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
Hello,
I have a doubt regarding the diet you suggest to improve our teeth.
Do you suggest remove Tahini from our diet, or we can stay with i;t but we should include raw butter as well.
Regards,
Cristine
I am not suggesting anything about tahini. I am just telling you what my child ate for breakfast before and after his cavity was healed. If you want a complete cavity healing diet, you need to read the book “Cure Tooth Decay”.
Sarah I also have a small cavity in my molar which shows all the symptoms of cavity if I would use three capsules of buttered oil with a tea spoon of fermented cod liver oil then will my cavity get completely recovered
My daughter is 17 months old and she has two big brownish colored holes on one of her top front teeth. I continuously brush her teeth, but have no idea what to do. Any advice on what I could give her that’s safe for her age to help get rid of them?
Have you read the book Cure Tooth Decay? I would highly recommend it.
Hi Sarah,
How many milligrams/grams are in the cod liver & butter oil that you use?
First of all, don’t brush too hard, it may be damaging the enamel.
I came across this article because I have a 12 month old who severely chipped his tooth. While at the dentist today I was informed that because of how large the chip is he believes the tooth will abscess and have to have a root canal. Scary thought for my 1 year old. I am willing to try anything to prevent facing a root canal with my baby. I’ve seen a lot of information on the internet about healing cavities, and while I’m not expect him to be able to regrow half a tooth, I would like to try everything within any sort of reason to avoid the abscess. I will of course be doing more research on my own but what are anyone’s thoughts or knowledge regarding whether this treatment is safe for a baby?
Root canal’s are very harmful on the body, I wouldn’t do it. I’d get a second opinion, if they feel it is that serious, I’d consider pulling it before having a root canal on a 1 year old.
My God, what do those dentist learn at medic school?! I think it’s a crime doing root canals to children, with milk teeth yet!… (Some)Dentists only care of grabbing the largest amount of money from you.
Pull it out, it will grow the definitive one when he gets old enough.
If I knew about this sooner, that we can recover teeth, I wouldn’t let my dentist get me 3 root canals.
Hey Chelsa, am facing a similar sitiuation now, my son is 3.5 yrs old and last week his Dentist said we have to either pull out his front 4 teeth or do a root canal..I am reading all through the internet for any natural way of curing…lot of different suggestion. Wanted to check if got answers to your questions…
Hi,
I remember reading this article awhile ago and scoffing at the concept. I wish I hadn’t. I’ve always had horrendous problems with my teeth even though I brush at least twice a day and floss daily. I’ve had hypoglycemia in which I had to monitor my blood sugar so I quit eating simple carbs cold turkey. Instead, I eat tons of veggies, eggs, etc.
Even without the sugar, I still would manage to get at least 2-4 cavities for each dentist visit. I was upset and would ask them what I could do differently, and every time they would just shrug and continue to belittle my teeth and gums in front of me. Hello! I can hear you! UGH. These professionals had no idea what to tell me! How do I trust these people that have been telling me my whole life that my pearly whites are riddled with cavities and that I “obviously have bad hygiene”? Yeah, thanks for the self esteem.
So I’ve been doing my research and have now incorporated more vitamins into my diet as well as making my own toothpowder. I bought raw milk from a local farm (although it was QUITE expensive – $8 for a half gallon,I know it’s worth it, but I’m on a budget) so now I have been drinking Organic Valley’s Whole Fat Grassmilk. I eat Kerrygold butter, raw milk cheese, have cut out non-sprouted grains and have been taking Vitamin D3, cod liver oil and Life Extension Super K with Advanced K2 Complex.
I’ve been taking that certain K2 supplement but I wonder if that is a good substitute for the high vitamin butter oil? Has anyone had any experience using a regular Vitamin K2 supplement to heal cavities? I’m done with the “no solution” the dentists have given me and I’m sick of paying for them to drill into my teeth.
Any advice would be great!
Thanks,
Erin
Anacardic compounds in cashew nuts and maybe mangoes do an excellent job of curing an abscess from gram positive bacteria, which are the most prevalent cause of tooth decay and tooth aches. It is conceivable that mango fruits may have sufficient anacardic acids as well. You may see my article on this subject at; charles_w.tripod.com/tooth.html . It is also discussed briefly in the 2006 edition of Medical Hypotheses, 65; 289-292.
You may feel free to use any information in that URL without concern over copyright.
I would like to urge you to explore making these medicines available in the pure form from pharmacies. This would be especially valuable since these medicines would probably prove to be valuable against other gram positive diseases such as acne, leprosy, streptococci, Chlamydia trachomatis, and maybe even tuberculosis as well.
Sincerely, Charles Weber
Hi, I think this s a great idea and want to try it, but I am a vegetarian and cannot eat the cod liver oil. Is there a different product that will have the same effect. Thank you.
Attempting to heal cavities if you are a vegetarian is a basically futile endeavor as the nutrients required are only contained in animal foods like cod liver oil.
Could you please explain what nutrients are missing in vegetarian lifestyle vs. cod liver oil?
Vitamins A, D and K2 primarily. You can get some of this in egg yolks and butter if the animals are free on pasture with very healthy soil, but due to soil depletion, likely would not get enough without animal organ meats and/or cod liver oil supplementation.
Remember that beta carotene is NOT vitamin A and vitamin D is not available in any plant foods.
Please can you help me, is fermented cod liver oil and butter oil really effective? How much amount do you take it and how long for you to sea the result? This is my last hope since I can’t afford to go to dentest and we dont have enough money for that. I just hope you could help me since i don’t want to lose my teeth and I don’t want to use a denture..it will be terrible because I’m a teenager..pretty pleaaaaassseee
Hi Sarah I have a question I notice my mouth was hurting I didn’t know why but then I started to feel 1 of my teeth and it felt like I had a hole in it I checked the mirror and I saw the hole I don’t know if its a cavity or not.. but I don’t wanna tell my mom I don’t like going to the Dentist is there something I can use to get rid of this?
Sarah,
My 8 year old has been following Rami’s protocol for 2 months now for a cavity between his teeth. The dentist said to come back in 2 more months because she can’t tell on the X-rays if it is healing. He hates the bone broth and I feel bad to make him drink it. Do you think I could substitute Gummies made with Great Lakes gelatin, lemon juice, and blueberries instead of the broth? Thank you.
Unfortunately no .. there is no substitute for real bone broth.
I don’t like drinking bone broth straight either, but it does taste great in soups or even chili.
Hi My son has 2 big cavities and yes they told us to have him in surgery, which we do not want at all.
I did not exactly get how to treat him naturally, he’s a toddler 3 years old, what it is exactly , is it butther oil or coconut oil
Please your help
Well done, Sarah! I can only imagine how happy your son might be, now that he is cavity-free. You are truly a caring mother. And it’s a good decision to go to the dentist even if your son’s cavity was healed. This post is really worth the share; it’s a good example.
I have a question about healing a “pocket” below a tooth that had a root canal. This was my first and last root canal and I have had trouble ever since. Now I have a swelling in my gum that my dentist says isn’t infected but its minimally painful to me. He said it may be a split root, but there is a definite pocket around it and a swelling of my gum under that tooth. He wants me to go back to the same endodontist that did my original root canal 3 yrs ago( who says he will see me for free just to see what’s going on with the tooth…curious) Can taking both butter oil and FCLO help? I see lots about cavities but nothing about other problems with teeth. I tried doing colloidal silver and it has helped but not resolved the issue. Any ideas?