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
I am having some problems with my son’s teeth and would like to try the cod liver oil but he is allergic to cows milk so i don’t think i can do the butter oil. Is there anything else we could use or would just the cod liver oil work? he is also allergic to coconut. Thanks!
I too have read this whole page and would also like to add my experience. I will try to be brief with what I can, forgive typo’s I am typing fast. 10 yrs ago, my 2nd daughter was 2 3/4 yrs old at the time. She had candida issues that my reg. Ped. could not identify or help me with other than steroids and other drugs. We were complete S.A.D. eaters. She also had 8 cavities 4 on the top front teeth, and 4 behind the top front teeth. Upon return home from the diagnosis of these cavities from our Ped. Dentists, in the entry of my home, I knelt down before her and with tears in my eyes I vowed before her and God that I WOULD find the answers to her problems and I apologized to her for not already possessing this information that I SHOULD have possessed to raise her properly and to pass on to her and her children. I had all of her cavities filled as these were baby teeth, her apt. with the dentist was only 3 days away. It was done. I then began to read ALL that I could find on the computer on pulp, enamel, decay, carries, etc. I did not know who or what to believe, so I began with a “clean” slate. We went raw vegan. Over the next 2 years my son (my youngest who was 4 at this time) developed 6 cavities, my oldest 8yrs old had developed 1 cavity and myself 3 cavities one of which was VERY bad. We ALL had been grinding our teeth when sleeping and clenched them during waking hours. I had migraines that were debilitating due to the constant clenching and severe grinding, my dentist told me I would probably never stop grinding, that I would not find the answer to my grinding because “it is not medically know why people do it”. My children would wake me in the night with their grinding and their teeth became worn from it. We were about 90% raw vegan which is very high. Still something inside me could NOT help but give them raw goat cheese, and weekly wild salmon (thank GOD). We had an amazing diet with all of the raw green juice, smoothies, nut loafs, salads, eggplant bacon, raw soups… just amazing dishes and foods, however our Raw Vegan diet had failed us. 2 years 9months into being raw vegan my 4yr old son had 6 cavities. I had only 2 of them filled right away. the rest I prolonged the apt.’s for and I got in my truck and I made a B-Line for the local book store to purchase “Nourishing Traditions” AND “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration” THEY HAD THEM BOTH !! I was amazed. I then made a B-Line for my local Whole Foods Market and purchased all that I could find there for me to replicate the meal protocol that Weston Price HALTED & REVERSED rampant decay with when he gave this one meal to mission clinic groups of children ( 7th Edition, Chap.22, Pg. 428-433) I went straight home and made my first vat of Mediterranean Fish Soup (Nourishing Traditions revised 2nd ed. Pg. 207) I also bought what I could at Whole Foods for CLO (nordic naturals) as I waited for my green pastures to come in… I made the soup that afternoon and gave it to my family that night and for the next 6 nights. yes they were sick of the soup lol. During that week I also made my own sourdough starter (pg489) and old world sourdough rye bread (pg490) so they also ate this bread with lots of grass fed butter along with the CLO and the rest of the protocol meal. On day 4 NO ONE in my family was grinding their teeth. Not one of us. I also took note that my constant headache was no more and I did not have any other migraines from then on. I followed this protocol for my family for 8 months varying the soup as Dr. Price did with the mission children. At this 8 month mark I took my son back to the Ped. Dentist for another x-ray. He said he could still see the decay slightly. But I could not see it on the films… so I took my son for a 2nd opinion to another dentist. While I cringed at the thought of a 2nd x-ray… it was digital which is less radiation, and I just needed to know for sure. This dentist said that he could not find any decay on my son’s teeth or on x-ray. My son is now 10 years old. We have followed a Weston Price diet for the past 6 years and have not looked back. I now understand what our S.A.D. diet and raw vegan diet lacked and why we had decay with each of them.
