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
Very nice to hear that it works! I have the FCLO/butter blend in the gel form. How much should my son and I be taking? He’s 6. I usually take 2 tbs a day and give him 1 tsp. Thanks!
I give my 6 year old 1 full tsp of the FCLO liquid each morning and 1 butter oil capsule which I will be increasing to 2 capsules as she just started being able to swallow pills.
I bought three bottles of the chocolate gel BO/FCLO Blend. I can’t stomach it. I am very disappointed since I was planning to give to my 3 yr old. I would be happy to sell for what I paid. I can take the capsules no problem. email if anyone is interested seachele68 at hot mail dot com
The chocolate flavor BO/FCLO Blend was nasty. It reminded me of earwax. The cinnamon is much better! You might try it for your 3yo.
My son and I take the plain FCLO with butter oil by using a syringe (without the needle of course) and shoot the oil to the back of our throat and then take a drink of water, we barely taste anything.
Try it on her anyway, my kids LOVE it. They call it “special chocolate.” Tonight after I gave it to them they both asked for seconds. I don’t like it though.
If you don’t wanna waste it, you can buy capsules and fill them with a syringe and take the capsules yourself. That’s what I’m doing.
I use the fermented cod liver oil liquid (cinnamon is a great flavor). I just got the emulsifieds as they are new but my kids are sticking with the cinnamon as they are used to it. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? The FCLO lasts many months in the refrigerator and a month or two on the counter. Remember, it is raw and fermented and is self preserved from that standpoint.
Is the FCLO and butter oil blend a good option? How is the taste? I am going to try this but am not sure if I should go with capsules or gels.
If you are really taste sensitive, then get the capsules. It does taste very strong, but you do get used to it over time. But, if you have a strong gag reflex, just get the caps.
Very true, teeth are made of the same stuff bones are so they can remineralize in the same way.
Well, I would definitely be pissed if my mom ever attempted to control my eating habits (especially since she eats SAD), however, I’ve learned from hard experience just how bad junkfood makes me feel!
I have a problem though. I strongly suspect that I have a wisdom tooth coming in the bottom right back of my mouth. Do you know anything natural/alternative I can do about this? I’ve been trying to do a warm salt water swish every other day. I’m not sure my mouth is big enough for a wisdom tooth, but so far it hasn’t caused me much pain.
I went and looked on their site. How long does a bottle of the stuff normally last. We are a family of 6 so I didn’t know how much of each one I would need to purchase to last for a month.
That is very exciting!! I’m glad the cavity healed!!
We have BIG issues with tooth decay. My 4.5yr old has had to have her top front 4 extracted & has 4 crowns besides that. My 2yr old just recently had her top front 4 crowned. I, myself, had 8 cavities last fall, & I need crown besides those. We do not eat junk!!! (At least according to most. 😉 But, as much as I would love to begin this protocol, we are allergic to dairy. I have also cut out gluten for the 3 of us, because it literally makes me ill. I’ve also cut all artificial ingredients & most sugar. I want to get us pkg free eventually. (Baby steps, right?)
We are not on FCLO so I *must* look into getting some. Is there anything I could use to replace the butter oil? I need to do whatever it takes to heal my family.
Danita, the butter oil has the milk solids taken out. So most people with dairy issues can take butter oil or use ghee.
I would suggest fish eggs, Danita. Fish eggs are another superfood like the raw grassfed butter oil. Liver is awesome too but I’ve found that kids like fish eggs better. My kids think they are like “healthy candy” and love the salty taste.
What about natto in supplement form? That’s supposedly VERY high in K2…
Natto has K2-MK7 instead of MK4. Studies in Japan showed that MK-4 helps with osteoporosis so following that line of reasoning, I decided that it should also help tooth density and therefore heal cavities. Something we were doing worked as it increased my daughter’s tooth density and healed her cavity.
