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
Drew is right. Let me start by saying that I have been a registered dental hygienist for 10 years. I work for a dentist who practices very conservative dentistry. By this, I mean that he does not perform fillings, crowns, etc. unless it is the last resort and absolutely necessary. I myself am 100% for nutrition, health, natural healing, etc. I have even opted out of certain vaccinations for my own child. I will tell you, however, that the information provided here is false. The only part of a tooth that can remineralize (heal) is the enamel. This is how it works. When the bacteria in plaque is combined with a sugar (from candy, soda, etc), it creates an acid which attacks the surface of the tooth. If the sugar and plaque are removed, it takes 20 minutes for the acidity level to reach neutral again so that the enamel of the tooth can begin to remineralize/heal. Fluoride in toothpaste/rinses can enhance this healing. But if it goes thru the enamel and enters the dentin (the soft part of the tooth), decay, aka the cavity, is created and there is no going back. The tooth needs to have the decay removed and a filling placed. If this decay is not removed it will continue to grow deeper into the tooth and eventually reach the nerve. This will cause an abcess/infection/toothache after which the patient will need antibiotics, root canal treatment, and a crown. Decay CANNOT be removed by taking supplements, eating buckets full of fruits and veggies or whatever else you may think. Providing false information like this to others could result in pain and suffering, not to mention lots of medical bills, if they choose to believe this. I agree 100% that nutrition, supplements, vitamins, whole foods,etc. are healing and that they do benefit the mouth greatly, but you can’t heal a cavity. Plain and simple. The best thing you can do for your child when it comes to taking care of their teeth is limit their sugar intake as much as possible and make sure they are brushing long enough, atleast 2 full minutes, twice a day with a toothpaste that contains fluoride. Ingesting fluoride supplements is not something I recommend, but topical application is great. By the way, the hole you saw was something called a lingual pit. It is somthing that is anatomical and is very, very common for maxillary lateral incisors. They can often be deep but do not contain decay. Just part of the anatomy. If you had in fact poked into an actual deep cavity, your child would have let you know for sure. It would not have felt good. If you are worried about these pits, a sealant can be placed.
Lindsay, i too was skeptical about it, but there is something more to it then mere common sense.
I think the best way to verify things is by experience, and i did my own research.
I started from weston price and reached the dentinal fluid transport theory.
Without much of waiting i tried to apply the concepts enclosed in these references, without really knowing a lot of the matter myself, just to do some bench testing.
With my surprise the whole food stuff has changed my teeth a lot.
It’s not that i’m not gettin tartar and plaque and stuff like that, i do and i do my hygene visits regularly, do but you see but from the internal side i can tell you that i have two cavities which start from below the gumline which are almost touching the dentin and the situation is like this since exactly 2 years, they are like frozen.
Last time I went to the dentist he was speechless after seeing the scans and was trying to find a reason inspite of me telling him that the way i eat is the only thing that i have changed since my last visit.
Till now i did not get anything like enamel regeneration and stuff like that, but i’m happy anyway.
I still don’t want to do any filling, my dentist tought about waiting 2 more years but my plan is to wait one more year than take all the scans and put them online, in the meantime i’ll just wait and observe.
Hey i’m not arguing anything you said ok? From my side It is my tought that there is never only one side of the matter, as the whole bacterial stuff is important so is the “terrain”.
My rule is that I cannot convince others but myself, I too am skeptical afterall.
i’ll go on my way, i hope that in one year i’ll be able to convice myself even more after testing and trying to apply some common sense (my common sense hehehe :D)
cya! thanks for sharing your view
Marco
Believe me, I am ALL for healthy eating to promote whole body health and wellness. I AGREE that our North American diets contain too much junk and pasty white flour and white sugar, and that much if not all of this should be eliminated from our diets. In fact, what Dr. Westin Price’s research showed was that non-industrialized countries had NO dental decay and NO crooked teeth! This was because they ate foods indigenous to their areas, full of grains and seeds and vegetables and fiber…without refined and processed foods. Once we North Americans tried to “help” these countries by teaching them to use processed food items…they suffered from significant dental decay, gum disease, and dental crowding.