I don’t understand why many dentist and professionals in the dental industry INSIST that enamel does not regenerate…. but will sell you a tube of MI paste, a complex of casein phosphopeptides (CPP) and amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) for about $20 to $25 in the bat of an eye http://www.mi-paste.com/faq_10.php OR tell you to use a mouth wash that will “remineralize” your teeth, OR a toothpaste for “strengthening and rebuilding your enamel” http://www.crest.com/crest-products/3D-white-advanced-vivid-enamel-renewal-toothpaste.aspx
I mean it’s ALL over the place. Such contradiction. And I really don’t understand “Professionals” who do not act “Professional” when confronted with sincere questions and or people who sincerely share their experiences.
“First you guess. Don′t laugh, this is the most important step. Then you compute the consequences. Compare the consequences to experience. If it disagrees with experience, the guess is wrong. In that simple statement is the key to science. It doesn′t matter how beautiful your guess is or how smart you are or what your name is. If it disagrees with experience, it′s wrong. That′s all there is to it.”
Richard Feynman
“…man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but usually manages to pick himself up, walk over or around it, and carry on.”
Winston Churchill
“It is through science that we prove, but through intuition that we discover.”
Henri Poincare
One more note… I frequent a good handful of health websites, one of which is a message board for children with autism… I have no issues with autism… but the things these Moms are doing with their children… actually “recovering” them … is AMAZING. It is well known that children with autism do not utilize calcium properly and so there is a protocol called the “vitamin K protocol” where there is a list of supplements to give these kids to help their brains function properly, utilize calcium properly etc. Well it has been reported over, and over, and over again by these parents that their children’s teeth improve dramatically on this protocol. It involves probiotics, fat soluble vitamins A, D and of course K (as well as other supplements) I can see the correlations with Price’s findings all over the place.
Thanks Sarah for your AMAZING dedication to being the Mom & wife that you are, you inspire me and MANY other people who are all in search for truth.
Great post, thanks so much for sharing. =)
Wow, thanks for this post. I just bought the Nourishing Traditions book, I’d been on the fence about it. Also been on the fence about soaking grains… do you/did you use ANY grains? That’s my big remaining question. My 5 yr old has more than 2 black cavities in her mouth, from, I know now, holding frozen blueberry skins in her mouth every afternoon… Anyhow, cutting sugar OUT, and been doing the FCLO/with GHEE (grassfed Indianfoods ghee) instead of the butter oil. Ordered REAL centrifuged butter oil last week, should be here this week, so will do IT with the FCLO instead of the ghee… or maybe with the ghee. Anyhow, using xylitol toothpaste and sugar substitute too. I’m now a little scared of sugar with my daughter, and using a lot of mouthwash to keep her mouth clean. So the only thing I’m on the fence now about is the grain question… any comments will be appreciated, especially if they’re from personal experiences!
I’ve been reading these comments with interest, and decided to weigh in with my “testimonial” if you will. My 16 y.o. daughter was diagnosed with a cavity (her first) on May 10. I read your post on May 12.
My interest was piqued and thought we had a perfect test situation. She was willing to play along and so I immediately ordered some FCLO and butter oil capsules. I also made an appointment for filling the tooth for July 6 (couldn’t get in earlier because dd was going to camp for 4 weeks). During those weeks, while she was at home she diligently took the oils, and ate good food. At camp, she was very inconsistent with it, and ate junk (she is a teenager, after all).
At her appointment last week, I urged the dentist to show me the cavity because I couldn’t see it, and she was having no discomfort. Well, he had a hard time finding it! It was a teeny, tiny soft spot. He said he could use a “football” to open it up and then put a sealant on it. Considering this to be a good compromise, I agreed. It took about ten minutes, no anesthesia necessary, NO FILLING!
I sincerely believe that had she not been at camp with the poor food quality, and inconsistent usage of the oils, it would be gone. Note that I did not read your post: “neglect going to the dentist.” I love my kids more than anyone, including the dentist, and if there is something I can do to avoid the mouthful of metal fillings that are in my mouth, I’ll do it. I will not however, compromise their health by neglect.
