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
Thank you so much for this article! I’ve had issues with my teeth recently and haven’t wanted to go to the big D as I KNEW there had to be a way to heal them naturally. I had asked the universe just a few days ago to show me what to do about it, and up pops a reference to your article via Mike Adams and naturalnews.com! All I have to do now is find raw butter. Ghee I can make and Cod Liver Oil I already have.. and the honey can be purchased right up the street. Thanks again!
Best regards,
John
It’s so encouraged that dental problems can be solved by 100% natural and non-intrusive method. I suffer from severe periodontal disease for more than 10 years and spent a lot of money on dentist but the disease just keep coming back again again and again after each treatment. I’m sure that it is not a problem caused by any improper teeth brushing habit. What is your opinion? Is there any diet can save my life of my teeth? Thank you very much if you can provide your precious advice.
I would love to drill a large hole in a front tooth and document the healing process with daily photos. Any volunteers?
Hi Jason,
Look at this paper : http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2009/03/reversing-tooth-decay.html
This is really revolutionary if true. I am skeptical. Are you saying a tooth should be able to regenerate itself if I took its fillings out? What was your son’s typical diet throughout the week. What exactly was he eating. Please elaborate.
If you look at her website and read just a few of her blogs, you will know that Sara feeds her children a nutrient dense diet, based on foods that traditional cultures have thrived on for hundreds of thousands of years. There’s a lot of variety involved in traditional eating, but some good foods to start out with would be traditional fats and sacred foods.
Traditional fats include butter, cream, and tallow from healthy, grass-fed cows, lard from pastured pigs, virgin coconut oil, cold-pressed olive oil, and, as Sara mentioned above, fermented cod liver oil, taken in conjunction with high-vitamin butter oil. All of these whole, unrefined fats contain the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and K, that are essential for human health, as these vitamins allow you to absorb all of your OTHER vitamins.
Some other excellent foods to provide optimum nutrition for your body would be sacred foods, that is, foods that many traditional cultures have held sacred in their societies for special feeding to members of the community who needed extra nutrition, such as women of child-bearing age, pregnant women, children, and the elderly. These sacred foods included grass-fed butter, as afore mentioned, liver of all kinds, fish eggs, and pastured chicken egg yolks. All of these foods contain a huge collection of vitamins and minerals in large quantities.
I hope this helps, Jason, but I absolutely encourage you to do your own research about traditional eating. I assure you, it is an enlightening experience!
Ariel
I am so excited to find this article through NaturalNews.com! My 19 year old son has a cavity and I would like to begin implementing the use of Butter Oil capsules and Cod Liver Oil to begin healing it until I can get him to a dentist. If I give him 3 Butter Oil capsules and 1 tsp Cod Liver Oil , this will be enough? I hope this is enough.
Hi Molly, hopefully it is the fermented cod liver oil. If your son is on a nourishing traditional diet this has a good chance to work. I would also recommend the book Cure Tooth Decay by Rami Nagel which goes into how teeth heal in more detail than this blog does.
Oh Sarah! My son *knows* he should be eating healthier but chooses not to. He did agree to eat healthier at least while we try this, so we’ll see. I may be making an emergency appointment to the dentist if he doesn’t take this seriously. Yes, it is the fermented cod liver oil. Thank you for the book title.
Cavities do indeed form along the gumline frequently. I don’t need to be “trained” to know what a cavity looks like. Anyone can plainly see a hole or decay (black spots ) on a tooth and identify what that is. I even talked to the dentist about it and based on my verbal description, he said that would definitely be a cavity.
Actually, Sarah, you do need to be trained to know what a cavity looks like. A cavity is more than simply a hole in a tooth. It is true that they often form along the gumline, but it is almost always on the buccal side, and almost never on the lingual side (especially on an upper incisor), like you have described. I wish I could have been there when you and your husband found this “cavity”. I don’t know how you managed to convince yourselft that you stuck a probe in it. All I know is that I have seen hundreds of cavities on upper incisors and I have never seen one that was as you have described.
Sarah,
Based on your description of your son’s “cavity”, it doesn’t sound like it was a cavity at all. That is not where they form. You cannot diagnose dental caries. You have not been trained to. You don’t know what they look like, where they form, or what they feel like when they are probed, PERIOD! Everything else that has been stated about enamel being unable to remineralize itself once cavitated is also true. This is what the research has shown, and the research is the most unbiased source of truth we have. Don’t accuse those who hold to it of being close-minded.
Research funded by harmaceutical companies and/or the mercury-pushers in ADA comprises the best lies money can buy. And that’s about all it’s worth. Much of it is pure fiction, ghost-written for the journals by credentialed con men. Seriously, Dave, have you had your blood mercury levels checked recently? Seems like your prefrontal cortex functioning has been impaired by mercury toxicity.
Sapphireyes, such a sad existence to believe in such conspiracy theory garbage. Only God himself could design such a system where research that has spanned decades from universities across THE WORLD was all influenced and directed by pharmaceutical companies and the ADA to arrive and build on the same conclusions.
Natural supplements is over a billion dollar a year industry, they are not regulated, they can claim whatever they want. I’m sure they are all ethical and have no agenda at all…
I don’t know where you’re getting the idea that nobody believes that teeth can heal, especially dentists. Current evidence does support that teeth can heal. There’s no question about that. Inflammation of the pulp can be quelled. An injured tooth can grow reparative dentin. Enamel can remineralize. But you can’t ignore biological facts: you are not going to re-grow enamel whose structure has been compromised to the point of cavitation.
Allowing a tooth to heal naturally does not preclude working with a dentist and I hope people with problems can locate a reasonable professional to work with. A dentist should be your partner. They have the tools and knowledge to assess the state of your oral health in an accurate manner. You are a consumer of their services and have the right to refuse treatment and go against advice if you please.
I hope anyone with younger kids, especially, doesn’t put their kids’ health at risk by not working together with a trusted dentist. There are options out there besides drill & fill. For example, my 15 mo daughter had decay all around her top 4 incisors and the standard of care would be crowns, possibly pulpotomies all under general anesthesia. Instead, we opted for ART (manual removal of decayed tooth structure – soft and beyond repair) followed by ozone (to remove the bacterial load and jump on remineralization) and temporary fillings to aid cleaning. This was all done in 15 mins without anesthetics. The treatment was successful and we maintain her oral health on a largely sugar-free and grain-free diet. I tend to think the success that people have with the WAP diet is in large part due to the lack of fermentable substrate which would otherwise feed pathogenic bacteria.
Ok….I’m a believer! I never have dental problems….but about 2 months ago I had a toothache that wouldn’t go away. Eating and drinking hurt. I took a look in the mirror and there was a tiny dark spot on the top of one of my back teeth right where the pain was. I already had a routine dental cleaning appt in 3 weeks so I decided to give the natural thing a shot. I already ate grass-fed butter but I really slathered it on now. I started taking FCLO oil daily too. By the time my dental appt came around, the pain and the dark spot were gone! I even asked my dentist to check that area out and told him I had been having trouble there. He said “Everything looks perfect. I don’t see anything.” Ha! I love it!! Be it chance or real, I don’t care….seemed to work for me!