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 look forward to the root canals, extractions, and crowns that will come my way after the blatant disregard for a well understood disease process known as caries (correctly described as the most common disease known to mankind by one commenter) that is put forth by this article. No, I have not read a case report from the 1920s, but have read through a few of the thousands of studies regarding cariology in the following 90 years that explain the caries process thoroughly. Sarah, comparing cavities to broken bones is completely flawed because broken bones do not involve a disease process. Bones are constantly resorbing and forming bone (remodeling), whether broken or not. The enamel surface of the tooth is composed almost entirely of inorganic mineral components. It does have the capability to remineralize to a certain extent, but not to the extent to fill a “hole.” To even use the term “heal” is ridiculous. Arresting the process of a cavity is more accurate, but once those minerals and tooth structure are lost, they cannot be replaced. I certainly applaud your efforts to promote nutritional diets, as these may indeed help prevent cavity formation, but your claims of “healing” existing cavities are biologically flawed and damaging to your readers. I think your Nobel prize will be withheld for the time being.
@ Lenny
Lenny you start out very condescending, but as you go along at least you soften it up a bit with the facts as you have been taught (if indeed you are a dentist). Sarah wasn’t talking about any case report form the 1920′s, she was specifically talking about Dr. Price’s writings. Have you ever been able to take your blinders off and try to evolve as a professional above and beyond what you have been taught? Your comment of broken bones not involving a disease process is either your misunderstanding of her writing or deliberately misleading and very dishonest. She simply implied the possibility of a healing process similar to a broken bone or cut on the arm. Besides have you ever heard of osteoporosis and rickets? Certainly at least rickets has been accepted as a nutritional deficiency. Over the years many new “miracle cures” have been brought to us by the modern medical system, only to find out many years later that these drugs don’t actually work, have many side effects or are just plain dangerous. Is proper nutrition not promoted because its not relevant to all aspects of health, or simply because there is no money to be made on healthy people. I personally take offence to the term health care, it should be called sick care. There is no attempt in actually making people healthy, we are only making them dependent. At least in Germany they identified the terminology correctly, by calling it “Krankenkasse”, which translates by google to “health insurance”, but that is just the meaning as we understand it in English. “Kranken” is actually “sick” and “Kasse” is “fund”. I believe we should make the change for conventional medicine to “Sick Care” and reserve the term “health care” to alternative medicine.
In closing I would like to interest you in the writings of the foremost epidemiologist, Dr. John P. A. Ioannidis, he writes at length about case studies.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/insurance-24-year-dies-toothache/story?id=14438171#.T3OYqpjHE20
This page and all of the ignorant comments supporting may be the one of the saddest things I have ever seen. Way to lower my faith in humanity.
You’ve got a good blog here! would you like to create some invite posts on my blog?
I can’t find where to get the Butter Oil supplement nor which type of Raw Butter you are using, I want to try this.
I found the Butter Oil in the resources page 🙂
Hi Sarah,
Hope you are still responding to comments on this page bc I have a question 🙂 I just placed an order for the FCLO/BO blend for my almost 4 yr old. How much should she be given? 1 tsp? I read through ALL the comments and responses hoping to find my answer, but you only mentioned doses as separate CLO and BO. Thanks so much!!
Looking for advice…..My 12 year old daughter recently got her 2 front teeth knocked pretty loose. She will be having nerve testing frequently. The dentist said she may need a root canal if the nerve dies. My question is what do I do if the tooth or teeth end up needing root canals. What more healthy options are there? I just started her on fermented cod liver oil. Anything else that I should be doing right now. Thanks!
Sharon, be sure and add the butter oil also. And let us know how it goes. She’s lucky the root didn’t crack. Mine did with my impact on the front tooth… and they want me to lose the tooth. I’m just not able to do that at this point, been on the CLO/BO for 7 weeks so far.
Hi Becky,
Has the CLO/BO worked for you?? I have started a week ago for a very small and brand new cavity on my tooth..not painful but don’t want my tooth exposed.
In a week I have seen no difference, how long will it take and has it worked for you is my question. I hope you are still reading this blog. Thanks.
Cheers,
Dimple.
First of all, I want to say thank you to Sarah. I was suffering with a cavity and have a major fear of dentists since a very bad tooth extraction many years ago!
I followed the advice given that you back up with researched evidence, and the cavity has completely gone!! No dentist!! Yahoo!!
As for morons like Amy, you’re only wasting your own time by coming here and flaming!
Get a life you whiny loser!!
Thank you Sarah!!
Bernie,
How long did it take to fill your cavity and please can you tell me how much CLO/ BO you were using per day.
I have just bought the green pastures products and am taking:
– Fermented cod liver oil (mint flavor) – 1 1/4 tbsp per day
– Butter Oil (Pecan flavor) – 1 tbsp per day
Is this enough and how long do u reckon it will take to see some results? I have now taken the above for 9 days.
Please do let me know
Cheers,
Dimple.
I’d like to know how long also be ause I have a few cavities that need healing pronto! I can’t afford the clo/bo from Green Pastures though so I bought a different inexpensive brand.
Wow……ignorance is bliss and perhaps painful.
The mainstream dentist told me 2 months ago that I needed a root canal. Indeed the cavity was big and black. I started to use a small bristle brush, tea tree oil, goldenseal drops. There is no pain, never was but I know I’ve been curing the bad root. I’ll soon try some butter oil. I’m 60 and I’ve had about 7 root canals. I think they are bad for me and anyone who gets them. There are some alternative dentists out there but I bet they get shunned by the mainstream dentists. Anyway, great posts here and we all know that cavities can cure themselves with the proper diet and some personal attention.