If we can regrow/heal bone, why not teeth?
When I posted this question on Facebook last week along with my story, the interaction and reactions were pretty intense, so I realized I need to blog about not only the aftermath of my little experiment, but my plan from the beginning.
Note: Erm…I was wrong about that opening line.
I was so disappointed in myself when I had a cavity at the dentist’s in January (ok, two…maybe three if you count the one in my wisdom tooth, arg!).
My mouth doesn’t hurt at all, and I was sure I had read stories of people healing their cavities with food. The dentist said that the enamel can regrow, sure. Deeper than that (one of mine was, just barely), no way.
I’m determined to prove him wrong and get the before-and-after X-rays to prove it!
I hate X-rays and avoid them whenever possible, so that tells you how stubborn I’m feeling about not getting them filled yet, much to my husband’s chagrin.
With our new lifestyle as at-home entrepreneurs, we are on our own paying for dental work. In January, we were still covered under my husband’s insurance from his corporate job.
Think I can deduct the follow up X-rays as a business expense?
If I fail, I’ll also have to pay 100% out of pocket to have them filled, so it was a big risk and big decision not to fill them in January when insurance would have paid half.
The Internet Doesn’t Lie
“But I read about it on the Internet!”
That won’t hold much water if this doesn’t work – and it doesn’t for some people – but I read enough stories, some from people I know personally, to be convinced that it’s worth a try, to trust my body to heal when given the right tools and circumstances.
Of course the web is a great resource, but some would say “Dr. Google” is no way to actually make healthcare decisions.
I did enough research to feel confident that a few more months won’t kill me (or my mouth), and I believe strongly in the power of food as medicine. Here’s how I thought it through:
- Learn about what causes cavities (often lack of minerals or too much phytate activity in the diet)
- Weigh my risk factors (heavy)
- Look at the recommendations for healing tooth decay (doable)
- Have others been successful? (yes)
My sources include the following:
- Cure Tooth Decay book (found on Amazon) and website and I’m looking into the Facebook group
- Whole Health Source
- Natural News
- Dr. Axe
Dr. Axe’s post there has a really nice succinct “what to do” list, as follows:
From Dr. Axe:
If you’re going to beat tooth decay, you need to increase your fat soluble vitamin intake and mineral intake. If I were creating an ideal diet to follow, it would look like this:
- Rich in animal foods like bone broth, meat, fish and eggs.
- Raw and cooked vegetables especially green leafy vegetables.
- Raw dairy like kefir, cheese and grass-fed butter
- Fruit one piece daily early in day
- High vitamin D – get plenty of sunshine and days not in sun supplement with 5,000IU daily of D3.
- Foods high in healthy fat like coconut oil (use the code STEWARDSHIP to get 10% off) , avocado, olives and fish or cod liver oil.
- Fermented grains only and in moderation such as true sourdough bread (or even better no grains at all).
- Nuts, seeds and beans only that have been sprouted.
- Finally, NO processed food, packaged food or fast food.
- Oil Pulling
- Mineralizing Tooth Paste or Powder
My Plan to Heal Cavities
My plan will include all of those things plus a few more recommendations. I made a chart for myself that looks like this:
And I made sure I had supplies on hand, including:
- This cool cavity-healing package (that I put together!) from Perfect Supplements (use the coupon KS10 for 10% off!) – including…
- Perfect Desiccated Liver (to get grass-fed beef more than usual; organ meats highly recommended by Dr. Price and the Cure Tooth Decay book)
- Perfect 3 Grass Blend (has many of the nutrients lost through phytic acid)
- Perfect Coconut Oil (for oil pulling)
- Ancient Minerals Magnesium Oil
- Green Pasture X-FACTOR Gold High Vitamin Butter Oil (makes cod liver oil more effective, Vitamin K)
- Green Pasture Blue Ice Cod Liver Oil – Cinnamon Tingle (my fav flavor!)
- Green Pasture Fermented Skate Liver Oil (I don’t have this yet because I had so much FCLO on hand from a bulk order that I, ahem, wasn’t taking until late in pregnancy)
- (FCLO is no longer irrefutably trustworthy, so do your research!)
