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
Can you put these 2 oils in a capsule and take it that way with the same results? I think my gag reflex would prevent me from taking them with a spoon! haha
Lower IQ, docile and more compliant towards authority? That explains how Obama got re elected. Fluoride in the water!
Flouride is a poisonous waste product from the Aluminum industry. Adding Flouride to the water supply was pioneered by the Nazis in WW2 in the concentration camps. It suppresses intellect (lowers IQ) making people docile & more compliant towards authority. It has absolutely nothing to do with dental health.
Next time you are in a hardware store look at the ingredients for Rat Poison – it is Flouride which is both a neurotoxin & carcinogenic. This is why on toothpaste tubes it advises a tiny amount is to be used for small children.
Just put “flouride, rat poison” in google – there are plenty of references. Avoid Flouride & use Reverse Osmosis Filters if your government adds it to your water.
This is absolutely crazy! Cavities DO NOT HEAL THEMSELVES! Not taking yourself and especially your children to the dentist is neglect. Please do more research before taking this as truth. The disease process involved with cavities is far more complex and not treating deep cavities can lead to some pretty severe infections and problems. Keep brushing, flossing and using fluoride and this will PREVENT cavities.
Visit http://www.pubmed.org if you want scientific research!
I am a Dentist who see this everyday.
Of course it is good to always be critical of what you read, use your common sense and cross-check the information. This does not only apply to what is written on the internet. However, the other subjects on this website make much sense and have in fact helped my son a lot. He got rid of his long-time diarrhea, and I mean YEARS, of 3 diarrhea diapers a day, just by soaking/fermenting all grains and legumes and giving him sourdough bread. We hope his excema also stays away. I do not think doctors or dentists are cheating us in order to keep their jobs. But I do think they are more focused on curing rather than preventing. It would have made a lot of difference to my son if only one of the many doctors who examined him would have mentioned something about his diet.
In reaction to those that suggest the author of this blog is only writing (read: lying) out of economic interest, I would reply that she is actually very open about receiving some income through the ads on her resourses page (I want to make it clear that the links below are paid advertisements. The links below are “pay-per-click” and I do earn a small amount of money when you click on the links below. The money I earn keeps me blogging, and bringing my readers information about real food.) However, I do wonder what (hidden) motives people that warm about Sarah have. Do you care so much for me, anonyme reader of this blog? And hhmm… and why are you wasting your precious time reading this blog and writing comments if you think it is all nonsence?
Having said that, I agree it would be better to avoid the impression than one is biased or has ties to some products, and I must say that because of the ads thing I remain a bit skeptical if they actually work to the extend that it is suggested here. Hence my question. If Sarah is only ‘supporting’ one brand of cod liver/butter oil without good reasons, that would be bad news indeed. But still, I’m grateful for all I’ve learned trough this site!!
I don’t consider my taking the time to reply a waste of my time. My motivation is simple… Some parents have indicated here that they intend to try this approach next time their child has a cavity, rather than taking them to the dentist for prompt treatment. If my reply makes just one parent think twice, then that could very well save some poor child from an eventual root canal as a result of postponing treatment.
I understand that Sarah has a disclaimer elsewhere on her site indicating that her information should not be interpreted as medical advice. Great. But let’s be honest, most people who come to this page from Google will not be end up navigating to that page. I feel it would be prudent to include such a disclaimer directly in the article.
Her other articles may very well be helpful and I’m glad to hear that one has helped you and your family. However I am only referring this article, which is not adequately disclaimed and is very misleading to uninformed parents. Their children are the ones who will ultimately suffer as a result. And that is why I have taken the time to respond.
Even well established science has the mental capacity and kindness to be self-critical. When you start speaking in absolutes like you do, this is when it gets dicey. How do you know absolutely for sure of anything? Nobody does. Not scientists with 5 PhDs, and certainly not you.
After reading through the responses to this article I was shocked to see people writing statements such as “Wow, that makes logical sense. I’m going to try this next time my child has a cavity”.
