If you ask most people whether or not you can heal a cavity, the answer you would get 99.9% of the time is that it is impossible.
Even conventional dentists would agree with this assessment. Ask a typical dentist at a routine cleaning whether you can heal a cavity on your own and he/she is likely to look at you like you’re crazy (I know this from experience).
In stark contrast to this current conventional “wisdom”, Dr. Weston A. Price DDS wrote of numerous situations in his dental practice back in the 1920s and 1930s where cavities healed with no need for drilling and filling. Dr. Price discovered through research that cavities are caused by nutritional deficiency and when this nutritional deficiency is corrected, the cavity heals.
Biological dentists also understand and teach their patients that teeth can remineralize naturally when the diet and microbial conditions in the mouth are conducive to the healing process.
If you think about this in an open-minded manner leaving all preconceived ideas about cavities behind, doesn’t this make sense? Shouldn’t the body be able to heal a cavity just like it heals a broken bone or a cut on your arm? Why would teeth be any different from a broken wrist after all?
Having read Dr. Price’s epic work Nutrition and Physical Degeneration some years ago, I’ve been of the school of thought that cavities can indeed be healed with proper nutrition for some time. But believing something intellectually and knowing it works from experience are two very different things, are they not?
For this reason, I am very excited to relay to you a recent story regarding one of my children. You see, my oldest child (12 years old at the time) developed a cavity in his top right lateral incisor. It was behind the tooth right on the gumline. My husband noticed it one night as he was checking his teeth to see if he was doing a good job brushing and flossing (he’s way too old for nightly brushing by Mom or Dad).
There was a definite hole in the tooth and not a small one either. My husband called me over to take a look and I was alarmed to see the hole and I used a rubber-tipped tooth probe that we have on hand to check how deep it was. The tip of the probe went way into the hole. There was no doubt that this was a cavity, and we both agreed that we needed to get it filled pronto.
Our reasoning was that the incisors are very prominent teeth and taking a chance that the nutritional approach would not work quickly enough to save the tooth was a big concern for us especially given that our soon to be teenager’s diet could likely not be controlled closely enough to ensure rapid success.
I called the dentist right away and made an appointment. In the meantime, I began insisting that my son take 3 butter oil capsules every morning along with his normal, daily teaspoon of fermented cod liver oil. I’ve always been pretty strict about the daily cod liver oil dose before school, but a bit slack about the butter oil along with it to be perfectly honest.
Not anymore. With this big hole in the back of his incisor, I knew that he needed to take both together. Dr. Price discovered that cavities healed faster when these two therapeutic and nourishing oils were taken together.
The dental appointment was a few weeks out, so I continued with the butter oil capsules every single day. I also told my son that he really needed to go back to his breakfast of two slices of toast each morning with raw butter and honey. This instead of tahini and honey which is what he had been having in recent months.
He was fine with that as he loves raw butter and had just gotten out of the routine of having it every morning. Did this simple change of breakfast have an impact on the development of his cavity?
Probably.
I didn’t change anything else. He didn’t go off grains and he still ate the occasional sugar junk that he gets at school (ugh). It was Easter time too so this type of stuff was rampant. He is almost a teenager, after all. Try to take all grains and sugars out of their diet and you are going to get a rebellion. Kids need to learn some things on their own.
I’ve found you can’t protect your kids from this stuff and raise them in a bubble. You can only teach them to be wise and they will learn moderation on their own over time.
On a side note, I was pleased to see that at a party following his class’s Poetry Day that he bypassed the big bottles of soda and Hershey bars. Amazingly, this junk was being handed out by the parents afterward (no, I’m not kidding).
I was very very proud of him. He knew that eating that stuff would give him a couple of zits for sure and make him feel lousy all afternoon and probably the next day too. We Moms have to celebrate little victories along the way, don’t we?!
Anyway, back to the cavity story.
As it turned out, the day before his dental appointment, the receptionist calls to say that the appointment needed to be rescheduled as the dentist had to unexpectedly go out of town for family reasons. This pushed out the appointment for another couple of weeks, but all the while, we continued with the 3 capsules of butter oil with a teaspoon of fermented cod liver oil after a breakfast of 2 slices of raw butter and honey toast.
Last weekend, I decided to take a peek at the cavity to see if it was getting any worse. It had been about a month since my husband discovered it and I was a bit concerned given that it was one of his top front teeth. I took a flashlight and he tipped his head back and I looked, and looked, and LOOKED!
NO CAVITY!
That’s right. There was no hole at all. It had completely filled in and was as smooth as the tooth next to it. I told my husband and he took a look too. He was delighted to see that the hole was gone.
I took the probe and pressed around just to be sure and confirmed what my eyes were telling me – the cavity had indeed healed over.
I will still be taking him to the dentist to have a check-up but there is no doubt that there is nothing wrong with that tooth any longer.
The best news of all is that I changed very little to get this tooth to heal. He didn’t use coconut oil pulling or any special remedy. He simply continued on his normal, nourishing traditional diet at home with the lapses that typically occur at school and playdate events. We added the butter oil with his daily dose of cod liver oil, and he substituted raw butter for tahini on his toast every morning. The butter oil added critical Vitamin K2 to his diet which supercharges the absorption of the Vitamins A/D in cod liver oil.
That’s it!
I hope you find this story encouraging! Dr. Price’s research really does work in practice!