- You can use the code KS10 to get 10% off the whole package OR any of the individual parts! Shop here…
- Bass toothbrush and brushing blend from Orawellness – have them already, but haven’t used much lately because it’s a bit more time commitment than normal brushing IMO
- Earthpaste to help remineralize – I had been using Earthpaste for a long time, but I’m squeezing MUCH more out nowadays
- Cure Tooth Decay book
- The Vitamin D I take is directly from my doctor, so I trust that’s it’s a good brand. Here’s more about supplementing with Vitamin D.
- The butter is Kerrygold from Costco.
- Yes, I floss, too, once daily.
I’m starting with that chart for a few weeks, and then I’ll add in the “do not eat” list.
My husband is going to do a Whole 30 during Lent, so I’ll be giving up grains and eating only soaked nuts and seeds (if at all) during that time – plus he’ll be off dairy so I’ll drink his share of raw milk and yogurt. Perfect! Find out what we ate at first, and then as we hit our stride, if you’re interested.
Now back to the question of my research, WHY I think I might have gotten these cavities, and why I think I can really heal tooth decay using FOOD!
Recent History Puts Me at Risk
I haven’t had a kazillion cavities in my life or a long history of rampant tooth decay.
In fact, over the last 15 years, dentists have been quite happy with my oral health, except for that one dentist and his money machine.
I had two cavities in my childhood and two (small) cavities at the same time in adulthood. The only things dentists like to scowl at me about are my teeth grinding problem and the fact that I’ve kept my wisdom teeth this long. But my general oral health is excellent.
It was a real ego shot, then, to feel like I’m eating a great diet, working so hard to feed my family real, wholesome foods, and then end up with three cavities on the X-ray:
- one in a wisdom tooth that is only partially grown in, a known risk area for decay
- one just in the enamel on a top tooth
- one through the enamel and into the dentin (second layer) but not quite through to the nerve on another top tooth
None of these are on chewing surfaces if I remember correctly.
But as much as I’d like to have a pride trip on my diet, the fact is, there’s been some laziness in both my eating and brushing habits.
I check the boxes on a lot of cavity risk factors, the food ones related mostly to the theory that phytic acid in whole grains, nuts and seeds pulls minerals from the body, particularly affecting the teeth:
- eating more unsoaked whole grains than usual (including popcorn and tortilla chips because they’re gluten-free and easy)
- more chocolate in the past few months than usual
- more unsoaked nuts and seeds than past years
- I make a lot of pumpkin seeds in the fall and am the only one who continues to munch on them – they’re soaked, but I wonder if those thick hulls still have lots of phytic acid!
- shortcuts on beans and legumes, using canned beans not soaked the way I’d do it
- more sugar in general (Christmas!)
- post-partum – being pregnant and nursing can really leach nutrients from a body, especially Vitamin K! Could be Gabe’s fault…
- not brushing my teeth twice daily
- going to sleep soon after eating at my computer (and missing the brushing for various reasons…could be blogging’s fault!)
- grazing on food throughout the day without a lot of breaks (hard on your teeth when they constantly have food on them)
- missing dental cleanings for (cough, cough) two whole years
Let Me Explain Myself
That last one sounds really bad, I know.
It’s a no-brainer to take care of yourself and your teeth by making sure you do the basic checkups. Not much excuse when insurance will pay 100%!
When we moved 3 years ago, I went back to the dentist we loved once, and the 45-minute drive with two kids and a baby about did me in.
Not worth it.
Six-ish months later, I went to the next closest “in-network” dentist. There honestly weren’t many around at that time.
He shared an office building (but not practice) with the money machine dentist, who I knew I didn’t want to go to again, but I figured I could try the other guy.
It was a disaster.
He was so disrespectful of anything I had to say about living naturally, and he even tricked me into getting X-rays —
He knew I was nursing a baby and didn’t want to have the wisdom teeth out anytime soon, and yet he said they HAD to get a visual in there with a full head X-ray to see what might be happening inside the wisdom teeth.
“You don’t want them rotting out of your head from the inside out!”
Ok, ok…I acquiesced. X-rays done.
Then….the catch.
The oral surgeon who would need to take my wisdom teeth out would only accept those X-rays for 6 months without needing new ones, and insurance only pays for a full head scan every 5 years.
I felt like a punch in the gut, like a bait and switch, and I was mad.
I did nothing about it at the time and had no intention of being bullied into having my wisdom teeth out while nursing, but when the 6-month postcards came, I called and pulled out of the practice.
There was no way I could go back to that guy.
