The oral environment is a breeding ground for bacteria, both good and bad. How we take care of it directly impacts the health of our body overall. Let’s consider the relationship between periodontal disease and diabetes as a prime example. Periodontal disease and diabetes is a two way street; the presence of...

There are certain things we’ve all been taught about keeping our teeth healthy: brush, floss, rinse, repeat! Oral health is a bit more...