Teeth are NOT bone or soft tissue…they are made of an entirely different, and unfortunately non-healing material. Having said this…it is entirely TRUE that if what we call an “incipient” or “white spot” cavity occurs, this can be stopped with heavy local application of with either fluoride, or ozone treatment (available in some dental offices via a device called HealOzone). However, once the dental decay moves through the outer layer (enamel) of the tooth into the inner layer of the tooth (dentin), the only way it can be “reversed” is by removal of the decayed material, bacteria, and bacterial by-products.
I am absolutely in favor of using any type of holistic treatments in the prevention of dental decay and periodontal (gum) disease, and I welcome any suggestions to pass along to my patients in that regard.
Well done, Jonathan. On top of your 5 Canadian bucks, I will give anyone 400,000 US Dollars, the title to my car, the deed to my house, my first born child, my brand new puppy (which is super cute), my wife, and everything else I own…if you can prove to me (through visual evidence, not a cleverly written blog) that your tooth had a hole in it and no longer has a hole. But that hole must have been filled with natural dentin and enamel (which is impossible) and it must be because of your amazing butter and oil diet. Thank you and goodnight.
I’ve just been to the dentist. I had a few concerns. I had soreness in a few places and could see that there were little divots where I could catch the edge of a tooth pick. I thought they were cavities. I called around for a dentist that had a small camera to take a picture of them so that I could have some before “proof” and then my intention was to start the diet without getting them filled for a few weeks and return for a second diagnosis.
My Dentist examined the sore places that I thought were cavities and explained to me that one of them (at the gumline) was the root of my tooth showing where I’ve had gum recession dues to chronic gingivitis. He said this is not degeneration and while de could drill and fill to relieve the pain, that it was not necessary and would only do so if I wanted him to. It was explained to me that with my tooth brush I can not reach below the gumline to clean and that only a dentist with the right tools can do it for me. Then it was recommended I visit once every 6 months for a cleaning to avoid any buildup of plaque that could cause further gum recession. I asked where I could buy a dental pick so that I could clean my own teeth below the gum line and was told that they are only sold to dentists.
Thanks to all who post in regards to learning about oral hygene.
I am unsubscribing from this thread due to the volume of posts that seem to be unrelated to oral hygene. For anyone who finds documented proof from before and after dental examinations that the treatment works I would greatly appreciate that you look me up http://www.eelandscaping.blogspot.com and send me the info. In fact, I’ll pay you 5 bucks (Canadian) as incentive, if you do.
Stu Daddy-
HE DELIBERATELY WENT AGAINST YOUR INSTRUCTIONS?! HOW DARE HE DO THAT?! He probably wanted to give you cancer by doing a root canal on your tooth. So the hole that was in your tooth, miraculously healed and is no longer there? You must be Jesus to perform miracles like that. If you’re Jesus I want to meet you, seriously. Secondly, just because the pain is gone doesn’t mean that everything is ok. People with diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, cancer, etc. don’t present with pain either. Think about it.
Samuel,
I went to the dentist to have a filling that fell out replaced – the money grabbing philistine (much like yourself by your own admission) – drilled down to the nerve against my instructions & told me I needed a root canal.
Taking the Butter / Cod Oil capsules the tooth has healed itself. I have not been back to the dentist as I have zero pain & now no cavity either.
Stuart –
You poor, poor soul. I feel sorry that you (and most everyone else on here) would believe and reference someone like Hal Huggins. A man who devoted his professional career to taking patient’s money by convincing them that their teeth were the root (no pun intended) of their problems. When you have someone that wants all of their root canaled teeth taken out, send them to me after they have them removed and I will place implants in them for lots of money. I LOVE MONEY. I AM A DENTIST WHO ONLY LOVES MONEY. Stuart, when you have a cavity (bacterial infection in your tooth), please keep eating oils and raw butter and then go see your dentist. He/she will be glad to take your money. Thank you.
Stuart,
Just kidding about the margarine.
And thank you for the sites. I now feel very educated :). In ten minutes I have uncovered the truth that 8 years of study could not yield….
Tyler,
Here is the science behind why the Root Canals that you do are so bad for the patient:
http://www.westonaprice.org/dentistry/root-canal-dangers
& why Margarine is bad for you also:
Both cause cancer. The above articles were written by doctors.
Whats next???!!! Vote for Obama?? That is the only thing worse than this. If you do this you have lost your mind. If you believe this, wait for another bacterial infection and drink plenty of honey and butter shit.
PS. Margarine rules
-dentist who likes money but is also not an idiot