I began a search for a more naturally minded dentist, which is extremely difficult to do, even with online connections like I have. It seemed like I would have to drive 45 minutes again, and I just didn’t have the heart to lock that in.
I figured we could miss one appointment and go at 12 months, since we were eating well, etc.
And life gets away from you.
From time to time, I’d have “find dentist!!” on my list, but that undefined target was always the last thing to be tackled. Life got even busier last year with another pregnancy, and I just couldn’t get around to it.
I was a little surprised that it had been a full two years, but I was still hopeful that the kids and I would all come away with clean bills of health.
Yes, for them, no for me. It was embarrassing, but I deserved it.
How Brushing Falls out of Habit
I’m really good at getting my kids to brush their teeth before bed (except for special, rare occasions when perhaps we’re arriving home from somewhere at 9:30 or 10p and they’ve been sleeping in the car) and have a darn good track record at brushing teeth before school.
Some weekends, when we’re all home with nowhere to go, though, that habit (along with getting out of our PJs) can easily get missed. Am I the only one who looks at my kids at lunch on a Saturday and says, “Uh oh, we didn’t brush our teeth this morning!”
Considering that most days, my life as a stay-at-home mom is just as unstructured, breakfast can just run into the rest of the day, and before I know it, it’s dinner.
At the end of the day, sometimes I have a nursing baby on my lap and I’m the only one awake…so I can’t brush or I’ll wake him up. Sometimes I am working on my computer and falling asleep, and I just have to fall into bed and skip brushing my teeth so I don’t wake myself up.
All that mess means that sometimes, to be honest, I bet I didn’t brush at all on a given day.
Yuck.
Too Many Food Shortcuts
Our eating habits are always in flux, from a Standard American, low-fat diet seven years ago to a soaked/sourdough whole wheat, from scratch big change, to adding raw milk and better meats, then about four years ago going “gluten-light,” which completely changed our grains intake once again.
Soaking grains used to be a primary focus of my kitchen, but I’ve let some habits go:
- Some of my gluten-free recipes don’t include soaking, so I just don’t.
- I’m often out of whey for soaked oatmeal and/or end up soaking it for only 6-7 hours because I forget until I’m heading to bed.
- I’ve been missing some soaked rice opportunities simply because I wasn’t planning ahead.
- Gluten-free pasta is made of whole grains and not soaked.
- I add chia seeds to our smoothies – unsoaked – and they’re in some homemade bread and cereal recipes I use. Seeds are supposed to be suuuuuuper high in phytic acid/phytates.
- I still make almonds (use the code STEWARDSHIP for 10% off at that site!) and walnuts (use the code STEWARDSHIP for 10% off at that site!) into crispy nuts, but cashews (use the code STEWARDSHIP for 10% off at that site!) and peanuts aren’t as tasty that way, and peanut butter (mmmmm, apple season!) isn’t soaked either
- I have relied more in the past year on “sort of healthy processed foods” a ton more than previous years: crackers packed with unsoaked whole grains and seeds, bars with decent ingredients, but certainly unsoaked nuts, and after Gabe was born I splurged on “sort of healthy” granola – unsoaked oats are some of the worst phytic acid offenders out there. Man, was it delicious…but it could have killed my oral health.
So overall, in the areas of Vitamin D (I’m deficient according to my bloodwork in December, the result likely of living in Michigan and not supplementing properly), Vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, phytic acid, and the darn brushing habit…I have made some poor choices for my teeth lately.
I’m hoping I can turn things around by making not only better choices, but giving my teeth a nearly optimal environment to create new tooth enamel and dentin, for at least six weeks!
What My New Dentist Will Think
I don’t think my new dentist is a super duper “cavity filler” to an extreme. I liked him well enough, but here’s what he said when I asked if cavities could be healed (not a direct quote):
Food eaten has no real impact (on teeth from the inside out, especially healing). Oil pulling is interesting and intriguing, might kill some bacteria, but still shouldn’t be able to actually regrow teeth.
He said that it’s recently been proven that internal fluoride does nothing for dental health and doesn’t prevent cavities – we still leave it in our water to wash over kids’ teeth. (I’m pretty sure it’s not for adults, just for kids. Yuck.)