Dentist’s Conclusion After Examining My Son’s Cavity
This brief update has been added since the original posting date of this blog. I did indeed take my son to the dentist to have a full examination and there was no cavity to be found anywhere in my son’s mouth. A hole was there, the hole is gone. Nutrition can indeed heal cavities!
Diet not only heals early cavities, but it can also heal severe ones where a root canal is recommended. This article on avoiding root canals details that scenario.
Please note that a cavity in a tooth that has already been drilled and filled in the past cannot be healed. Please see a dentist right away to have that cavity filled with non-toxic materials (not mercury amalgams).
Also, a tooth that is cracked or has had part of it broken off cannot be healed with diet. Again, consult with a dentist to have that situation properly handled.
Best Cod Liver Oil and Butter Oil to Heal a Cavity
Please click here for where to buy cod liver oil and butter oil. Note that any old store brand of cod liver oil is not going to work for healing cavities. These brands contain synthetic Vitamin A and D and are heavily processed. Only use these vetted and tested brands to ensure quality results.
Click here to watch my video blog on how to make ghee if you are not able to order butter oil where you live.
Also, this article which provides photographic proof cavities heal can help you see the visual results.
Child Needs to Be on Traditional Diet
Please note that if your child is not on a healthy diet already, the addition of cod liver oil and butter oil (for Vitamin K2) alone will not be sufficient to heal a cavity. A diet consisting primarily of convenience foods that resulted in a cavity problem cannot be rectified with a couple of superfood supplements. It will definitely help and may prevent future cavities, but won’t fix existing ones.
For more information on the diet necessary to heal cavities including high vitamin cod liver oil and butter oil, read the book Cure Tooth Decay.
A Second Cavity Healed!
In May 2017, the same child mentioned in the story above healed yet another cavity. This time he did it all by himself (he is 18 years old now). He noticed a small hole in one of his front teeth. Like the last time, the early cavity was right along the gumline. It was also on the front of the tooth and easy to see in the mirror. I am kicking myself now that we didn’t take before and after pictures!
He asked me what to do about it, and I referred him to what we did 6 years earlier to heal a hole in one of his lateral incisors. He hadn’t been taking much cod liver oil for awhile. So he immediately went back on 1 tsp raw, extra virgin cod liver oil per day (which we are now using instead of fermented liver oil). To supercharge the absorption of the Vitamin A/D in cod liver oil, he also doubled his Vitamin K2 intake (180 mcg/day). Finally, he cut out the few sweets he was eating. Within 2 weeks, the hole was gone!
Please note that instead of butter oil to add K2 to the diet, this time he used a potent natto extract supplement. Both butter oil and natto extract contain the critical Vitamin K2 necessary to heal cavities. It is best used synergistically with cod liver oil for optimal and fast results. Butter oil contains MK-4 and natto extract contains MK-7. This article contains more discussion on MK-4 vs MK-7 forms of Vitamin K2.
Diet is Always First to Heal a Cavity Followed by Cod Liver Oil/K2
My son felt very empowered by the experience. Please note that other than lagging on his cod liver oil/K2 supplement regimen, he was eating an excellent Traditional Diet. Certainly no fast food (ever), candy or soda. Junk to him is a piece of pizza at a party and sweets are a couple of organic cookies after a quality whole foods dinner.
As a Mother, there is nothing better than knowing your children have learned from your efforts raising them and are able to successfully put traditional health into practice for themselves as young adults.
Where to Find a Biological Dentist
I get many requests about who I recommend as a truly holistic dentist. If you are looking for one, I recommend Dr. Carlo Litano of Natural-Smiles.com – (727) 300-0044. Be sure to tell Dr. Litano that the Healthy Home Economist sent you and get 10% off your first visit!
He sees children and does phone consults too!
More Information
Child’s Severe Tooth Decay Healed with Diet
Whiten Your Teeth Without Dangerous Chemicals (that will eventually destroy the enamel)
Healing Periodontal Problems with Bone Broth
Natural Alternative to Baby Teething Gels
Coconut Oil Stops Oral Strep Bacteria from Damaging Tooth Enamel
Cause of Crooked Teeth
10 Signs Your Dentist is Truly Holistic
Could the Cause of Your Illness Be Right Under Your Nose?
Wisdom Tooth Extractions
THANK YOU!!! my family and i started GAPS and taking CLO/BO shortly after you posted this. i had a HUGE cavity in one of my molars that i could literally stick my tongue into. the cavity is still there but it is a fraction of the size. i can finally have ice touch my teeth when i drink without pain also.
my 4 and 2 year olds had cavities also. we had gone to the dentist about a week before you posted. they both “needed” work done. we figured that we would wait it out for a month and try this first. couldn’t hurt, right? boy, am i glad we did!
my 4 year old has STOPPED complaining of tooth pain. his cavities are visibly MUCH smaller.
my 2 year old had amelogenesis imperfecta. some of his molars are completely healed. he had some teeth that had NO enamel on them whatsoever. they now have some enamel and everyday i can visibly see more.
thank you!!!! i can’t wait until our next appointment for the dentist to see the difference!
Laura B,
What is the dosage you have been giving your 2 year old. I have a 2 year old with what looks like a cavity and two next to it with soft spots. Thanks!
