Does oil pulling work?

The American Dental Association says that, as of 2014, there is insufficient evidence to support the use of oil pulling for any purpose. To perform oil pulling, a small amount of an edible oil is placed in the mouth and swished around for several minutes.

The American Dental Association says the practice of oil pulling arose centuries ago in India and Southeast Asia as a method of improving oral hygiene. No scientific studies have convincingly demonstrated that oil pulling reduces the incidence of cavities or whitens teeth. Some scattered case reports indicate that oil pulling can cause health problems, such as nausea and aspiration of oil into the lungs.