I asked specifically what the risk would be if my children didn’t have fluoridated water, and he said that kids on well water are significantly more at risk for cavities by Leah’s and Paul’s ages than kids on city water. I didn’t tell him that we take the fluoride OUT of our water as a general rule and they get very little…
So I wonder what he will think when he sees me again in three months for new X-rays and no appointment to fill cavities, in my optimism…
Interested in finding out how it went? HERE ARE THE EARLY RESULTS AFTER 3 MONTHS!!
Others’ Stories
I told you I read quite a few stories from other people about successfully healing their cavities:
- Mommypotamus
- The Nourishing Gourmet
- Keeper of the Home
- The Paleo Mama
- Wellness Mama
- Ramblings of a Happy Homemaker
- Interesting take on hormones from Nicole Jardim
Is There a HOLISTIC Dentist Hiding In Your Town?
Robyn Openshaw over at Green Smoothie Girl spent months calling every holistic dentist she could find in the U.S! She learned what services each of them provide, and made a special guide so you can find a holistic dentist who uses practices that are non-toxic, so you can avoid heavy metals, root canals, radioactive x-rays, and more.
She’s made all the information she gathered available for free in one amazing resource, The Insider’s Guide to Holistic Dentists.
Other Dental Health Posts:
- My Experience with Oil Pulling – for Sensitive Teeth
- Learn to Brush your Teeth Like an Adult
- Safe Toothpaste – SLS, fluoride, artificial sweeteners, and other things to avoid
- Natural Toothpaste Reviews
- Oil Pulling Successes and Tips
- Fluoridated Water – is There a Safe Level of Fluoride?
- BPA in your Fillings?
Disclosure: Affiliate links in this post to Amazon, Orawellness, Perfect Supplements and more will kick back a commission to the site (but your price doesn’t change!).
Hi Katie,
Is there an update for this? Be Your Own Doctor, by Rachel Weaver is great and you will get a lot of info that is not your usual list of “go-to’s” like the WAPF’ers (I am one of them). I agree with some other posts about pregnancy being hard on the body and cavities come out. It happened to me after each pregnancy even with trying to eat healthy (soaked grains, CLO, raw milk, etc.). Rachel Weaver says it’s still not enough calcium during pregnancy. Also Black Walnut tincture is FANTASTIC for tooth sensitivity. It will immediately stop any pain. It’s amazing. 2 years ago a friend of mine, her daughter had a cavity, and used black walnut to heal it. Yes, gone. Rachel Weaver says that it will heal cavities in children and stop them with adults (but not quite heal). I’m currently trying to heal a spot as a filling fell out 2 months ago. So, I am increasing my CLO and using a lot of black walnut tea, tincture and even herbal powders recommended in her book.
Hi there!
I am 22 years old and have had multiple cavities and two root canals thus far. I know, sad day.
I went into the dentist for a cleaning after three years…-and I have four new cavities.
Well, it’s time to try all natural remedies like this! I hope the results show improvement! Wish me luck!
Danielle,
I wish you much luck – with your history especially, I’d really stay in close contact with your dentist! In this interview with a dentist who is very naturally minded and knows that cavities can heal, she recommends Xrays after 3 months: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Agl0kdkFXAg
The diet isn’t easy, but it may have other health benefits for you as well – good luck! 🙂 Katie
Hi! Your story is so interesting… I’m hoping to implement some of those same guidelines. Have you written any progress posts?
Nicole,
I’m hoping to make an appt. for followup X-rays next week, so we’ll see how that turns out! 🙂 Katie
Several years ago my eldest had a cavity that healed. It took us 2 long years for it to work, but on the other hand she was going through puberty at the same time. I loved watching her beautiful, wide adult face developing.
6 months ago my 3rd child was diagnosed with a cavity. We’ve been vigilant with our FCLO and butter again, but when she went to the dentist this morning she found no improvement and now has 2 cavities.
I honestly think there’s a different problem this time. She was recently diagnosed with having parasites, and I’m wondering if the worms are stealing the nutrients that she needs for healthy teeth. We’re only about 1/4 of the way into a 90 day protocol to eliminate the problem, so I’m hoping that we’ll see good results in 6 months. (I need to make a believer out of my dentist too.)
That’s tricky Elisabeth! Did you have to get intermittent x-rays to tell if your older daughter’s cavity was healing? Good luck on this one; I’m sure it made you nervous that a second had appeared! 🙁
Katie
I don’t think you’re crazy and I want to see your results. Please post them if it works or not. I think we need to try something like the plans you outlined also.
