{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]],"date-time":"2026-10-01T00:47:24Z","timestamp":1790815644230,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,21]],"date-time":"2025-07-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1753056000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Dentistry Journal"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objective: This cross-sectional content analysis aimed to investigate how oil pulling is portrayed on YouTube Shorts, focusing on the types of speakers, claims made, and alignment with scientific evidence. The study further explored how the content may influence viewer perception, health behaviors, and the potential spread of misinformation. Methods: On 28 January 2025, a systematic search of YouTube Shorts was performed using the term \u201coil pulling\u201d in incognito mode to reduce algorithmic bias. English language videos with at least 1000 views were included through purposive sampling. A total of 47 Shorts met the inclusion criteria. Data were extracted using a structured coding framework that recorded speaker type (e.g., dentist, hygienist, influencer), engagement metrics, stated benefits, oil type and regimen, the use of disclaimers or citations, and stance toward oil pulling rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Speaker background and nationality were determined through publicly available channel descriptions or linked websites, with user identities anonymized and ethical approval deemed unnecessary due to the use of publicly available content. In total, 47 videos met the inclusion criteria. Results: Of the 47 YouTube Shorts that met the inclusion criteria, most were posted by influencers rather than dental professionals. These videos predominantly encouraged oil pulling, often recommending coconut oil for 10\u201315 min daily and citing benefits such as reduced halitosis and improved gum health. However, a smaller subset advanced more extreme claims, including reversing cavities and remineralizing enamel. Notably, US-licensed dentists and dental hygienists tended to discourage or express skepticism toward oil pulling, assigning lower Likert scores (1 or 2) to influencers and alternative health practitioners (often 4 or 5). Conclusions: YouTube Shorts largely promote oil pulling through anecdotal and testimonial-driven content, often diverging from evidence-based dental recommendations. The findings reveal a disconnect between professional dental guidance and popular social media narratives. While some benefits like halitosis reduction may have limited support, exaggerated or misleading claims may result in improper oral hygiene practices. Greater engagement from dental professionals and improved health communication strategies are needed to counteract misinformation and reinforce oil pulling\u2019s role, if any, as an adjunct\u2014not a replacement\u2014for standard oral care. Future studies should explore viewer interpretation, behavioral influence, and cross-platform content patterns to better understand the impact of short-form health videos.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/dj13070330","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,21]],"date-time":"2025-07-21T08:47:14Z","timestamp":1753087634000},"page":"330","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Oil Pulling on YouTube Shorts"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-8160-3502","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jun","family":"Yaung","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sun Ha","family":"Park","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shahed","family":"Al Khalifah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA"},{"name":"Section of Restorative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"169","DOI":"10.4103\/0970-9290.40476","article-title":"Oil pulling therapy","volume":"19","author":"Asokan","year":"2008","journal-title":"Indian J. Dent. Res."},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"65","article-title":"Oil pulling and importance of traditional medicine in oral health maintenance","volume":"11","author":"Naseem","year":"2017","journal-title":"Int. J. Health Sci."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"47","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2016.02.011","article-title":"Effect of oil pulling in promoting oro dental hygiene: A systematic review of randomized clinical trials","volume":"26","author":"Gbinigie","year":"2016","journal-title":"Complement. Ther. Med."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"47","DOI":"10.4103\/0970-9290.49067","article-title":"Effect of oil pulling on plaque induced gingivitis: A randomized, controlled, triple-blind study","volume":"20","author":"Asokan","year":"2009","journal-title":"Indian J. Dent. Res."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"389","DOI":"10.17269\/s41997-020-00343-0","article-title":"Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and TikTok: A proposal for health authorities to integrate popular social media platforms in contingency planning amid a global pandemic outbreak","volume":"111","author":"Eghtesadi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Can. J. Public Health"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e9","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.2012.301071","article-title":"Web 2.0 for health promotion: Reviewing the current evidence","volume":"103","author":"Chou","year":"2013","journal-title":"Am. J. Public Health"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15","DOI":"10.1177\/1524839911405850","article-title":"Harnessing social media for health promotion and behavior change","volume":"14","author":"Korda","year":"2013","journal-title":"Health Promot. Pract."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2417","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2018.16865","article-title":"Addressing Health-Related Misinformation on Social Media","volume":"320","author":"Chou","year":"2018","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"564","DOI":"10.1016\/j.eururo.2018.10.056","article-title":"Dissemination of Misinformative and Biased Information about Prostate Cancer on YouTube","volume":"75","author":"Loeb","year":"2019","journal-title":"Eur. Urol."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1146","DOI":"10.1126\/science.aap9559","article-title":"The spread of true and false news online","volume":"359","author":"Vosoughi","year":"2018","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zhu, C., Xu, X., Zhang, W., Chen, J., and Evans, R. (2019). How Health Communication via Tik Tok Makes a Difference: A Content Analysis of Tik Tok Accounts Run by Chinese Provincial Health Committees. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 17.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17010192"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.4103\/0970-4388.40315","article-title":"Effect of oil pulling on Streptococcus mutans count in plaque and saliva using Dentocult SM Strip mutans test: A randomized, controlled, triple-blind study","volume":"26","author":"Asokan","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Indian Soc. Pedod. Prev. Dent."