As I read this, I became a bit saddened. Our kids are getting sicker and sicker, and we all need to work together to find ways of improving their health. I’m a dentist too, and I’ve read Dr. Price’s book, and what he wrote sounds reasonable. We need to give it a chance before we shoot it. Why not try it? Why not improve the diets of our children? Let’s listen to each other. As dental/medical professionals we can learn a lot from this parents that work so hard everyday to make bone broths, lacto fermented foods, homemade bread, and on and on. It is hard work. How dare we accuse them of being liars or having no heart? We earned a degree to work for them, for the community and their families. And they in turn, should feel comfortable in taking their kids to us, and that we will give them the best advice possible. Doctors are needed when prevention, or diet, or hygiene is not working. We forget who we work for. On the other hand, there has been times when I’ve given dental advice on other blogs or forums like these, and my input is always shot down, because its not what the community wants to hear. We can all learn from each other.
Harmony .. SO GLAD you commented. Thank you. I KNEW there were some dentists out there who would be open to some new ways of thinking (actually old ways that are being rediscovered).
I love that Harmony left a comment here. I hope to bridge more of the disconnect between the holistic community and mainstream medicine as well. There is much to learn from each other, yes, but also I already take the best from both communities myself! We are lucky to have ancient wisdom coupled with current research (if you can sift through the kinds that are “bought”).
I don’t know where your practice is, but I sure want to move there lol You sound like an amazing dentist!!!!! 🙂
Hi Sarah, I really appreciate you blog! Its so much help to me! My kids were just at the dentist yesterday and my 8 yr old had four small ( I cant see or feel them) cavities and my 4 yr old has ‘soft spots’ that arent yet cavities. Do give my kids a nourishing diet for the most part, but still not perfectly, I am definatly going to try the FCLO and BO and hope for the best but Im wondering should I go to a different dentist to get them rechecked? My dentist is ‘holistic’ but all that means at this particular dentist is that they dont do mercury fillings. The nutrition stanpoint is still shunned, so Im wondering if they would just say the cavities are still there even if they happen to heal…
If it were my kids, Sara, I would hit the FCLO/BO hard (twice a day) for a few weeks and then go to different dentist to see what he/she says (don’t say anything about the other dentist’s diagnosis).
Sarah –
How can I determine the proper dosage of the CLO and the butter oil for my kids (and, heck, myself)?
Sarah, what do you think might happen to filled teeth that get better on this protocol? Would the fillings just fall out as the hole fills in with new matter? I understand that all holes may not heal, since some are very large. I have had almost entire teeth full of fillings. Just curious, if I started using this protocol how would my fillings respond? And I’m not asking any of you dentists out there, so don’t even TRY to respond, please!
I don’t have many teeth left and certainly want to protect the remaining ones as much as possible. I have a tooth from which the filling dropped out, and was on stand-by at the dentist’s office to repair it since February, but nothing has opened up for me yet. I’m wondering if maybe I can heal it on my own. Yes, 3 months have passed without dental treatment and hark! I still live and breath! 🙂
Hi Naomi, a filled tooth would present a different scenario altogether. I don’t think fillings would fall out unless they were very small ones. Sounds like yours are larger, drilled out areas however. Your dental health and risk of future cavities would no doubt be reduced considerably by following Dr. Weston Price DDS’s protocol.
Sarah,
I exclusively see children in my practice and mothers like you make my job beyond difficult. Because of you a mother isn’t going to have one of children’s cavities restored believing that she can ‘heal it’. Rest assured I will eventually see that patient who has a true cavity when it has caused an abscess to form. My hope is at that point it has not become a life-threatening cellulitis. Perhaps more research into the ramifications of untreated dental decay might curb your missed placed enthusiasm for out-dated research. Children die EVERY year from untreated dental decay for reasons such as access to care. Please do not let a child die because you think oil capsules actually work. Are you SO SURE that you would gamble with a child’s life all because you ignorantly thought a wedged piece of lettuce was on your child’s tooth was a cavity? If you would, Sarah, you have no soul.
Tell me since you believe dental research from 1930’s with little regard to updated information do you still believe medical research from 1930 as well? Should we not use gloves, should we not test blood products before transfusion, should we only provide whiskey for anesthetic, should medical instruments be washed in this magic oil you speak of instead of sterilized? I’m sure I can find some quacked-out research that supports all of that, too.
How about IGNORED research, not outdated? Just because research is old does not make it outdated.
I love all these comments from dentists on this blog. It puts on display for the thousands of people who read this blog to see how closed minded the vast majority of dentists really are and how very cautious we must all be with what they tell us.
And,the hole was not a piece of lettuce. My husband and I both saw it appear and disappear. It wasn’t just me.
Sarah! I thought we were done! Oh well. Just post some pictures of your son’s ‘toothhole’ , before and after, and all these crazy, immoral, and money-hungry dentists will go away……oh you say you can’t do that? Find someone else with a cavity (pretty easy to do), and use them as an example. Easy. Conflict resolved.
I don’t have a camera that would take a picture at the back of a tooth on the gumline and zoom in that close. Also, I didn’t think to take a picture at the time as I was just as shocked as anyone when it DISAPPEARED! I told you I made an appt to get it filled but started in with the butter oil heavily as the hole to me was an indication of nutritional deficiency .. I did the butter oil to prevent future cavities and was delighted that the existing one filled in.
Why can’t you stop the Doubting Thomas routine and just admit that it is possible and try it for yourself? You look silly ganging up on me calling me a liar. It makes you look desperate and very much a bully.
Oh, and by the way. I have another anecdotal story from someone else to post very soon. So, all you dentists can wait in the wings to converge on that post and call that Mom a liar too.