I’m not speaking in absolutes. I’m not a dentist, dental hygienist, scientist or expert in this field in any capacity. I am not in a position to make definitive statements on the subject. Luckily, other responders are and they have replied to the post in kind with very applicable advice. If you had read my message above then you would understand that I’m merely recommending people perform their own due diligence and additional research before taking a blogger’s advice at face value.
Do I really need to explain to you why it’s unwise for someone to change their oral care habits based on a single blog article that challenges decades of peer-reviewed scientific research?
The only absolute I speak to is the author’s choice to filter all of her resource links through a revenue-generating ad service. Most non-technical people will not have picked up on this and I think it’s an important factor to take into consideration when determining the credibility of this article.
hi kevin, i was actually commenting on the blog entry itself. i agree with what you are saying, and i’m glad someone on here is not swallowing what she is saying blindly.
My apologies. My message ended to the effect of “established science”, and that’s where yours started. I assumed a link; my mistake.
I strongly suggest not blindly taking this person’s advice without additional research and sources for the following three simple reasons:
1. Notice the link at the end of the article to Sarah’s resource page where you can find locations for purchasing all of the products she mentioned? Have a look at that resource page. Hover over any product and you’ll see in your browser’s status bar that you are being redirected through “advertserve.com”. AdvertServe is a service where people like Sarah make money from you clicking on those links. Here’s a direct quote from their main page:
“Precisely target ads to your audience to optimize inventory usage and increase profits.”
Consider for a second that Sarah may have an ulterior motive for you to believe her article and click through to her ad-generating product links. If that’s not the case, then why don’t you just link directly to the products, Sarah? Why secretly pass people through an ad service for your financial gain?
People, you should take your oral health very seriously. For those of you who are reading her advice and actually taking it, please ask yourself: “Why am I believing a stranger on the Internet who is secretly profiting from me instead of trained medical professionals with established and proven theories on tooth decay?” The only medical literature Sarah refers to are a single dentist’s experiments in the 1930’s. Consider the advancements in medical science over the last 80 years before accepting that as an accurate source.
2. “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?”
If you didn’t stop reading after those statements, you should have. Teeth are NOT bones or skin lacerations. So why would you expect them to heal in the same manner? If I cut my arm off, it should just regrow itself because bones and cuts do, right? Wrong. I encourage you to do your own research on how teeth differ from bones and therefore cannot be compared as such. Here are a couple links to get you started, feel free to Google for more:
http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/1225-why-are-teeth-not-considered-bones.html
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Are_teeth_bones
3. Even if this did miraculously fix the hole her Sarah’s son’s tooth (I personally don’t believe it did), is a single story on the Internet really enough evidence for you to turn your back on established dental practices?
Big fan of your blog… it is really fantastic to read so much interesting information about food and health. I wish I had known more before I got my children.
A question: I have a long-time problem with receiding gums, and I have half of my front tooth cracked off (I still have the broken bit and read something about letting it be glued together). Would liver/butter oil combination work for that as well?
Btw. I have had the same experience with a tooth a long time ago. My dentist said there was a cavity, but not severe enough to drill. The next visit, half a year later, it was gone 🙂 I thought I had brushed well, but maybe it was the food after all.
And just wondering, is GREEN PASTURES the only store on earth where to get decent raw liver/butter oil or are there some alternatives…? I live in Norway where people take in a lot of cod liver oil (though not raw).
This is very much a lie. I am a dental professional and have been educated on the dental disease process. Indeed It is possible for teeth to remineralize but not to the extent of the description in your post. You do not have pictures or x-rays of your son’s tooth to prove your story. For your son’s sake I would go to the dentist and have an x-ray taken of this tooth before the bacteria bottoms out the tooth and he needs a root canal or worst case, an extraction.
I am in full agreement with Brent, clearly a knowledgeable person within the dental field
Where is the proof this worked for your son? Next time you find a hole, have dentist x ray it. Then do the oils as long as you deem needed. Then go to dentist and have him x ray tooth again. Prove to us he had a cavity then months later it was gone. I’m not asking for the dentists opinion or science jargon. Just the proof of the x ray. I want to believe but there is never any proof with the oil cavity stories. Just someone’s promise that this is what happened.