Clinical Effect of Virgin Coconut Oil Pulling in Comparison with Palm Oil Pulling on Gingival Health: A Crossover Randomized Clinical Controlled Trial

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this study was to compare the effects of oil pulling with virgin coconut oil (VCO), which contains antimicrobial ingredients, and with palm oil (PO) on several clinical parameters when used as adjunctive oral hygiene care in patients with gingival inflammation. In this crossover trial, thirty-six participants were randomized to group 1 to start with VCO and group 2 to start with PO pulling. The participants were instructed to continue their oral hygiene routine and to perform oil pulling by swishing 10 mL oil for 8 min for 28 days. After a 21-day wash-out period, the participants performed the protocol with the other oil type. The Gingival Index (GI), Plaque Index (PI), and salivary pH were recorded at baseline, the end of both intervention periods, and after the wash-out period. The before- and after-treatment values and the mean difference in the evaluated parameters in each group were compared. VCO pulling significantly reduced GI (P=0.004), while PO pulling significantly reduced GI (P=0.010) and PI (P=0.005) after 28 days of oil pulling. The salivary pH remained in the neutral range throughout the study period. No significant difference in salivary pH was found between the two treatments. VCO pulling did not demonstrate any significant superior effect compared with PO pulling on the evaluated clinical parameters. However, because the oil pulling interventions were not compared to negative control in this study, further studies are needed to confirm the potentially beneficial effects of oil pulling. Keywords: Gingivitis, Oral health status, Mouth care product