Source 5

Source Document Analysis Worksheet

Asokan, Sharath				2 April 2008
Author’s name (last, first)				Publication date
Oil pulling therapy
Title
Indian Journal of Dental Research		Chennai, India, Indian Journal of Dental Research
Book series OR Journal		Location and publisher OR volume, issue, pages

1. What is the source’s stated purpose (the argument or thesis)?

The purpose of this article is to bring up the importance of an alternative form of oral care.  Although there are older forms of oral care that have been practiced for centuries, the author is bringing up the validity of these practices. The author wants more research to be done on this topic.

2. What evidence does the author provide to support his or her main argument? How is the author attempting to logically prove his or her thesis and how does this affect the organization of the document?

The sesame plant gives off gingelly or til seeds. Sesame oil has a high concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids and is a good source of vitamin E. Sesamin has been found to inhibit the absorption of cholesterol as well as its production in the liver. It reduces lipogenesis and exhibits an antihypertensive action.

'Oil pulling' or oil swishing is a procedure that involves swishing oil in the mouth for oral and systemic health benefits. Oil pulling therapy with sesame oil has been extensively used as a traditional Indian folk remedy for many years for strengthening teeth, gums, and jaws and to prevent tooth decay, oral malodor, bleeding gums, dryness of throat, and cracked lips. For oil pulling therapy, a tablespoon (teaspoon for young children) of sesame oil is taken in the mouth, sipped, sucked, and pulled between the teeth for 10-15 min. The viscous oil turns thin and milky white. It is claimed that the swishing activates enzymes and draws toxins out of the blood. The oil should not be swallowed as it contains bacteria and toxins. Oil pulling therapy should be followed by tooth brushing and rinsing of the mouth. It is preferably done on an empty stomach in the morning.

Sesame oil has the following advantages over the standard and commercially available mouthwashes: it causes no staining, has no lingering aftertaste, and causes no allergic reactions. It is five to six times more cost-effective than the commercially available mouthwashes and is, moreover, readily available in the household. Considering these benefits, oil pulling therapy with sesame oil should be promoted as a measure for the prevention of oral disease.

3. Who is the audience? What does the author assume the audience already knows about the topic?

The audience is anyone interested in performing more research into this topic. This research can turn out to become a big industry in third world countries since it can be produced much cheaper. The author tells us the potential benefits of learning more about the oil as to spark an interest.

4. Describe the author’s methods (i.e. how does the author know what he or she knows)?  In your opinion were they appropriate why or why not?

The author knows this information because it has been around for such a long period of time. The author still doesn’t know much about the topic and is inquiring more about it.

5. To what other sources (theorist, researchers, artists) does the author refer? Explain the specific ideas the author draws upon from these other sources to support his or her own argument (the theoretical framework).

The author cannot refer to much research prior to this, but many articles have been referenced with it since.

6. What are the connections between this source and your project? How useful or applicable is this source’s approach to your own project? How is yours new and different? 

The neat part of this source is that it brings up an alternative form of oral care that can be used anywhere. This source mainly brings up the idea that there are other preventatives and hygiene available. The best part of it all is that it is affordable and available. That is crucial for developing countries. This source just gives me a good idea that there is at least one alternative form of oral care available to the public.