VCO Benefits in Oral Health

Virgin Coconut Oil as an effective Oral Hygiene
Coconut oil continues to shine for its health-boosting properties, and rightfully so.
While most people are familiar with its numerous health benefits and keeping your hair
and skin healthy, it’s also been used for thousands of years to improve dental health. In
particular, it’s been used in Ayurvedic medicine to clean and whiten teeth, reduce
halitosis (bad breath), and improve gum health. Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted
from coconut meat, and is one of the world’s richest plant-based sources of saturated
fat. The main type of fat in coconut oil is lauric acid, which is a 12 carbon (C12)
medium-chain triglyceride (MCT), and makes up around half of coconut oil. It also
contains small amounts of palmitic (C16) and myristic (C14) acid. Interestingly, the fatty
acids in coconut oil have been associated with having antibacterial properties, which
may benefit your oral health. In particular, lauric acid and monolaurin (a monoglyceride
form of lauric acid) are associated with having antimicrobial properties. In fact,
Ayurvedic medicine has used coconut oil as an antimicrobial for centuries to promote
dental health through a process known as “oil pulling,” which is believed to rid the mouth
of bacteria that lead to tooth decay and bad breath. (K. McDonnell, 2021)
According to F.C. Peedikayil (2019), coconut oil differs from most other dietary
oils because of the high content of medium chain fatty acid (MCF), whereas in the
majority of other oils, the basic building blocks are almost entirely long chain fatty acids.
The MCF in coconut oil such as lauric, caproic, caprylic, myristic, and stearic acid
influences the physical and chemical properties. Lauric acid, which is predominant in
coconut oil, has proved to have antimicrobial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory action.
Oil pulling is a process in which a person swishes coconut oil in their mouth and
around their teeth. Though more research is needed, it may support the health of your
teeth, gums, and oral cavity. Along with its antimicrobial properties, swishing oil in the
mouth is believed to have a saponification or cleansing effect to help reduce adhesion
of bacteria and plaque to the teeth. The main benefit of doing this is that it reduces the
number of harmful bacteria in the mouth. The bacteria in your mouth create a biofilm on
your teeth, a thin layer known as plaque. Having some plaque on your teeth is perfectly
normal, but if it gets out of hand, it can cause various problems, including bad breath,
gum inflammation, gingivitis and cavities. The way oil pulling works is simple when you
swish the oil around your mouth, the bacteria get swept away and dissolve in the liquid
oil. Coconut oil may help to attack harmful bacteria in the mouth that can cause bad
breath, tooth decay, and gum disease. It’s particularly effective at killing an oral bacteria
called Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), which is a leading cause of tooth decay. It
may also reduce another prevalent bacterium known as Candida albicans. Oil pulling
with coconut oil may help reduce inflammation of the gums, also known as gingivitis.
Current research shows that coconut oil may help to decrease plaque buildup on your
teeth and reduce inflammation to fight gum disease. It may prevent bad breath.
Halitosis, better known as bad breath, is a common oral health issue. It is caused by the
smell of chemicals and gases produced by bacteria in your mouth. It’s associated with
infections, gingivitis and overall poor oral hygiene. It makes sense that if you get rid of
some of these bacteria and improve your oral health, you reduce the likelihood of
having bad breath. (K. Gunnars, 2018)
References
McDonnell, K. (2021, May 24). Why Coconut Oil Is Good for Your Teeth. Healthline. Retrieved
September 6, 2022 at 6:30 P.M., from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/coconut-oil-and-
teeth
Peedikayil, F.C. (2019). Is coconut oil good for oral health? Retrieved September 6, 2022 at
7:53 P.M., from https://www.jhrr.org/article.asp?issn=2394-2010%3Byear%3D2019%3Bvolume
%3D6%3Bissue%3D1%3Bspage%3D1%3Bepage%3D4%3Baulast
%3DPeedikayil&fbclid=IwAR0oBMKemIsR1U17oib5KX3MLwU_fxhw_rsXeRn5_P3B4sUQb
WwatjdqeKU
Gunnars, K. (2018, May 2). Oil Pulling with Coconut Oil Can Transform Your Dental Health.
Healthline. Retrieved September 6, 2022 at 7:53 P.M., from
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/oil-pulling-coconut-oil#TOC_TITLE_HDR_5

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