},{"key":"ref_13","first-page":"ZC08","article-title":"Comparative Evaluation of Antiplaque Efficacy of Coconut Oil Pulling and a Placebo, Among Dental College Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial","volume":"11","author":"Nagilla","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Clin. Diagn. Res."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"34","DOI":"10.4103\/0970-9290.79971","article-title":"Mechanism of oil-pulling therapy\u2014In vitro study","volume":"22","author":"Asokan","year":"2011","journal-title":"Indian. J. Dent. Res."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Peng, T.R., Cheng, H.Y., Wu, T.W., and Ng, B.K. (2022). Effectiveness of Oil Pulling for Improving Oral Health: A Meta-Analysis. Healthcare, 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare10101991"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"279","DOI":"10.1111\/idh.12284","article-title":"Oral impacts on daily performance: Validity, reliability and prevalence estimates among Indian adolescents","volume":"16","author":"Nagarajappa","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int. J. Dent. Hyg."},{"key":"ref_17","first-page":"e56206","article-title":"Social Media Impact on Self-Perceived Oral Health Practices Among Patients Visiting Tertiary Care Hospital in Lucknow: A Cross-Sectional Study","volume":"16","author":"Singh","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e049","DOI":"10.1590\/1807-3107bor-2023.vol37.0049","article-title":"Exploring online oral health misinformation: A content analysis","volume":"37","author":"Lotto","year":"2023","journal-title":"Braz. Oral. Res."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Elkefi, S. (2023). Exploring Predictors of Social Media Use for Health and Wellness during COVID-19 among Adults in the US: A Social Cognitive Theory Application. Healthcare, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare12010039"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e16608","DOI":"10.1111\/jocd.16608","article-title":"Short Snips: YouTube Shorts Recommendations for Hair Loss and Alopecia","volume":"24","author":"Ko","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Cosmet. Dermatol."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e3","DOI":"10.2196\/mededu.8527","article-title":"Medical YouTube Videos and Methods of Evaluation: Literature Review","volume":"4","author":"Drozd","year":"2018","journal-title":"JMIR Med. Educ."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"899","DOI":"10.3899\/jrheum.111114","article-title":"YouTube for information on rheumatoid arthritis--a wakeup call?","volume":"39","author":"Singh","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Rheumatol."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104375","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijmedinf.2021.104375","article-title":"Healthcare professionals\u2019 acts of correcting health misinformation on social media","volume":"148","author":"Bautista","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Med. Inform."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e27715","DOI":"10.2196\/27715","article-title":"US Physicians\u2019 and Nurses\u2019 Motivations, Barriers, and Recommendations for Correcting Health Misinformation on Social Media: Qualitative Interview Study","volume":"7","author":"Bautista","year":"2021","journal-title":"JMIR Public Health Surveill."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.4103\/0300-1652.153406","article-title":"Effect of coconut oil in plaque related gingivitis\u2014A preliminary report","volume":"56","author":"Peedikayil","year":"2015","journal-title":"Niger. Med. J."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"410","DOI":"10.1007\/s11130-016-0577-y","article-title":"In Silico and Wet Lab Studies Reveal the Cholesterol Lowering Efficacy of Lauric Acid, a Medium Chain Fat of Coconut Oil","volume":"71","author":"Sheela","year":"2016","journal-title":"Plant Foods Hum. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"106","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jtcme.2016.05.004","article-title":"Oil pulling for maintaining oral hygiene\u2014A review","volume":"7","author":"Shanbhag","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Tradit. Complement. Med."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"409","DOI":"10.4103\/0972-124X.194270","article-title":"Clinical efficacy of subgingivally delivered simvastatin gel in chronic periodontitis patients","volume":"20","author":"Agarwal","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Indian Soc. Periodontol."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e17187","DOI":"10.2196\/17187","article-title":"Prevalence of Health Misinformation on Social Media: Systematic Review","volume":"23","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Med. Internet Res."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e004206","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2020-004206","article-title":"Social media and vaccine hesitancy","volume":"5","author":"Wilson","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMJ Glob. Health"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"113","DOI":"10.5005\/jp-journals-10029-1137","article-title":"Efficacy of \u201cOil Pulling\u201d on Gingival Health and Biofilm Accumulation in a Group of Young Adults: A Pilot Study","volume":"5","author":"Rayner","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int. J. Experiment Dent. Sci."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"114","DOI":"10.5005\/jp-journals-10005-1295","article-title":"Comparative Evaluation of the Effects of Fluoride Mouthrinse, Herbal Mouthrinse and Oil Pulling on the Caries Activity and Streptococcus mutans Count using Oratest and Dentocult SM Strip Mutans Kit","volume":"8","author":"Jauhari","year":"2015","journal-title":"Int. J. Clin. Pediatr. Dent."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"332","DOI":"10.1111\/idj.12317","article-title":"The association between oral hygiene and periodontitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"67","author":"Lertpimonchai","year":"2017","journal-title":"Int. Dent. J."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Esmaeilzadeh, F., Movahhed, T., Hasani Yaghooti, M., Hoseinzadah, M., and Babazadeh, S. (2024). Content analysis of fluoride-related posts on Instagram. BMC Oral Health, 24.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12903-024-04913-3"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e37519","DOI":"10.2196\/37519","article-title":"Characterization of False or Misleading Fluoride Content on Instagram: Infodemiology Study","volume":"24","author":"Lotto","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Med. Internet Res."}],"container-title":["Dentistry Journal"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2304-6767\/13\/7\/330\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T18:13:02Z","timestamp":1760033582000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2304-6767\/13\/7\/330"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,21]]},"references-count":35,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7]]}},"alternative-id":["dj13070330"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/dj13070330","relation":{},"ISSN":["2304-6767"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2304-6767","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,21]]}}}