Effectiveness of Oil Pulling Using Oils in Comparison With Mouthwash for Gingivitis

NCT07892235 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: BUHS-IRB # 268/26
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 45
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if daily oil pulling with coconut oil or sesame oil works as effectively as a standard mouthwash to treat gum swelling and redness (gingivitis) in adults aged 18 to 55 years. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does daily oil pulling with virgin coconut oil or sesame oil reduce dental plaque buildup as effectively as 0.2% chlorhexidine mouthwash over an 8-week period?
• Does oil pulling reduce gum inflammation, bleeding, and tongue coating while avoiding common mouthwash side effects such as tooth staining?
• Does oil pulling improve oral health-related quality of life and overall patient satisfaction? Researchers will compare three groups - participants using virgin coconut oil, participants using sesame oil, and participants using 0.2% chlorhexidine mouthwash - to evaluate changes in oral health over 8 weeks. Participants will:
• Receive professional dental cleaning (scaling) and standardized toothbrushing instructions at the start of the study.
• Swish 10 mL of their assigned oil for 7 minutes once daily in the morning on an empty stomach, or rinse with 10 mL of chlorhexidine mouthwash for 1 minute at night, every day for 8 weeks (56 days).
• Visit the dental clinic at baseline (Day 0), week 4 (Day 28), and week 8 (Day 56) for clinical oral exams, salivary pH testing, and short surveys on comfort and satisfaction. 2\. Clinical Trial Registry (CTR) Protocol Registration Fields Registry Field Name Protocol Value / Description Official Title Effectiveness of Oil Pulling Using Oils in Comparison with Mouthwash for Gingivitis: A Single-Blind Randomized Control Trial Brief Title Effectiveness of Oil Pulling vs. Chlorhexidine Mouthwash for Gingivitis Study Type Interventional (Clinical Trial) Primary Purpose Treatment Allocation Randomized (1:1:1 ratio across 3 parallel arms) Intervention Model Parallel Assignment Masking Single Blind (Outcome Assessor blinded) Target Enrollment 45 participants (15 per arm, adjusted for 20% dropout) Condition / Disease Gingivitis / Plaque-Induced Gingival Inflammation Age Range 18 Years to 55 Years Sex / Gender All (Males and Females) Accepts Healthy Volunteers No (Requires clinically diagnosed plaque-induced gingivitis) Inclusion Criteria Clinically diagnosed gingivitis; CPITN Grade 1 or 2; presence of at least 10 natural teeth. Exclusion Criteria CPITN Grade 0, 3, or 4; chronic illnesses (diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular, renal/hepatic dysfunction); pregnancy/lactation; tobacco/smokeless tobacco users; recent antibiotics, antimicrobial mouthwashes, or scaling within last 3 months; known allergy to sesame oil, coconut oil, or chlorhexidine. Experimental Arm 1 (Coconut Oil) 10 mL virgin coconut oil swished/pulled once daily in the morning on an empty stomach for 7 minutes for 56 days. Experimental Arm 2 (Sesame Oil) 10 mL sesame oil swished/pulled once daily in the morning on an empty stomach for 7 minutes for 56 days. Active Comparator Arm (0.2% Chlorhexidine) 10 mL 0.2% chlorhexidine digluconate mouthwash rinsed for 1 minute once daily at night after brushing for 56 days. Primary Outcome Measure Change in Silness and Loe Plaque Index (PI) at Baseline (T1), Day 28 (T2), and Day 56 (T3).

Conditions

Gingivitis

Keywords

Oil Pulling, Virgin Coconut Oil, Sesame Oil, Chlorhexidine Mouthwash, Gingivitis, Plaque-Induced Gingivitis, Dental Plaque, Oral Hygiene

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change in Silness and Loe Plaque Index (PI) Score

  valuation of dental plaque accumulation (thickness of bacterial biofilm at the gingival margin) measured across 4 tooth surfaces (buccal, lingual, mesial, distal) and averaged across examined teeth. Score ranges from 0 to 3 (0 = No plaque, 1 = Thin film detectable by probing, 2 = Moderate deposits visible to naked eye, 3 = Abundant heavy plaque buildup). Lower scores indicate better oral hygiene.

