No trial has tested oil pulling with ghee: a PubMed search finds no study of ghee swished in the mouth. Trials of sesame, coconut and other oils are small and their evidence is rated very low quality, and the American Dental Association (ADA) does not recommend oil pulling. Here is what the reviews found, and what dentists advise instead.
Ask your dentist or doctor before trying any mouth remedy, and see a dentist rather than self-treating if your gums bleed, ache or swell. Oil pulling is never a replacement for brushing with fluoride toothpaste and cleaning between your teeth.
At a glance
- A PubMed search on 13 October 2026 for ghee or ghrita with oil pulling, gandusha, gandoosha or kavala in the title or abstract returned 0 papers.
- A 2023 meta-analysis of 25 trials with 1,184 participants, half of the trials using sesame oil, rated the overall evidence on oil pulling very low quality.
- The same 2023 review found chlorhexidine mouthwash reduced plaque more than oil pulling did.
- The ADA says there are no reliable scientific studies showing that oil pulling reduces cavities, whitens teeth or improves oral health, and does not recommend it.
- The NHS advises brushing with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day and cleaning between your teeth every day to prevent gum disease.
Does oil pulling with ghee work?
Nobody knows, because it has never been studied. A PubMed search for ghee or ghrita together with oil pulling, gandusha, gandoosha or kavala found no papers. The trials that do exist tested plant oils, mostly sesame and coconut, and even for those the evidence is weak. Nothing about them can be carried over to ghee.
Ghee is a milk fat, not a plant oil, so it cannot borrow results from sesame or coconut oil trials. Any claim that ghee cleans teeth, heals gums or freshens breath has no study behind it. That is the honest starting point for everything below.
What is gandusha, and where does ghee come in?
Gandusha and kavala are the Ayurvedic names for oil pulling, holding or swishing oil in the mouth. A 2016 review of oil pulling says the practice is mentioned in the Charak Samhita and Sushruta Samhita. In gandusha the mouth is filled so full that gargling is impossible; in kavala a smaller amount is used so that gargling is possible.
The review by Shanbhag, in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, says sesame oil is traditionally documented as the preferred oil, and that olive oil, milk, and extracts of gooseberry and mango are also documented. It does not mention ghee. We could not open a peer-reviewed source describing what the classical texts say about ghee for gandusha, so we do not repeat claims about it here. How ghee features in Ayurveda more broadly is covered in ghee in Ayurveda: what the texts say and what science shows.
The ADA's MouthHealthy site describes oil pulling as an ancient, traditional folk remedy practised for centuries in India and southern Asia. Tradition tells us people have done it for a long time. It does not tell us whether it works.
What do the oil pulling trials actually show?
Small, short trials with a high risk of bias, almost all using sesame or coconut oil. The largest review, a 2023 meta-analysis, found a probable benefit for gum inflammation but rated the overall evidence very low quality, and found chlorhexidine mouthwash better at reducing plaque. None of the reviews below mentions ghee in its abstract.
| Oil used | Trials found | What was measured | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edible oils, half of trials sesame (Jong 2023) | 25 randomised trials, 1,184 participants, 7 to 45 days | Plaque and gingival index scores, bacteria counts | Probable gum benefit against non-chlorhexidine mouthwash; chlorhexidine better for plaque; very low certainty |
| Cooking oils (Gbinigie 2016) | 5 randomised trials, 160 participants, 10 to 45 days | Plaque index, modified gingival index | No significant differences against controls in the scores reported; trials need to be more rigorous |
| Coconut oil (Woolley 2020) | 4 randomised trials, 182 participants, 7 to 14 days | Saliva bacteria, plaque index, staining | Data insufficient for conclusive findings; high risk of bias |
| Olive oil, several forms (Narasimhan 2026) | 12 studies | Gum inflammation, plaque | Generally reduced; high-quality studies still needed |
| Ghee | 0 (PubMed search, 13 October 2026) | Nothing | Untested |
The 2023 meta-analysis by Jong and colleagues pooled 21 of its 25 trials. More than half, 17 trials, enrolled people with no reported oral health problems. Against non-chlorhexidine mouthwashes, oil pulling improved modified gingival index scores, a measure of gum inflammation. Its authors still rated the certainty of that evidence very low.