We’re dairy free and even though the High Vitamin Butter is supposed to be casein and lactose free, we reacted to it. We use K2-MK4 supplements from Carlson and Solgar Norwegian Cod Liver Oil, Now Brand Vitamin D, and a Country Life Calcium Magnesium Phosphurous complex. We also split 3 bottles of Dr Ron’s Grass Fed Liver capsules between my son, daughter and I. Once, we ran out of the Liver Capsules, I never ordered more. Hope that helps!
Danita,
not sure if you’re still with this post or how your teeth are. But in case you get this message: you were on the right track.
You need to add fermented food like miso, correctly prepared sauerkraut, home-made kefir, etc..
By the way, you can make “milk” from oats and nuts, if you like.
The other few things to do might be: 1) cleanse your colon, 2) check your emotions. I had a classical case of being unsure, which almost cost me a tooth. So far, I saved my teeth 2 times already!
Is it possible that you are missing nutrition? Juicing is the quickest solution.
I would also recommend raw apple cider vinegar.
Question: did you check for Candida?
All I can say is AMAZING!! I am just finishing Rami’s book “Curing Tooth Decay”. Although my children don’t have any real dental issues, except one cavity 3 years ago, that was BEFORE my conversion to a traditional food diet. We have recently found a raw grass fed milk resource across the border. Unfortunately they don’t sell “just cream” in the raw. But, I was able to make butter with the cream and then make the oil butter. I put them into capsules (following your video, of course 😉 ). I’m hoping to give them a little bit of this each day, along with the FCLO. We can’t afford to do the whole reccomended dose for everybody, but I figure 1/2 is better than nothing. We are slowly working the FCLO and raw dairy into our budget, as well as some raw cheese. Thank you for your encouragement in this, perfect timing. I was a little discouraged, after reading this book, because we DO eat grains (mostly properly prepared). Eating just meat and vegetables would be very hard on us financially . Thanks again for your encouragment, and congrats on this. So EXCITING for you!!
Marcee, you mentioned finding a good raw milk source across the border. We have just moved to a US border town with Mexico and have not had good sucess finding raw milk. Is it a border with Mexico you were referring to?
Also, our family has been blessed to find a few different natural treatments for dental decay and infection (including bentonite clay packs, fermented garlic “medicine”, and single drops of tea tree oil directly on the tooth), though we have not yet experienced significant re-mineralization or a “filling in” of the original cavity. I am anxious to try pairing butter oil with our CLO to see if we might have a similar sucess with a few cavities we have dealt with. Sarah, I appreciate your butter oil recipe and video, and have been able to obtain a few pounds of KerryGold for the purpose. Green Pastures is not in our budget right now, so do you think the homemade (heated, or maybe just a 2-tsp slice of the KerryGold) butter oil would be sufficient to help fill-in the small holes, or do you think that level of healing is only attainable with the raw, centrifuged butter oil? Has anyone else had a similar experience with non-raw, quality butter? I know that the raw oil would be beneficial for a wide spectrum of health issues, but thankfully, we do have a good array of other nutrient-dense foods, and have been eating in a nourishing, traditional way for about 7 years. Thank you for your help!
I am about to place my first ever order for FCLO and butter oil. I was going to get the new flavored emulsified FCLO for my kids. Since I’m not getting them the formula that has the butter oil and FCLO together, how much butter oil do I give them on a daily basis?
Hi Christy, 1/4-1/2 tsp of butter oil a day given with the fermented cod liver oil works well.
And what dose of the emulsified CLO would be equivalent to 1 teaspoon of the regular CLO? Sarah, where is the information on the Green Pasture web site about the amount of Vit. D in each dose? I find their web site rather cryptic.
Thank you.
I don’t know Tiffany. I would call or email Green Pasture Products to find out. There is only so much they are allowed to say on their website because of the FDA. For example, Green Pastures couldn’t even use a testimonial like this blog post to show how effective it’s products are because the FDA would not allow it.
My daughter has had two cavities which did not fill in after we changed her diet but the decay did stop progressing. I think I will increase her butter oil dose though. They are baby teeth so perhaps they don’t have the permanent plumbing required to regrow the tooth and fill in holes.