  Baseline (Day 0), Week 4 (Day 28), and Week 8 (Day 56)

• Change in Gingival Index (GI) Score by Loe and Silness

  Assessment of gingival inflammation severity evaluated across 4 tooth surfaces based on color, consistency, and bleeding on gentle probing. Score ranges from 0 to 3 (0 = Normal gingiva with no inflammation, 1 = Mild inflammation with slight erythema and no bleeding, 2 = Moderate inflammation with redness and bleeding on probing, 3 = Severe inflammation with marked redness, edema, and tendency to spontaneous bleeding). Lower scores indicate reduced gingival inflammation.

  Baseline (Day 0), Week 4 (Day 28), and Week 8 (Day 56)

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Change in Winkel Tongue Coating Index (WTCI) Score

  Baseline (Day 0), Week 4 (Day 28), and Week 8 (Day 56)

• Change in Modified Lobene Stain Index (MLSI) Score

  Baseline (Day 0), Week 4 (Day 28), and Week 8 (Day 56)

• Change in Salivary pH Level

  Baseline (Day 0), Week 4 (Day 28), and Week 8 (Day 56)

• Change in Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) Total Score

  Baseline (Day 0), Week 4 (Day 28), and Week 8 (Day 56)

• Patient-Reported Visual Analog Scale (VAS) Scores and Satisfaction

  Baseline (Day 0), Week 4 (Day 28), and Week 8 (Day 56)

Study Arms (3)

arm 1: virgin coconut oil (VCO)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will swish/pull 10 mL of virgin coconut oil once daily in the early morning on an empty stomach for 7 minutes every day for 56 days (8 weeks).

Other: virgin coconut oil (VCO)

Interventional Arm 2: sesame oil

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will swish/pull 10 mL of sesame oil once daily in the early morning on an empty stomach for 7 minutes every day for 56 days (8 weeks).

Other: Sesame Oil

Comparator arm 3: 0.2% Chlorhexidine mouthwash

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will rinse with 10 mL of 0.2% chlorhexidine digluconate mouthwash once daily at night after toothbrushing for 1 minute every day for 56 days (8 weeks).

Drug: 0.2% Chlorhexidine Digluconate Mouthwash

Interventions

virgin coconut oil (VCO) OTHER

Participants swish/pull 10 mL of virgin coconut oil once daily in the early morning on an empty stomach for 7 minutes every day for 56 days (8 weeks).

arm 1: virgin coconut oil (VCO)

Sesame Oil OTHER

Participants swish/pull 10 mL of virgin coconut oil once daily in the early morning on an empty stomach for 7 minutes every day for 56 days (8 weeks).

Interventional Arm 2: sesame oil

0.2% Chlorhexidine Digluconate Mouthwash DRUG

Participants rinse with 10 mL of 0.2% chlorhexidine digluconate mouthwash once daily at night after toothbrushing for 1 minute every day for 56 days (8 weeks).

Comparator arm 3: 0.2% Chlorhexidine mouthwash

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 55 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Clinically diagnosed cases of plaque-induced gingivitis.
• Adults aged 18 to 55 years.
• Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN) Grade 1 or Grade 2.
• Presence of greater than 10 natural teeth.
• Able to provide written informed consent and comply with study instructions.