Sarah,
I just wanted to piggyback on to the well-informed comments made by “Another Dentist”. To understand the process of tooth decay, you need to look at it from the molecular level. A tooth is made up of layers. The outer layer, “enamel”, is an inorganic crystaline matrix. This matrix is made up mostly by the molecule hydroxyapatite. There is no blood or nerve supply to this layer as “another dentist” explained. In the case that the process of decay begins, acids produced by bacteria begin to “demineralize” the outer layers of enamel. This process occurs when the acid breaks the chemical bonds of the hydroxyapatite crystal, and calcium ions, phosphate ions, and other ions are lost into your saliva. Once the hydroxyapatite crystals have demineralized, the crystal structure deeper into the enamel begins to demineralize, and so on, and so on, until that demineralization process reaches the dentin layer. Once the dentin layer has been compromised, the tooth is considered to have a “cavity” and requires a filling.
Let’s take a closer look at your hypothesis that dental caries can be “cured” with the use of butter oil and cod liver oil, and how those supplements would augment the remineralization of the enamel. Since the enamel does not recieve a nutrient supply from the pulp of the tooth (because there are no pathways or vessels for those nutrients to travel in) the process of remineralization can only occur externally, through the nutrients provided in saliva. The levels of nutrients in saliva can be affected by diet for sure, but first we need to understand what nutrients are required for the remineralization process to occur. As the hydroxyapatite breaks down, calcium ions, phosphate ions, hydroxyl groups, and other ions are lost. It would stand to reason that REmineralizing the enamel would require exposure to these ions correct? It was also discovered that a fluoride ion could replace the lost hydroxyl groups in the hydroxyapatite structure, resulting in a much more acid resistant structure. This led to the inclusion of fluoride in drinking water and toothpaste in the 1950’s. Since this addition, there has been a DRAMATIC decrease in the occurence of dental caries, but I digress. In order for the two oils in question to aid in the remineralization process, they would need to have an abundanc of Calcium, phosphate, and fluoride ions, which they do not. Therefore, we can conclude that the hypothesis that they aid in the remineralization process is a false hypothesis.
Now lets take a look at the hypothesis that the introduction of these oils into the diet can heal a hole in the tooth. In order for any “healing” of a cavity to take place, there must be an inorganic matrix present for the hydroxyapetite molecules to fill in. Think of it like a hole in your roof. Without a wooden scaffolding, there is nothing for the shingles to attach to, and the roof would cave in. You postulated that your child had a hole in his tooth, and that after weeks of supplementing with oils the hole was gone. I am not here to question what you saw, I believe that you believe that there was a hole. No question, it is, however, biologically impossible for a hole in a tooth to repair itself because the matrix has been lost forever. We currently do not have the technology to regrow an enamel matrix in the mouth. God willing we will in the future, but science has not progressed that far yet. I have read the arguements above, with good points from both sides, but we can’t overlook the fact that it is impossible to regrow lost tooth structure. So that hypothesis is also debunked.
Now let’s talk about your hypothesis that Dr. Price’s work was “epic” and that he was a “visionary”. There is no denying that Dr. Price contributed greatly to the dental world. His application of the paralleling and bisecting angle technique when taking radiographs is a staple in all radiology classes taught in dental school. His application of the porcelain furnace has allowed dentistry to take leaps and bounds in the world of recreating natural looking smiles. His research regarding western diets has good points, but was flawed from a scientific standpoint, this is why it was debunked. His lack of quantitative analysis and alternate hypotheses made it impossible to reproduce his findings, and therefore made his research unacceptable in the scientific community. On a whole, there is nothing wrong with scientific findings from the past, AS LONG AS THEY CAN BE REPRODUCED. This is the basis of facts, results that can be reproduced over and over until they can be overwhelmingly accepted as truth. His research IN THE AREA OF TOOTH DECAY does not fall under this category. He is spot on with his analysis that a western diet consisting of refined sugars and starches will contribute to the progression of decay, but his research does not support the hypothesis that tooth decay can be healed.
I understand that you have a degree in economics (Phi Beta Kappa no less, well done. I am also a member of the prestigious society), and as a student of higher education, you have to force yourself to take in different views, process them, and adapt your views accordingly. Your vehement defense of your viewpoints shows that you aren’t open to different ideas on the subject. I for one have appreciated this article and subsequent debate because it has forced me to research my own knowledge of the subject, and I am more informed because of it.
As a journalist in the blogosphere, you have a responsibility to your constituents and those that happen onto your site. You owe them a well informed, researched article with MULTIPLE resources to back up your statements, just like writing a research paper in college. Your works cited is the most important part of the paper. By providing an unbalanced article, you are risking the health of the children of parents reading your articles that might not have the sense to double check the facts. I hope in the future you will look at both sides of the arguement before posting. I look forward to your response.
Hi Zak,
You are rather presumptuous in telling me what my blog should and shouldn’t do. I have no responsibility on this blog other than to blog about what I find interesting and fascinating in my life … and your take on cavities, dear sir, I find less than interesting and downright boring as it is the same old line that most dentists dish out (not all – I know several holistic dentists that teach the tooth can heal philosophy). I am interested in other realms of possibility as with Dr. Price DDS’s research which has been overlooked and underappreciated by the dental community as evidenced by your comments.
“Note that this mineralized dentine is not vital, nor does it increase in volume and fill the cavity.” This quote is from Dr. Weston Price himself and completely debunks your theory since he is the only dentist in the world you all will listen to. Since you won’t listen to the past 90 years of research at least listen to your Dr. Messiah Price. These are his own words saying you can’t fill in a cavity with new tooth structure once it is lost, these are the holes we have been talking about, not the chalky white enamel that can be reversed with the dietary changes proposed.