An earlier 2016 systematic review from Oxford included only five trials. Three found no significant difference in plaque scores between oil pulling and control groups, and two found no significant difference in gum scores against chlorhexidine. It concluded that oil pulling "may have beneficial effects", over the short periods tested. The 2020 review of coconut oil did not pool its four trials, because they differed too much. The 2026 olive oil review mixed oil pulling with mouthwashes, toothpastes and ozonated oil.
What does the American Dental Association say about oil pulling?
It does not recommend it. The ADA's MouthHealthy page states that "there are no reliable scientific studies to show that oil pulling reduces cavities, whitens teeth or improves oral health and well-being", and that the ADA "does not recommend oil pulling as a dental hygiene practice." It advises brushing and flossing instead.
The MouthHealthy page on oil pulling recommends brushing twice a day for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste, flossing between the teeth once a day and not using tobacco. Note the gap between the reviews and the ADA. The reviews say oil pulling may help gums a little in short trials. The ADA says the studies are not reliable enough to act on. Both agree it is no substitute for brushing.
Is oil pulling with ghee safe?
Nobody has measured its safety with ghee, but the oil pulling literature flags two risks: breathing oil into the lungs, and swallowing what you have swished. The 2016 Shanbhag review says the practice is contraindicated for children under five because of the risk of aspiration. If you have swallowing problems, ask your doctor first.
Case reports describe exogenous lipoid pneumonia, an illness caused by oil reaching the lungs, in people who practised oil pulling. A 2018 report describes two women with a history of tongue cancer whose pneumonia would not resolve and was eventually diagnosed as lipoid pneumonia linked to oil pulling. Case reports show that this can happen, not how often. The same worry about fat reaching the airways comes up with ghee nasal drops (nasya).
The review also advises that the oil should not be swallowed, and should not be spat into the sink, because oil can clog the pipes. It says to spit it into a bin or onto a paper towel instead.
What should you do instead for healthy teeth and gums?
Brush with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day, spit rather than rinse, clean between your teeth every day, and have regular check-ups. That is the NHS's advice for preventing gum disease, and it is in line with the ADA's. It is the routine with the evidence and the professional backing.
The NHS page on gum disease says gum disease is caused by a build-up of plaque, and advises cleaning between the teeth with floss or interdental brushes. It also says not to use mouthwash straight after brushing. See a dentist if:
- your gums bleed when you brush your teeth or eat hard foods;
- your gums are painful and swollen;
- you have bad breath;
- your child has sore, bleeding gums.
The NHS asks for an urgent dentist appointment if gum disease comes with very sore gums, loose teeth, ulcers or red patches, or a lump in the mouth or on the lip.
If you still want to try it, what precautions matter?
Treat it as an extra, never a replacement, and only after asking your dentist. Do not swallow it, do not use it with young children, and keep it out of the sink. These steps come from the ADA, the NHS and the 2016 review; none makes oil pulling with ghee proven or recommended.
- Ask your dentist or doctor first, especially if you have gum symptoms, swallowing problems or a lung condition.
- Keep brushing and cleaning between your teeth exactly as before.
- Do not use it with children under five, whom the 2016 review says should not oil pull because of the aspiration risk.
- Do not swallow it, and take care not to breathe it in.
- Spit it into a bin or a paper towel, not the sink.
If you want ghee on your mouth for dry lips rather than your teeth, the evidence there is covered in ghee for dry, chapped lips.
The short version
Oil pulling with ghee has never been tested: a PubMed search found no study. Trials of sesame, coconut and other oils are small and short, and a 2023 meta-analysis of 25 trials rated the evidence very low quality, with chlorhexidine better at reducing plaque. The American Dental Association does not recommend oil pulling. Brush with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day, clean between your teeth, see a dentist if your gums bleed, and ask your dentist or doctor before trying any mouth remedy.
Sources
Further reading behind the figures above. Himdhara's own numbers — yields, batch results — come from our production records and the batch reports on the lab reports page.
- American Dental Association (undated). Oil Pulling. MouthHealthy.
- Jong FJX, Ooi J, Teoh SL (2023). The effect of oil pulling in comparison with chlorhexidine and other mouthwash interventions in promoting oral health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Dental Hygiene.
- Woolley J, Gibbons T, Patel K, Sacco R (2020). The effect of oil pulling with coconut oil to improve dental hygiene and oral health: A systematic review. Heliyon.
- Shanbhag VKL (2016). Oil pulling for maintaining oral hygiene – A review. Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine.
- NHS (2026). Gum disease. NHS, Health A to Z.