Hi Katie, I feel like I’m in the same boat! Although, I’m new to eating whole/real foods (soaking, homemade yogurt, etc). I just went to the dentist for a 6 month check-up (after years of missing or late apts), so it was crushing to find out that I now had cavities in my wisdom teeth. My dentist was so sweet and said at my age (34) it is common to have trouble in the back of the mouth because these teeth are so hard to reach. I have a feeling other factors, like those you’ve listed above, played a big role… I was an AVID brusher as a kid, but 3 pregnancies really do a number on personal hygiene habits. 🙂 My dentist also suggested pulling out my cheek and placing the toothbrush directly on my wisdom teeth and said it would be helpful to look in the mirror, until I get the feel for it. Thanks for tips on healing your teeth naturally – I’m rooting for you and will be trying to do the same! (I purchased Earthpaste a few weeks ago, as well!)
We live in the same area you do – can I ask what dentist you go to – we have been searching for one in the area that follows Weston price. Thank you!
Hey Erin,
He doesn’t – but I’m hoping to get him reading once he sees my “after” X-rays, right? 😉 Katie
I was waiting until my last dental appointment to chime in. 9 months ago I had 3 cavities! Eek! My dentist only sees me usually once a year because my teeth are usually good and the hygienist has trouble finding stuff to scrape away (even when I went two years without seeing her!) So, yes, definitely a dent to my ego. BUT….I had been consuming more sugar and more refined flours as I switched jobs and started working crazy hours. Like you, I did a lot of reading too, and made a few small changes right away. But for the last two months I have gone entirely sugar free on the advice of my naturopath (no honey, no maple syrup, no sweet fruits like bananas or dried fruits) as well as gluten-free. I also started brushing with bentonite clay toothpaste and I make my own herbal mouthwash on the advice of an herbalist who cured her gum disease that way. And this visit my dentist says – he can’t find a thing! 🙂 So, no, I don’t think you are crazy. (as a side note I rarely soak anything, eat a lot of legumes, don’t drink milk, and can’t afford fclo….so those weren’t contributing factors, at least in my case.) I wish you similar success!
Thank you so much for sharing Andrea, that’s AWESOME! I’m hoping I can get away with some bananas and dried fruit, because without grains, legumes or nuts, there aren’t many things to snack on! But I just read in the Cure Tooth Decay book that those aren’t recommended (sigh) so I’m going to get some green apples next time I’m at the store so I can at least cut down on the dried fruits. 🙂 Katie
Herbal mouthwash, hmmm, where could I get a recipe for that?
http://gnowfglins.com/2014/11/12/10-must-use-herbs-for-healthy-teeth-and-gums-plus-make-your-own-natural-mouthwash/
Thanks so much!
I’m eager to see your success, Katie! I’ve been trying to heal my kids’ cavity problem without success yet, but I feel like the dentists haven’t given us a chance to see it work. On Medicaid we were forced to fill cavities when a hygienist reported me for child neglect for not filling. (But we’d been eating a WAPF diet and taking CLO for a few years, so I suppose that theoretically I’d already been doing what would heal them.) One new thing I recently started is homeopathic remedies — calcarea phosphorica and calcarea flourica. I read on a WAPF article that a mom did that for her kid and an ongoing cavity problem was cured. You dilute a dose of each in water and have a spoonful every day. I’m hoping for a good report this spring. Not that you want another thing to look into, though, I guess! You already have lots of ideas!
Oh, my, child neglect report? What a nightmare, I’m so sorry Charlotte. Thank you for sharing the homeopathic options; I hadn’t seen those and it’s always good to have all the information at my disposal! 🙂 Katie
GUess what!!! I just went to the dentist for the first time in many, many years — the first time since the diet change — and the dentist said I have such wonderfully strong teeth with no sign of any decay or soft spots. And I grew up always having cavities!! It’s so tough that for me soaking whole grains and not eating any white flour for 5 years seems to have improved my teeth. But I’ve been wondering if the whole grains are the culprit for my kids. Nothing is simple or easy to decipher! But I was completely astonished by the dentist’s words. 🙂 What I do have is years of tartar build up that’s become early periodontal disease. I bought the Orawellness healthy mouth blend and their bass brush, so I hope next time the gum deisease will be gone.