“Note that this mineralized dentine is not vital, nor does it increase in volume and fill the cavity.” This quote is from Dr. Weston Price himself and completely debunks your theory since he is the only dentist in the world you all will listen to. Since you won’t listen to the past 90 years of research at least listen to your Dr. Messiah Price. These are his own words saying you can’t fill in a cavity with new tooth structure once it is lost.
I’m pretty sure those children who die from unfilled cavities also have very poor diets, too. They likely live in poverty and don’t have money to go to the dentist. Right? Therefore, what you say is not applicable. If you don’t fill it AND you don’t nourish the child, sure, there are going to be problems….
To all of the dentists that have previously commented – Many of you have expressed concern for the ignorant housewives, such as myself, that will blindly follow Sarah’s professional advice to the detriment of our children’s health. I would just like to remind everyone that this is a BLOG. I am under no illusion that Sarah posses some magical knowledge on the subject of dentistry. This is not a dental forum or a scientific journal. This is a blog. A place where someone can tell their own story, from their point of view, be it fact or fiction. I will take her story for what it is, an anecdotal account. It is up to me to decide how much weight I want to give it. If I want conventional dental advice I will go to a dentist. If I want to read someone’s story I will read a blog.
I have also read the work of Dr. Price and Ramiel Nagel and have put their teaching into practice in with positive results. I don’t need to read a blog to know that you can reverse cavities. I have seen it with my own eyes in my own childrens’ teeth!
D, can you not read? Dental picks do not disappear into lettuce shards. Now drink some more mercury and go back to your poisoning practice.
Well said, Another Dentist. I could not have said it better myself. It is biologically and physically impossible for enamel to regenerate. I believe that Sarah thinks she saw a hole but it is more likely that it was something stuck in the gum tissue or a stain in a groove that was eventually cleaned out. Its just not possible for enamel to grow back…sorry.
I do agree that dietary changes can affect your teeth. If you are eating a more wholesome, natural diet there is evidence that suggests your risk of tooth decay is decreased. The oral bacterial that cause the disease dental caries can more easily “digest” and use refined sugars and simple starches found in our modern and processed foods. With such a great food/energy supply, those bacteria can multiply more rapidly and put out more harmful by-products that lead to tooth decay. Perhaps more importantly, if you are eating a high protein and fiber diet, you are likely to eat less frequently and, therefore, you are “feeding” the bad oral bacteria less frequently. With less food, they do not thrive. That being said, diet is a preventative measure in the fight against tooth decay. There is nothing that you can eat or drink that will actually heal a cavitated lesion or hole in your tooth.
What is dangerous about Sarah’s advice is that the infection that starts out as a simple cavity that could be fixed with a filling, can progress to a more serious condition if left untreated. Painful and dangerous abscesses can form, and if the infection progresses enough, hospitalization may be required. It is especially dangerous in children. Sadly, there are cases in which children have died as a result of untreated dental problems. It is rare, but are you really willing to risk it?
Please don’t take the advice of someone who is not qualified to counsel on this subject matter and advises taking oil supplements to heal a tooth. Seek the opinion of a trained dental professional…or a few dental professionals if you would like more than one opinion. There are ways to prevent tooth decay and remineralize “soft spots” on teeth, but as many have said before, there is absolutely no way for a tooth to regenerate itself and heal a true cavity.
If you want to drill and fill, then go right ahead. Let others choose for themselves. Taking butter oil and fermented cod liver oil for a few weeks to heal a cavity is not much of a risk at all. If the dentist thought that my son’s cavity was that bad, she would have given us an appt. right away, right? I described it IN DETAIL on the phone, yet an appt a few weeks out was the best they gave me. Plenty of time to heal it as it turns out. 🙂
We’ve been on it for 2 weeks already and I see no changes in the pinholes in my daughters teeth sadly. Because our dentist also saw no need to get an appt asap (and they saw first hand what we were dealing with, the dentist discovered it) I figured I had some time to buy and try out some things. I am saddened this hasn’t worked for us and we have made dietary changes as well. I have one more week to give it and then back we go….
Um, you are chastising Sarah’s readers for taking “the advice of someone who is not qualified to counsel on this subject matter,” but spent the previous three paragraphs giving dental advise about how enamel can’t regenerate. ??
Btw, children have died as a direct result of dental “treatment”, so are you willing to risk that?
Please don’t take the advice of anyone who has monetarily supported the ADA and its agenda of lying to the public about mercury toxicity. Such a person has ZERO credibility, as he or she devotes his or her energies to destroy the health and lives of their hapless patients. Mad as a hatter they are!
Understanding why this seems far-fetched requires an understanding of the basic idea of how the body heals and then correlating that with the specific part of human anatomy that needs to heal, in this case a tooth. This will hopefully answer why you’re line of reasoning below is, in my opinion, flawed.
Sarah wrote: “If you think about this in an open-minded manner leaving all preconceived ideas about cavities behind, doesn’t this make sense? Shouldn’t the body be able to heal a cavity just like it heals a broken bone or a cut on your arm? Why would teeth be any different from a broken wrist after all?”
