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Tried Oil Pulling To Clean Mouth. Red Bumps Appeared On Tongue, Burning Sensation When Eating. Oral Thrush?
Question: Yesterday morning I tried oil pulling ( the ancient practise of swirling sunflower or other oil in your mouth for 20 min) it's supposed to pull toxins out & clean your mouth. It felt fine but later that day I had lunch with spicy jalapeños in it ( I believe) & by that evening the inside of my mouth & tongue feels burned/chapped & very irritated. Will ths go away? Could it be oral thrush? The tip of my tongue is red & raised bumps where taste buds are. If I pull my lips a away from my mouth it's red & irritated below my teeth & gums. No white patches
Hello and thank you for your question.
Traditionally oil pulling is with sunflower or sesame oil. Coconut oil is also used and is known to have anti-fungal properties. Since there is anti-fungal properties in the oil, it is unlikely to be oral thrush as this is an ancient treatment for thrush. jalapeños are known to be an irritant to soft tissue mucosa. This can cause some local irritation. Based on all of what you described, it sounds like a few things are going on:
-The tongue: most likely erythematous migrans or geographical tongue. This is a local area of inflammation, is completely benign and usually goes away within a few days.
-Inflammation and chapped sensation in your mouth could be from gingivitis which can be treated by: Brushing 2-3 times a day, flossing 1-2 times a day and using Listerine 1 time a day. You should also go to your dentist for biannual cleanings.
-inflammation could also be a response by the oil treatment and could indicate other things like an autoimmune reaction like pemphigus vulgarus, pemphigoid, or hepatogingivostomatitis for examples.
Why were you using this old technique in the first place? This is my main question. Answering this may help us get to a better answer to your question.
Looking forward to your response,
Dr. Ward
Traditionally oil pulling is with sunflower or sesame oil. Coconut oil is also used and is known to have anti-fungal properties. Since there is anti-fungal properties in the oil, it is unlikely to be oral thrush as this is an ancient treatment for thrush. jalapeños are known to be an irritant to soft tissue mucosa. This can cause some local irritation. Based on all of what you described, it sounds like a few things are going on:
-The tongue: most likely erythematous migrans or geographical tongue. This is a local area of inflammation, is completely benign and usually goes away within a few days.
-Inflammation and chapped sensation in your mouth could be from gingivitis which can be treated by: Brushing 2-3 times a day, flossing 1-2 times a day and using Listerine 1 time a day. You should also go to your dentist for biannual cleanings.
-inflammation could also be a response by the oil treatment and could indicate other things like an autoimmune reaction like pemphigus vulgarus, pemphigoid, or hepatogingivostomatitis for examples.
Why were you using this old technique in the first place? This is my main question. Answering this may help us get to a better answer to your question.
Looking forward to your response,
Dr. Ward
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I thought it would help if I had candida overgrowth. I have been having recurring vaginal yeast infections
Are you trying to use the oil pulling to treat the vaginal yeast infection?
Note: Find out which dental treatment will work best for your teeth. Ask here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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