Thank you for bravely sharing your life and wisdom with those who are interested in what you have to say.
Hi Sarah,
We are going to try the cod liver/butter oil to try to get rid of some cavities. We do our best eat a healthy and balanced diet. Could you provide some guidance regarding key foods that we should avoid or be sure to eat to get maximum effectiveness from this treatment?
Thanks!
Hi Lisa,
I would avoid all processed foods. Be sure to consume animal foods rich in vitamins A, D, and K2 on a daily basis like grassfed butter, liver, fish eggs, etc.
Hi Sarah,
My interest was really piqued about this cure b/c my husband has a very painful cavity developing and told him about it and he was excited to try it – until I read about the fermented cold liver oil aspect – you see he has a severe allergy to any and all fish related things that trigger his asthma… I went to the Green Pastures website to see what they said about this and even they recommend avoidance of their product should you have a fish allergy… So what do we do for him? Do you know of any alternatives to the FCLO??? I feel like if I don’t get an alternative answer for him very soon he will just go to the dentist to get it filled b/c of his pain… Help! I have a willing and receptive person for now but not for long!
Hi Karen, lots of liver! 2-3 times per week would be great!
Thank you for your reply Sarah,
The only thing about liver 2-3 times per week is that he is a vegetarian and would be not at all receptive to that route! (although I am working on him slowly and steadily to get him to eat meat again…)
Any other suggestions? He is severely allergic to all nuts and fish and is vegetarian… Tall order, I know!
Hi Karen Elpant,
I would steer him away from vegetarianism if he has tooth decay that doesn’t go away even with the inclusion of raw dairy and eggs. I’ve heard Sally Fallon stating that some people may need to eat beef or other red meats every day due to their specific nutritional requirements possibly due to ancestory. I would recommend him read the book “The Vegetarian Myth,” by Lierre Keith.
With regards to the allergies and asthma, it seems that his gut is not in good condition, and may need to be on a special diet in order to fully be healed. I recommend the GAPS diet for him because it can heal the gut, eventually eliminating all of his allergies, and even his asthma.
Hi Sarah. You may know of this book already, but as I was looking for the Weston Price book on Amazon, I found this title, “Cure Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition”, by Ramiel Nagel. I thought your readers would like to know about it too. The foreword is by a DDS, so there’s at least one more out there in support of nutrition to strengthen our teeth. :0)
This is a great story! Thanks for sharing it! I was just at dentist this week and he thought one of the small outside fillings he had done on one of my very old wisdom teeth had a small cavity underneath it. (under the filling) On second thought/look he said it was NOT a cavity YET but that I should ‘watch’ it. I am 48 and have already had a bad root canal extracted and all my mercury fillings switched to the white stuff! I am curious if you think that this butter oil remedy would help my POSSIBLE cavity under that filling on my wisdom tooth? I HATE dental work and would love to heal this rather than see it get worse. In other words, can adults use this remedy too? I already eat butter alot though it is not raw. Is the ‘raw’ part important? Thanks ! Julie
Raw grassfed butter is more potent and has the anticavity Activator X in it whereas store butter may or may not.
I saved my son’s front upper baby teeth by putting black walnut extract on them every night before bed. He had a bunch of defective teeth, due I’m sure to a nutritional issue during pregnancy. I had read that topical fluoride could reverse tooth decay and a dentist actually told me that applying topical fluoride was one thing we could do for the teeth. I didn’t want to use the chemical version and had read that black walnut hulls were high in naturally occurring fluoride so I decided to try. The black spots on his teeth went away, the decay stopped and he kept the teeth for another 3+ years until they fell out naturally.
Tammy,
Do you remember the brand of black walnut extract you used? I’ve found several and am not sure. Thanks! Would greatly appreciate!