You may not qualify if:

• Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN) Grade 0, Grade 3, or Grade 4.
• History of chronic systemic illnesses including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, renal or hepatic dysfunction, or any immunocompromised conditions.
• Pregnant or lactating mothers.
• Behavioral or mental disorders that prevent effective communication or compliance.
• Current use of long-term chronic medications or drugs known to affect gingival inflammation or bleeding (such as anticoagulants or cortisone).
• Diagnosis of infectious diseases including HIV, Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C.
• Patients currently undergoing orthodontic treatment.
• Known hypersensitivity or allergy to sesame oil, coconut oil, or chlorhexidine.
• Patients with extensive prosthetic dental restorations.
• Active smokers and users of smokeless tobacco (e.g., gutka, naswar).
• Use of antibiotics, antimicrobial mouthwashes, or professional dental scaling within the last 3 months.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Bahria University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Bahria University Health Sciences Campus, Karachi

Karachi, Sindh, 75500, Pakistan

Location

Related Publications (7)

• Sharif H, Hammash M, Anwer W, Hassan N, Seemi T, Sheikh SS. Evaluation of oral health among people with multimorbidity in the marginalized population of Karachi, Pakistan: A multicenter cross-sectional study. J Taibah Univ Med Sci. 2024 Mar 21;19(3):500-515. doi: 10.1016/j.jtumed.2024.03.008. eCollection 2024 Jun.

  PMID: 38571699 BACKGROUND

• Heitz-Mayfield LJA. Conventional diagnostic criteria for periodontal diseases (plaque-induced gingivitis and periodontitis). Periodontol 2000. 2024 Jun;95(1):10-19. doi: 10.1111/prd.12579. Epub 2024 Jun 3.

  PMID: 38831568 BACKGROUND

• Elgasmi FE, Maghous K, Badre B. Gingivitis in children and adolescents: epidemiological overview and associated factors-A narrative review. Front Oral Health. 2025 Oct 10;6:1675033. doi: 10.3389/froh.2025.1675033. eCollection 2025.

  PMID: 41140336 BACKGROUND

• Slade GD. Derivation and validation of a short-form oral health impact profile. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 1997 Aug;25(4):284-90. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0528.1997.tb00941.x.

  PMID: 9332805 BACKGROUND

• Mehta M, Majumder P, Chowdhury DD, Kalai P, Adhil KM, Nath SK. Comparison and Evaluation of the Efficacy of Sesame Oil, Coconut Oil, and Sunflower Oil Pulling on Gingival Health-A Triple-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial. J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2024 Dec;16(Suppl 4):S3683-S3685. doi: 10.4103/jpbs.jpbs_1192_24. Epub 2024 Oct 30.

  PMID: 39926945 BACKGROUND

• Jong FJX, Ooi J, Teoh SL. The effect of oil pulling in comparison with chlorhexidine and other mouthwash interventions in promoting oral health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Dent Hyg. 2024 Feb;22(1):78-94. doi: 10.1111/idh.12725. Epub 2023 Aug 28.

  PMID: 37635453 BACKGROUND

• Zurcher C, Vukoje K, Kleiner EM, Kuster SM, Jager-Larcher LK, Heller I, Eick S, Nagl M, Kapferer-Seebacher I. The plaque reducing efficacy of oil pulling with sesame oil: a randomized-controlled clinical study. Clin Oral Investig. 2025 Jan 9;29(1):53. doi: 10.1007/s00784-024-06134-y.

  PMID: 39786483 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Gingivitis; Dental Plaque

Interventions

Sesame Oil

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Infections; Gingival Diseases; Periodontal Diseases; Mouth Diseases; Stomatognathic Diseases; Dental Deposits; Tooth Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; Dietary Fats; Fats; Lipids; Fats, Unsaturated; Plant Oils; Oils; Plant Preparations; Biological Products; Complex Mixtures; Food; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Physiological Phenomena; Food and Beverages

Study Officials

• Dr. Warda Jilani

  Bahria University, Islamabad

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Dr. Warda Jilani, BDS

CONTACT

+923327910585; connect.warda@gmail.com

Prof. Dr. Afshan Abbas, MBBS, MPhil, PhD

CONTACT

+923362557108; afshanabbas.buhsck@bahria.edu.pk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 17, 2026
• First Posted: October 23, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): January 1, 2027
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2027
• Last Updated: October 23, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (1)