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
Matar
Hi.
Thanks so much for the information. I am 40 years old from India and trying to heal my first hole cavity from your helpful artilcle. I have bought Vitamin D3 + K2 (as MK7) tablets online and consuming Organic Goat Ghee as advised by you. But being a Hindu vegetarian I would not be able to take cod liver oil. Can I take Solgar Vitamin A tablets with it as a substitute for Cod Liver Oil. Please help. Thank you
Sarah Pope MGA
Unfortunately, vitamin A tablets are made from synthetic vitamin A … You must take cod liver oil. I don’t know of any alternatives for vegetarians.
Sarah
I have a 3.5yr old that may have a small cavity. We eat all organic food and dont eat sweets. I’m not sure how much cod live I would give him and how to really get him to take the butter oil capsules. We already know he has mutations in genes that allow him to absorb vitamin A, D &B. This sounds like this would be great for him. Just wasn’t sure how much to give him
Sarah Pope MGA
A child that age is suggested to take 1/2 tsp high vitamin cod liver oil per day according to the Weston Price Foundation.
Wilson Colon
Hi, I read your post. What do you think of Carlson Cod liver oil? Is it good or bad?
Sarah Pope MGA
Carlson’s cod liver oil is NOT a quality brand. It is highly processed with synthetic vitamin A/D added back in after the natural A/D are destroyed by heat processing. Please only use a brand that is high vitamin as tested/vetted and listed on my shopping guide page (supplements section).
Bessy
Hi Sarah, I have been using the Cod Liver Oil and High Vitamin Butter Oil (Grass Fed & Organic) for my 13 and 14 year old daughters. But I was only giving them 2ml of Cod liver oil. As I saw your other video you mentioned that it should be 5ml, would that give me faster results? I’m trying to heal 3 cavities. And besides the cod liver oil and the butter oil should I also be giving my daughters a multi-vitamins supplement? (Centrum kids chewable multivitamin/mineral supplement). Would that be safe or is that too many vitamins for them to take at once?
Thank you
Sarah Pope MGA
I don’t recommend any multivitamins as they all have synthetic vitamins in them from what I’ve seen. I honestly haven’t seen a single multi-vitamin brand that is completely natural … including the so called “whole food” ones.
5 ml is one tsp and yes for that age, 1 tsp/day is the proper dosage according to the Weston Price Foundation. Make sure the cod liver oil is virgin and high vitamin. See the brands vetted and tested on my shopping guide page and stick with one of those.
Ellen
How did you get your child to drink/swallow the oil and butter at that age? Is the supplement that combines the two you listed adequate or do you need to take them separate?
Sarah
I had them take it separately. Here’s how my kids take it. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/video-cod-liver-oil-101/
Tatiana
God bless you! It is been not easy living in the city raising a kid health in the USA ! after 30 years living in a farm in Brazil, drinking and and shower spring water, milk, eggs, vegetables… all from the backyard. Anyway, despite all my mother’s effort she has osteoporosis and I always had escoliosis and all my teeth as some filling ????. I do my best to give health meals to my son and I’m not experient with supplement since I started to learn about that when I moved to Texas, your link brought me tears, because I’ve been searching for so long how to keep my family health and you gather very nice information here! Thank you so much from the botton of my heart ????????❤️ I’ll keep searching here since my goal is keeping my son bones/ back better than mine.
Tatiana
Hi Sarah, thank you so much for all the info you share! Would you know a good brand of Cod liver and k2 for a 3,5 year old? I searched the ones you used for your son, but they are not for a 3,5 year old, is that right? I’m also starting calc phos and fluor to help his flat feet, would you recomend a reminalized toothpaste/ powder that does not antidote homeopathy and is safe for pregnant woman and child ? I bought Earthpaste lemon but now I’m worried about the lead for my son and because I’m trying pregnancy.
Sarah
Thank you 🙂 The cod liver oil and K2 I use is most definitely fine for a toddler! I used them when my kids were that age. Vetted brands here: https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/resources/#6
Ivory Jones
I have been using the Cod Liver Oil and raw butter for about a month now, and I noticed the hole got bigger. My daughter is 6 years old and she has a very good diet. Grain-free, sugar-free, but she has a cavity. I was wondering should I consider taking her to the dentist?
Sarah
As I have said before on this thread, nutritional support does not work as well for baby teeth as they have a very small root. My son’s hole was in a permanent tooth.
I suggest you get it filled if it’s not working. There could be other reasons why nutritional intervention is not working … such as gut imbalance which prevents adequate absorption of nutrients. Many children today have this problem due to antibiotic use.
Donna
Rae, if you see this, if like to hear more about what you did to heal your tooth decay.
Sophia Latter
This is so encouraging, Sarah! The ability of the body to heal cavities has been a new piece of information to me, after I recently went to the dentist and was delivered the news that I had cavities, so my husband and I started researching on a natural solution that required no dentist intervention. I have been reading ‘Cure Tooth Decay’, and am loving the testimonies like yours that I am also coming across. Thank you for sharing your story 🙂