I thought about your first question and took you up on it, I actually took cavities completely out of the equation and thought about what if your child just chipped his tooth instead of a cavity. Because after all, the end game is the same for the body. There is a part of the tooth that isn’t there anymore, regardless of how or why, the process of healing should be the same, right? In fact, it should be much more difficult to heal a cavity than a chipped tooth because a cavity is chalk full of bacteria which would hinder or delay the healing process. So I thought about this and I decided to give the body ideal conditions for healing. After thinking about that the answer to your second question is no and the third question is answered below.
In order for the body to replace damaged or missing tissue it requires a blood supply or a pipe-line for reparative cells to the damaged area. Tissue doesn’t appear out of thin air, the body must send immune cells as well as progenitor cells (precursor cells/stem cells) that are capable of differentiating or transforming into the tissue that is to be replaced. Now the tooth itself DOES have a blood supply contained within the pulp or the inner part (canal) of the tooth, as well as nerves and various other tissues. This is where it stays, some cell processes (NO blood vessels) are found a few micrometers into the dentin but when it comes to the outer layer of the tooth, the enamel (which is a few millimeters from the pulp), it just simply isn’t there. This is not a preconceived idea about cavities, this is not a theory of dental anatomy, this is well proven, well documented, well researched human anatomy that has been proven over and over again. So with that in mind, there is no way this hole in your child’s tooth regrew to the point where it was as smooth as the tooth text to it, because this would suggest the body grew new enamel, this would require a blood supply to the enamel, which I just outlined it does not have. Softened enamel can re-harden but once it cavitates, or once a hole forms, its gone for good. A little more on this later one. Bottom line, the bulk enamel you are born with is the enamel you die with. This is why your reasoning that “shouldn’t the body be able to heal a tooth just like a broken bone” is flawed. The bones enjoy a very rich blood supply as well as progenitor/healing cells and thus are capable of healing themselves in most instances. This is why I think you were most likely mistaken in your initial assessment of the cavity or hole. Based on your description of where the alleged hole was, this is a difficult area to see and I can easily see how one could misinterpret what they were seeing. I don’t mean this to be insulting or condescending but based on what I said above I don’t see any other explanation. Additionally, unless your child has rampant tooth decay this is a very uncommon place to get a cavity. I’m glad your child didn’t have to get a filling, I just don’t believe there was ever anything to fill.
Side note: The word “cavity” is a generic term that is easy for the lay person to understand. Not all “cavities” are the same, not all “cavities” need to be “drilled and filled,” there are various stages to tooth decay or cavities, some of which ARE reversible. The outer layer of enamel can become demineralized (no hole, just a chalky white appearance) by bacteria and as long as this area remains plaque/bacteria free it should remineralize itself by using fluoridated toothpaste or high concentration fluoride treatment by a dentist, it may even return to the smooth, lustery appearance of healthy enamel. But like I said before, once the enamel cavitates, (i.e. a hole forms), that enamel just isn’t coming back.
As far as Dr. Weston Price goes, his ideas were simplistic and much of what he claimed has been refuted by years of well-designed and reproducible research. Yes, research, research is done to PROTECT us, to make sure what we are doing to treat ourselves is based on proven outcomes. The system is not perfect but it is there to make sure that the care being provided is safe, effective and ethical. Dr. Price’s ideas and theories have been abused by many clinicians since and have caused great harm to a great many people that unfortunately could not find help from modern medicine or dentistry. There are those that have been helped or were perceived to have been helped by his theories. There just as many whose conditions could have been managed by proven, time-tested treatment’s that delayed their treatment in lieu of a natural cure resulting in a worsening condition and in some cases resulting in irreversible damage. I am all for thinking outside the box and finding new conservative ways to treat our common ailments but we MUST be careful. Your method may seem like a harmless, conservative method to treat tooth decay but without a clear understanding of what your recommending it can become very dangerous and harmful. I don’t make a habit of commenting on blogs but I felt compelled when I came across this. If this butter/fish oil concoction is misused or misinterpreted by even one person then a great injustice has been done.
If what happened to my son and the healing of his tooth is so far fetched, then why are you dentists converging en masse to this blog to refute it? Obviously, there is something about this anecdotal story that scares you to the bone. The very real possibility that teeth can indeed heal as Dr. Price researched and discovered and that all that you have believed and practiced your entire dental career is a sham and false.
The more you come on this blog to pontificate and deny my story and the stories of others who have commented with similar stories, the more you give credence to this fact that teeth can indeed heal.
“Thy Protesteth Too Much!” -William Shakespeare
“The more you come on this blog to pontificate and deny my story and the stories of others who have commented with similar stories, the more you give credence to this fact that teeth can indeed heal.”
I’m not even sure how that makes sense, unless you truly believe we are all evil and money hungry. If that is the case you are just as close-minded as the next person. I provided some very sound and logical information that I hope you read, yet the portion you chose to comment on was the fact that I was a dentist and that thought the idea seemed far-fetched, both of which were in the first sentence. Perhaps I should have started with there is NO way Sarah is wrong about this, since that is probably how you feel.
Please re-read it, this time with the open mind you asked us to have as we read your story.
As I said before, I DID NOT write this blog for close minded dentists.
I wrote this for Moms and Dads who are interested in nutrition and want to try it for healing/preventing cavities in their children and for themselves. I DID NOT write it for you and have no interest in debating with people who cannot be debated with because they are so locked into “their way is the only right way” modality.
I learned years ago that arguing with conventional dentists/doctors is a waste of time. I spend my time giving info to open minded people. I do not cast pearls before swine.
