Those in the know about the astounding health benefits of coconut oil are usually well aware of the major antimicrobial effects this traditional fat has on the skin and also in the gut.Â
It is no wonder that coconut oil is so great to rub into a dandruff plagued scalp as it helps bring the fungus causing this scaly problem under control with no chemical laden shampoos needed.
Coconut oil is also helpful for those with candida overgrowth problems in the gut as it suppresses all manner of gut pathogens.  It is the highly beneficial medium chain saturated fat lauric acid found in coconut oil that is responsible for protection from microbial infections of all kinds when coconut oil is consumed in the diet. Lauric acid is also produced by the human mammary gland and what is credited with protecting breastfed infants from viral, bacterial, or protozoal infections.
Warning: MCT oil has little to none of this most beneficial fat!
It is only recently, however, that the conventional medical community has finally begun to appreciate the powerful antimicrobial effect of coconut oil.
Irish researchers have reported from the Athlone Institute of Technology that coconut oil was the only oil of 3 tested (olive oil and vegetable oil being the other two) that was able to prevent Streptococcus mutans, an acid-producing bacterium that is a common inhabitant of the mouth and a major cause of tooth decay, from binding to and damaging tooth enamel.
This finding lends serious credence to the ancient Ayurvedic practice of oil pulling. It involves swishing the mouth with a tablespoon of oil first thing in the morning. Some people report that they achieve the best results using coconut oil.
The coconut oil used in the study was first treated with enzymes simulating the human digestive process in order to more realistically gauge its impact in the body.
The scientists also reported the coconut oil extremely effective at attacking thrush, a yeast (fungal) infection of the mouth which is not surprising given coconut oil’s helpfulness with other skin issues like dandruff.
Lead researcher Dr. Damien Brady stated that coconut oil could prove to be an attractive alternative to chemicals and meds in maintaining oral health. Â Mouthwashes, toothpastes, and other oral products are loaded with chemical additives that can frequently irritate the sensitive tissues of the mouth.
Dr. Brady noted that not only does coconut oil work at relatively low concentrations, but with the worrisome problem of increasing antibiotic resistance, it is important to consider coconut oil a potentially novel new way to control microbial infections. For example, people often wonder how to get rid of strep throat without the obligatory trip to the doctor’s office. Could coconut oil play a role in resolving this common illness? Can strep go away on its own or with a simple boost from anti-microbial foods like coconut oil?
Dr. Brady and his team now plan to examine how coconut oil and strep bacteria interface at the molecular level to determine if there are any other strains of bacteria that are inhibited in a similar fashion.  They also plan to study antibacterial activity in the gut  presumably using coconut oil and how cells lining the digestive tract can become colonized by pathogens.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Source
Coconut Oil Could Combat Tooth Decay, BBC Health News
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Whiten Your Teeth Without Dangerous Chemicals
Resolving Periodontal Problems with Bone Broth
What is the True Cause of Crooked Teeth?
10 Signs Your Dentist is Truly Holistic
Avoiding Root Canals with Diet Alone
i used to pooh-pooh oil-pulling because of some of the unsubstantiated exaggerated overall health claims, but i’m a recent convert. it’s worth it for the dental health alone, and i use CO.
Hoping this jarring sore spot in a tooth will be healed with the assistance of a better diet. Dentists can’t see anything (cracks, etc) but chewing on something just the right way reactivates the pain and backtracks the healing. Ugh.
Kait,
I had the same problem once. I had a molar that was really sensitive to pressure. My dentist checked it multiple times and even x-rayed it, but couldn’t see anything. His advice was pretty much to not chew ice. That’s all the help I got.
I’m not sure what your current diet is like, but at one point in our conversion to a real food diet that I no longer had pain in it. It’s completely gone!
Cook with it and eat a spoonful a day to help me lose my baby belly 🙂 love it…great to rub into skin too!
I make our toothpaste out of coconut oil & I use it every chance I can for everything I can. LOVE IT!
YES!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!
I’m sure that coconut oil is beneficial for oral health, but correct me if I’m wrong, I thought that in Cure Tooth Decay Ramiel Nagel said that bacteria was disproven to be the cause of tooth decay?
It is a lack of bone building nutrients/poor diet that causes the decay, and I’m wondering if it is some of the nutrients that coconut oil provides that helps with tooth problems.
I don’t know just a thought that I had while reading this.
Coconut oil helps to fix the gut which helps it absorb nutrients from foods. That’s likely why it helps with teeth.
I have a tub of coconut oil in my sons room for lotioning up after baths, and he is a FIEND for the stuff. Scoops out big ol chunks and eats it straight.
Hes also started rubbing my feet with it too. 🙂 Ill take it while I can, because I know he wont rub my feet after he grows out of the toddler stage.
I am in love with it, use it on toast, smooties, rice, pasta, baking, etc. any thing that calls for oil 🙂
Always in our home!