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Healthy Home Economist / Archives / Natural Remedies / How I Healed My Child’s Cavity

How I Healed My Child’s Cavity

by Sarah Pope / Affiliate Links ✔

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Dentist’s Conclusion After Examining My Son’s Cavity
  • Best Cod Liver Oil and Butter Oil to Heal a Cavity+−
    • Child Needs to Be on Traditional Diet
  • A Second Cavity Healed!+−
    • Diet is Always First to Heal a Cavity Followed by Cod Liver Oil/K2

cavity healed

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

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Category: Natural Remedies, Oral Health
Sarah Pope

Sarah Pope MGA has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2002. She is a summa cum laude graduate in Economics from Furman University and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

She is the author of three books: Amazon #1 bestseller Get Your Fats Straight, Traditional Remedies for Modern Families, and Living Green in an Artificial World.

Her four eBooks Good Diet…Bad Diet, Real Food Fermentation, Ketonomics, and Ancestrally Inspired Dairy-Free Recipes are available for complimentary download via Healthy Home Plus.

Her mission is dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. She is a sought after lecturer around the world for conferences, summits, and podcasts.

Sarah was awarded Activist of the Year in 2010 at the International Wise Traditions Conference, subsequently serving on the Board of Directors of the nutrition nonprofit the Weston A. Price Foundation for seven years.

Her work has been covered by numerous independent and major media including USA Today, ABC, and NBC among many others.

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Reader Interactions

Comments (986)

  1. Sue Smith via Facebook

    May 12, 2011 at 2:59 pm

    This is impressive information; thanks for posting.
    Is there a specific brand of Butter Oil/CLO that you recommend to folks just starting to get into this WOE?

    Reply
  2. Becky

    May 12, 2011 at 2:43 pm

    How awesome is that?! I’ve actually been wondering about that lately. I somehow suspected that was possible. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  3. thehealthyhomeeconomist via Facebook

    May 12, 2011 at 2:27 pm

    It is recommended by the WAPF for children to begin getting their own individual dose of cod liver oil starting at 3 months old even if the Mother takes it herself and the child is still nursing. My kids got 1/4 tsp to start with an eyedropper.

    Reply
    • Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama

      Jun 25, 2011 at 7:00 pm

      Really? I just can’t bring myself to give kids anything until they are over 6 months…. 3 months even for FCLO seems awfully young.

  4. Susan

    May 12, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    That’s a great story!! Thank you for telling it. I’m sure you won’t mind me sharing it on my facebook page OraWellness. More people need to understand and to hear storied like yours and mine that teeth and gum DO regenerate given the proper conditions. Way to go family!!

    Hurray on your son’s choices! Yes we do have to celebrate the little victories along the way.

    Reply
  5. Sayedeh K Kasmai-Nazeran via Facebook

    May 12, 2011 at 2:13 pm

    Would it work for my nursing toddler if I take the cod liver oil?

    Reply
  6. Holly

    May 12, 2011 at 2:12 pm

    Oh and capsules would be best since they all can swallow them

    Reply
  7. Holly

    May 12, 2011 at 2:09 pm

    Ok I need a dummies guide to this. I have a DS 9yo and a DD 6 yo both have Celiacs and are Gluten Free. Both have cavities. My dd just developed it, she has been GF for almost a year. My son has had two cavities for about 2+ years and has been GF for over 3 years, they haven’t progressed and since they are baby teeth we were trying to wait it out and have them fall out since we have HUGE dentist fears and will have to be gassed to get anything done. There health has improved drastically but I think they are still deficient in some things since they are still healing. What exactly should I be giving them? How much do I give them? How often? Where can I buy the stuff at a good price since I really cant afford alot? Do you think its to late if there has been color change to the tooth at the hole? Thanks for your help.

    Reply
    • Lila Sanchez

      Dec 28, 2011 at 3:30 am

      Go to NutritionXpress.com dear.Amazing quality and value.I’ve been thier customer for yrs:)

  8. thehealthyhomeeconomist via Facebook

    May 12, 2011 at 2:08 pm

    School of thought on this varies but I take 1 2/3 tsp per day of FCLO which is 5000 IU of vitamin D which is the current school of thought for maintenance of adequate vitamin D levels. My kids take 1 tsp. I take 1/2 tsp of butter oil per day and the kids take 1/3-1/2 tsp of butter oil per day.

    Reply
    • Nicola

      Dec 10, 2012 at 9:06 pm

      Hi Sarah Thanks for the wonderful article. What is the most effective way to take the FCLO and butter oil Would the combined FCLO/Butter oil blend by Green Pastures be effective, or do you recommend taking them separately, as you state your children take them separately. Also, can adults heal cavaties, or is this limited to children?
      Nicola

  9. Katie @ Wellness Mama

    May 12, 2011 at 2:05 pm

    So excited to see this post in my news feed today! I had a similar experience with our oldest when we switched our way of eating. We did completely eliminate grains as well, and I seriously upped all of our fat intake as well as Vitamin D, etc and we limit phytic acid, even from non-grain sources.
    Even though I’d read Nagel’s book and Dr. Price’s work and believed the science behind healing cavities, I was still amazed at how fast it actually worked! (If things like teeth that “can’t health themselves” can improve this fast, it makes a person question how drastically food choices can affect every aspect of life!)
    The part I didn’t expect was the changes in my own teeth. We now make our own remineralizing toothpaste, and between that and dietary changes, my teeth have whitened themselves a lot! A few weeks ago I was eating some homemade ice cream and actually bit into a bite with my teeth. Not a big deal, except I’ve had sensitive teeth my whole life and this would normally cause a lot of pain. It took me a second to realize that my teeth weren’t sensitive at all! The last time I went to the dentist (a conventional one) he also noted surprisingly that my enamel had gotten stronger and my teeth didn’t have any plaque buildup whatsoever. He credited it to me being pregnant and having “growing hormones” in my body, which is funny, since my teeth have a;ways been weaker during pregnancy…

    Reply
    • Seana

      May 12, 2011 at 7:08 pm

      Would you mind sharing your recipe for your remineralizing toothpaste?

    • Amanda

      May 16, 2011 at 10:59 am

      I second that request! Our teeth are looking transparent …

    • Katie @ Wellness Mama

      Aug 9, 2012 at 9:12 pm

      So sorry… just re-reading this post and just noticed the replies. Here’s the recipe: http://wellnessmama.com/2500/homemade-remineralizing-toothpaste-recipe/

    • Lila Sanchez

      Dec 28, 2011 at 3:27 am

      Katie please share how you stopped the plaque build up.I’ve always suffered from that as well as acid? the dentist said. and it cost too much to go for cleanings so often:)

    • Adrienne @ Whole New Mom

      Jan 13, 2012 at 10:59 am

      Katie – Could you share the main sources of phytic besides grain? I’ve just gone grain free. Tough tough tough! I’m going to try your toothpaste recipe. I have receded gums and some root showing and there appears to be a small cavity starting so I’m on the path to see if I can heal it!

    • Katie @ Wellness Mama

      Aug 9, 2012 at 9:16 pm

      Hi Adrienne… just saw this post. Have you tried OraWellness products? They are really good for gums especially. I use them in combination with my remineralizing toothpaste and haven’t had any trouble with gums or teeth since changing that and adding the FCLO.

  10. Sarah Blankenship via Facebook

    May 12, 2011 at 1:59 pm

    What is the recommended daily intake for each person in a family on a daily basis? What I am trying to figure out is if each person takes 1 tsp a day for instance how many bottles would I need to purchase a month?

    Reply
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