“Do NOT try this at home people, listen to we dental professionals and disregard nutrition as a way to keep your teeth healthy” argument is absolutely comedic. I don’t read your story with an open mind because it wasn’t written with an open mind.
Hi,
I have read your post very carefully as I also always look at both sides. I do appreciate your logic and reason, and also your (for the most part) very respectable tone. But let me ask you this, have you actually sat down and read the entire book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Dr. Price?
I have read the book and I can’t see how someone could read it and look at the pictures and not be convinced that nutrition plays the most important role in dental health? I’m just curious, what did you see that indicates that his work is false?
“yes, I understand you feel that way, but have you READ Dianetics?”
And what if he reads it and still disagrees with it? The man references Dr. Price’s work in his explanation, so he is clearly familiar with it.
You hinge your argument on “but have you read the book?” and ignore the simple possibility that having or having not read a book doesn’t actually qualify an idea as right or wrong. I hear this exact argument from crazy anti-psychiatry Scientologists all the time, and they at least had the decency to be brainwashed by their cult first.
Hi Another Dentist,
Your calm and well written comments were a very refreshing change of pace compared to the other “professionals” who outright called Sarah a liar and mocked her. I have two comments about your thoughts.
One, if you remove a chunk of a tooth, an entire tooth, or a foot or finger, you cannot expect them to regenerate. But if you drill a small hole in bones, or the skin, or any other body tissue, it will heal. It may scar, but it will eventually heal. Small holes in teeth are no different.
Secondly, I always look at both sides of research. When I first discovered Dr. Price’s work, I looked at the opposing sides. I couldn’t find anything that refuted his work. A few people calling him crazy or a quack or whatever, but nothing actually indicating that they had read his work. Where have you seen something that successfully and accurately refutes his work? The person that runs quackwatch would be an example of someone who does not successfully and accurately refutes Dr, Price’s work and obviously has little understanding of his work.
I’m not a dentist, but in understand exactly what he said. The outer layer of the tooth, unlike bones, skin, and other body tissue, does not have blood flowing to it. Bones are filled with blood vessels and other tissue capable of carrying those healing agents. The outer layer of teeth are not. So if you poke a hole in a bone, blood will be able to reach the hole or dent or scrape or whatever and repair it. The outer layer of the tooth does not have access to that blood, and so cannot repair a small hole in the outer layer.
I have one word for you: saliva.
“Saliva is like a bloodstream to the mouth. As does blood, saliva helps build and maintain the health of the soft and hard tissues. Saliva removes waste products and provides disease-fighting substances throughout the mouth, offering first line protection against microbial invasion or overgrowth that might lead to disease. The chemical nature of saliva has evolved in humans along with the oral flora and the teeth. Saliva is derived from blood and, as such, can be used diagnostically to detect diseases. ”
And THAT came straight from ADA.org. Boom.
To Candy: That sentence you wrote says nothing about its regenerative capabilities. IT CANNOT REGENERATE A HOLE IN THE TOOTH. It is not a bloodstream, the statement says it is like a bloodstream. It can remineralize small cavities but it can’t fill in holes, my God, if you won’t listen to me here is a quote from Dr. Price himself.
“Note that this mineralized dentine is not vital, nor does it increase in volume and fill the cavity.” Since you won’t listen to the past 90 years of research at least listen to your Dr. Messiah Price. These are his own words saying you can’t fill in a cavity with new tooth structure once it is lost, these are the holes we have been talking about, not the chalky white enamel that can be reversed with the dietary changes proposed.
Emily, thank you for mature reply, I realize it has been a long time but I just stumbled back onto this blog and thought I would see what was new. I never said nutrition doesn’t play an important role, it does, we do have education in nutrition. You drill a hole in a tooth its not going to regenerate, bottom line, the disease process may halt and “scar” as you put it but it will NEVER fill itself back in. Here is a quote from your beloved Dr. Price.
“Note that this mineralized dentine is not vital, nor does it increase in volume and fill the cavity.”
“The more you come on this blog to pontificate and deny my story and the stories of others who have commented with similar stories, the more you give credence to this fact that teeth can indeed heal.”
The take away from this is that this blog contains nothing more than stories. You refuse to provide anyone with any actual evidence of any heating what so ever. If your story is true, prove it. Otherwise keep your uneducated mouth shut before you hurt someone.
Add me in. I have also cured cavities with improved nutrition. Those of us who have done it KNOW it’s true. For us, it’s not a theory. Not just an idea we read in a book. Not a faith to believe in.
I realize that the dentists responding here have trouble believing this. They think we’re all lying, simply because they have not experienced it for themselves. If only they would try it. Test it for themselves.
This blog is for people who want to try things for themselves. Self responsibility.
What’s the big deal — before you get the filling, buy a bottle of the recommended cod liver oil and butter oil and test it for yourself. If it doesn’t work in a few weeks, then get the fillings. What do you have to lose?
Lady, you are downright crazy. They are coming here to refute you BECAUSE you are wrong. If you were right, they wouldn’t be able to say anything. However, since you’re going around spouting anecdotes like they were solid fact carved by the Lord Almighty, you are endangering people.
To put it another way: “if the idea that the world is actually flat is so far fetched, HOW could I have sailed to the very edge of it and seen it for myself? Obviously something about this anecdote scares your round-worlders to the core or you wouldn’t be trying so hard to refute it.”
Your argument that the more they try to show you as wrong proves all the more how right you are is absolutely ridiculous and preposterous, it shows how dangerous you are to the people around you by spouting falsehoods that endanger them by discouraging them seeking professional help. Hell, the guy above explained in calm, detailed precision WHY you are wrong and YOU just ignored him. Who’s the closed minded one now?
