If your dentures are rubbing against your gums and the soft tissues in your mouth, you may develop painful sores and ulcers. These areas may make it painful to wear your dentures and may make eating and drinking uncomfortable. If you want an alternative and more natural solution to over-the-counter treatments, you may want to consider oil pulling.
Oil pulling involves putting a spoonful of oil in your mouth and swishing it around for around 20 minutes or so. During this process, the oil attracts and traps bacteria that you then expel from your mouth when you spit the oil out. These antibacterial benefits make oil pulling popular with people who want to reduce their chances of tooth decay and gum disease; however, pulling can also help you tackle other oral health problems such as sore areas even if you've lost all your teeth and wear dentures.
How Oil Pulling Works in Your Mouth
When you first start oil pulling, you may notice that the oil has a soothing effect on the sore parts of your mouth. As the oil swishes around your soft tissues, it may help reduce inflammation and take the sting out of your sores or ulcers. This may your mouth feel more comfortable.
As well as treating the symptoms of your sores or ulcers, oil pulling may also be able to tackle these problems directly. Viewed as a natural detox, oils can have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. These properties may help cleanse your mouth, directly targeting your ulcers and sores and getting rid of them.
Tip: While you can use any unrefined oil to pull, you may see better results on sores or ulcers if you use oils that can target the problem. For example, coconut oil contains lauric acid which can deal with bacteria, viruses and fungal problems.
As a bonus, oil pulling may be particularly useful if you find it too painful to brush your gums as you should because you have sores or ulcers on them. The antibacterial effects of oils will help keep your gums healthy and free from harmful bacteria until things are comfortable enough for you to start brushing again.
Dealing With Persistent Sore Spots
While oil pulling may help get rid of your dentures sores or mouth ulcers, you may want to consult your dentist if you keep getting sore areas in the same parts of your mouth especially if you've been wearing dentures for a few years. While it is common to have some sore spots when you get new dentures, these spots should settle over time once your mouth adapts to your new teeth. If you have older dentures, you may be getting sores and ulcers because your dentures no longer fit well. Your dentist will be able to advise if fit is a problem and can talk to you about solutions such as relining teeth to make them fit more snugly or getting new dentures if you need them.
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