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
Hey all
I’m not here to argue so I’m just going to leave one message and leave it at tha
I’m all for home remedies, some have worked great, others have bombed. I slept with my foot soaked in apple cider vinegar for two weeks and lost all of some gross warts..so I’m willing to try things, I’m not doubting you.
This is about drilling dentists (haha) and that they’re all about money and such and about a tooth problem that I had five years ago that almost killed me. My family had no dental insurance and I was developing a cavitiy so we tried dozens of methods to heal it, while staying healthy with foods and bringing a toothbrush to school. One morning I woke up and there was a massive abcess on my gums around my tooth that we thought we’d fixed. I pushed my tongue against my gums and the tooth would move very far out. I became very sick and almost numb because the infection from the tooth was moving through my mouth into other parts of my body. My mom picked me up and I had to go into emergency surgery. Everything turned out fine, thank God…but the bill. My cavity could have killed me that day (I swear to God I’m not lying) and we were out thousands of dollars. We were already in debt and had no idea what to do and felt hopeless…then the doctor looked at us and waived the entire bill. I kid you not!
Now I’m happily married in San Diego, finishing all of my college work but living off of my Navy
sailors paycheck. I will always support the military but the insurance sucks. I got diagnosed with epilepsy a couple of years ago and everything was A-OK until I got a few toothaches. It had nothing to do with my problem when I was in h.s, I found out that my epilepsy meds were eating away my teeth’s enamel while I was sleeping. Now I’m living on the west coast I lived in Milwaukee) and the cost of dental is a bit more here and the Navy only covers 1,500 dollars of dental for spouses each year. I had my teeth looked at it turned out thay meds had my whole mouth rotting. About 15-ish cavities. I looked at the bill estimate in the office and started balling. The hygenist went and got the dentist
“The information on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for the advice provided by your doctor or other health care professional. You should not rely upon or follow the programs or techniques or use any of the products and services made available by or through the use of this website for decision making without obtaining the advice of a physician or other health care professional. The nutritional and other information on this website are not intended to be and do not constitute health care or medical advice” This is why I dont believe you can heal cavities vis dietary changes. Why is there a need for a disclaimer?
because the word CURE belongs to the FDA — take up your complaint with them
It sounds great but I need to do more research before doing this. I have a few cavities myself that I need to fix.
Could someone please tell me if I can still make raw butter oil at home. Buying it seems sooooo expensive and also……..Can I use regular CLO or does it have to be fermented to be effective?
I had severe tooth pain at the root all the way to the tooth end and the dentist took one look and sad Root Canal. Not an option. I was to heal it, but I need to know if it needs to be CLO or FCLO? and how to make my own raw butter oil.
if your tooth has an infected nerve,it can’t be revitalised,it will die-not the same as an enamel cavity which can re-mineralise with good nutrition…root canal treatment leaves a dead tooth in your mouth-no good for your health;dead teeth must be extracted and the jawbone cavity needs thorough cleaning to remove residual bacteria/toxins..
Sarah, I am very confused with so many comments. I want to purchase the cod liver oil and butter oil for me, my son 14 and my daughter 13. What is the best to get from Green Pastures? They have the mixed version and seperate version, emulsified and regular. I am new to all this. Funny & short story, my 1st job was in a drug/food store in a depressed area (didn’t know that info at the time 16 years old), the african american people would always come in in the winter time and purchase cod liver oil. I was told it keeps you healthy in the winter!!! The one man said he has been taking it for his whole life. He must have been 70 or 80 at the time I met him. Now it comes back to me full circle. I should have listened to him,
I have the same story only more dramatic. My two-year-old daughter hit her tooth on the bathroom sink and took two big chunks out of her front teeth. They were obvious. But since they were baby teeth we were just going to let them alone until she aged and they fell out. We started drinking raw milk that year. I didn’t really see any difference for a year. Then we moved to our house and had all the raw goat milk, yogurt and butter we could eat. Plus our freerange chicken eggs. Two months ago I looked at my daughter and realized she has perfect teeth. I was shocked. Asked her to let me look at her teeth. I can see a tiny line on her teeth outlining where the crags used to be. If I wasn’t looking at it with a magnifying glass I wouldn’t be able to tell anything had happened to them. This happened over the space of two years. the missing pieces were each half the size of a pencil eraser.
What to do if your child is allergic to dairy? He can’t even do ghee. We are starting the GAPS diet, but I need something now. He also reacts a little to the fermented cod liver oil, but it is not big – a runny nose and sneezing (which he only does after his dose). Should I keep him on the FCO or take him off that too? He is 5 years old. Thanks for any help.
i received a jar of the fermented cod live oil/butter, which i ordered based on your recommendation. i do not blame you; maybe it worked for your son. my problem was the smell of the stuff. i have a large kitchen, and just taking the top off the jar immediately sent the horrific order all through the room.
i made a second try, thinking i’d misjudged the smell. i put a very small amount on a slice of bread, but could not eat it. i tried to give my dog the piece of bread; he wouldn’t touch it. this dog will eat anything, including what the cats leave in the yard.
i guess some have stronger stomachs. i was told by the Green Pastures person that the smell was normal for the product.
i am out $50+, but i guess the lesson was learned: don’t believe everything you read; trust your nose; don’t open the jar again; buy locally where you can ask for/get refund for unsatisfactory product.
Oh geez. Some are more sensitive to smells, sure but me and my 8 yr old daughter have been taking this going on 2 weeks. No we don’t look forward to it We do it together quickly and down a glass of coconut milk to get the taste out of our mouths when we are finished. Yeah it’s gross and it smells but wow, suck it up a bit! lol!!!!
Hi Sarah,
My kid is three years old and i found cavity on his two front teeth, how much FCLO/BO i should give to him….
Hi Sarah,
I tried to read through all the comments to see if you answered this, but there are so many. I got half way through.
My question is, do you have to have raw butter also to heal the cavity? Would the butter oil and CLO have healed your son’s cavity alone without the raw butter?
Thanks