I am terrified right now. I have lived with the same cavity for nearly ten years. I finally went to see a dentist about it. I have been to the dentist twice this year and cannot afford a “drill and fill”. I’m paying my own way through college right now and the money just isn’t there. Anyway, between the first and second visit, the cavity became worse, now after the second it has spread to another tooth! I think it’s odd that I haven’t been to a dentist in nearly ten years with this cavity and now all of a sudden it has not only gotten worse, but it has also spread. I have several other health issues at the time that are all pointing to my poor diet. I am using the advice on this site starting the end of January. I have another dentist appointment in May… it will be interesting to see what the changes will be! I need to add, too… before going to my second appointment, I did some research and learned about Price. The dentist assistant (or w/e) did my check up and then the dentist came in. She made a comment about why I haven’t made an appointment to fix my teeth. I playfully told her ” hopefully one day… when I have the money…” and I giggled a bit and looked at her, she laughed a little and gave a “sympathetic” and warm smile… then I added “either that or it will just have to heal on it’s own…” I was still giggling and being playful, but when I looked back up at her she had a look so terrifying… it’s like her face froze and she couldn’t breathe! I kid you not! so, I added, “which we both know that can’t happen”… she didn’t smile again and said her goodbyes. For some reason, that to me signals that at least trying to fix it naturally is worth a shot! There was just something in that look and it wasn’t a look like “not another crazy naturalist” but more like “crap, if she does this, who could she tell? how fast would it spread?”
Mr. “Another dentist”, you lie through your mercury-encrusted toxic teeth. In the mouth, as you well know, blood flow is not required to all surfaces because enamel is both dissolved and deposited through circulation of saliva. Perhaps you forgot that little tidbit, given the neurological damage you may be suffering from mercury exposure.
Sapphireys, you are fool. I am glad you found that little tidbit in your 10 minute google search about saliva. The saliva can deposit minerals to the enamel surface, it is called remineralization. This requires an matrix and existing enamel to occur. I don’t know why I am wasting my time defending this to you, you call me a liar because I didn’t mention this process when I in fact did when talking about remineralization. But don’t listen to me, here is a quote from Dr. Weston Price himself.
“Note that this mineralized dentine is not vital, nor does it increase in volume and fill the cavity.” This quote is from Dr. Weston Price himself and completely debunks your theory since he is the only dentist in the world you all will listen to. Since you won’t listen to the past 90 years of research at least listen to your Dr. Messiah Price. These are his own words saying you can’t fill in a cavity with new tooth structure once it is lost.
Sodium Fluorideis used in most toothpastes, mouthwashes, dental varnish, dental preparations and nutritional supplements. This same form of fluoride is used as an insecticide and pesticide, as a preservative in glues, as a growth inhibitor for bacteria, fungi and mold. Sodium fluoride is also used in making steel and aluminum products. Added to molten metal, sodium fluoride creates a more uniform metal. Other industrial uses for sodium fluoride include glass frosting and wood preservatives. Sodium Fluoride is also used in the manufacture of chemical and biological weapons.
Think this form of fluroide is beneficial for health? Do you know there are several forms of fluoride, and the ones added to our drinking water and toothpastes are not the naturally occuring kind? They are industrial by-products.
Sodium Fluorideis used in most toothpastes, mouthwashes, dental varnish, dental preparations and nutritional supplements. This same form of fluoride is used as an insecticide and pesticide, as a preservative in glues, as a growth inhibitor for bacteria, fungi and mold. Sodium fluoride is also used in making steel and aluminum products. Added to molten metal, sodium fluoride creates a more uniform metal. Other industrial uses for sodium fluoride include glass frosting and wood preservatives. Sodium Fluoride is also used in the manufacture of chemical and biological weapons.
Do you know there are different forms of fluoride? The ones added to our water and in toothpastes are not the naturally-occuring kind. They are industrial by-products.
Thank you for your informative response!
Well said G.Kaiser.
Quack Sarah needs to get her head examined and obtain a dental degree before she tells people about dentistry. Or maybe she will be given an honorary degree because she “discovered a cure for the worlds most common disease”!!!
Amazing what people fall for!
You can do whatever you want Sarah, but stop duping gulible people and leading them to more trouble.
Thanks for the laugh though.
P.S wanted to ask if you have a stake in this company you keep promoting?
I have no stake in the company. Zero. It’s too bad you can’t just be happy that my kid’s tooth hole is gone and be open minded that there might be a way to fix it that doesn’t line a dentist’s pocket. Folks like you enjoy tearing down other’s optimistic and positive stories. I’ll bet you are quite the joy to live with.
I was inspired by something someone said about your colleges, so I will say it here again to you. I am so glad you posted a comment so I know to avoid your dental practice! I want nothing but encouragement from my dentist.
Mr. arrogant “LOL”, read up on your history about what happened to Fishbein, the popularizer of employing the term “quackery” as a political tool. Although he headed the AMA for far too long and utterly corrupted it, he was himself a poser, having never practiced medicine a day in his life. Never healed a single patient, or even tried. He devoted his energies to ruining the lives of effective healers who chose not to assimilate into the Borg/AMA political machine. The truth finally caught up with Mr. Fishbein (he doesn’t deserve the title “Dr.”, so watch out for yourself. Truth will out, sooner or later, and false idols fall when it does.