That is AWESOME news Charlotte! I wish you could have shown the CPS people my next article in this series…coming today! Your kids’ cavities were probably not properly diagnosed if the dentist only had one X-ray…but I’m super happy for you and your strong teeth!!
🙂 Katie
I felt like I was reading my own story while reading this article! I am on the same journey and just found a biological dentist that I am switching too as my previous dentist said “some people just have bad luck” after he found a cavity. I’m pretty certain 3 kids later and all the breastfeeding has impacted my dental health. I’m on a mission too to prove that old dentist wrong. I already follow most of your plan but learned a couple new things too! Thanks so much for sharing your story. I’ll be very interested to see how things work out for you!
Good luck to you too, April! 🙂 Katie
what about healing gum recession? Ever since I’ve had my third child I seem to be having rapid gum recession on my front for teeth on the top. With the FCLO and re-mineralization toothpastes help Restore gums, or should I be looking at a different kind of regimen?
Christin,
You may want to look at Orawellness’s information – www.kitchenstewardship.com/oraw Their toothbrushes are supposed to be great for gums (and the brushing METHOD is the key!). Also oil pulling may help http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2011/10/26/whats-with-oil-pulling/
I’m not sure if FCLO is good for gums or just remineralizing teeth though. Good luck! 🙂 Katie
I had a cavity for the first time in decades after I started drinking kombucha, and I wonder if there was a connection. I haven’t given up kombucha, but I’ve started rinsing my mouth with water after drinking it. This link has info: http://www.orawellness.com/blog/how-to-drink-kombucha-and-not-destroy-your-teeth/ .
This is exactly what I’ve been reading about recently. I make my own kombucha and recently went to the dentist after (mumble-mumble) years and had decay. No plaque build up at all–oral hygiene was deemed excellent (I have been oil pulling for a year or so and it’s a huge difference!) So if no plaque, leads me to look at acids. I drink coffee and kombucha. Now will wait 30 min to brush per that article and see how that helps. I also graze all day.
According to what I’ve read, some, but not all, kombucha contains Lactobacillus. I first read in a book titled “How to Become Dentally Self-Sufficient,” by Dr. Robert O. Nara and Steven A. Mariner, about Lactobacillus and other bacteria in the saliva having an effect on the propensity to develop cavities. I found an article in a 1938 (!) issue of the “American Journal of Public Health” reporting on a connection between Lactobacillus acidophilus and dental caries: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1529128/pdf/amjphnation01008-0073.pdf .
Nora,
Oh, I hope that’s not true! That would mean a death knell to my yogurt, which I looooove daily. 🙁
Katie
Hello there! Your research is great! I want ask you if you know about tahini (because sesame seeds are very high on phytic acid) …if its hulled is it ok to consume daily or still no? thanks anyway im a bit confused…
Maria,
I know sesame seeds are super duper high in phytic acid, so I’m staying away from tahini for at least 6 weeks, personally – but I haven’t looked it up specifically in the Nagel book.
🙂 Katie
Thanks a lot! I used to eat a tahini-honey-cocoa spread everyday and i didnt know about the phytic acid (i thought it was healthy) and now i replaced it with cows butter-honey-turmeric spread which is very tasty! So i could stay away 6 weeks and then instead of my daily breakfast it could be just a treat!
I would love to see your meal plans! And, what do you know about oil pulling when one has amalgam fillings? I have read mixed thoughts on it. Thanks! Looking forward to following this!
Carly,
I have read that it will not loosen a filling/crown/cap that has been placed correctly. However if there is further decay under/behind it then it could loosen when you start working on that decay with oil pulling. I have not read enough on mercury to understand fully if I should oil pull (I have two kinds of fillings). I want to try but am nervous.
http://trinaholden.com/oil-pulling-frequently-asked-questions/
Carly,
That’s a good idea – especially since my husband is doing a Whole 30 at the same time! (Similar, no grains, no legumes, but no dairy for him and lots for me!) I am really not sure about the fillings but it might be worth your time to read the comments (I know there’s some discussion in there) on my two OP posts:
http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2011/10/26/whats-with-oil-pulling/
http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2013/04/25/oil-pulling-tips-and-success-stories-do-you-swish/
And I would see if Dr. Bruce Fife has anything to say about it anywhere online – he is the authority!
Good luck! 🙂 Katie
Perfect timing! 🙂 my husband I have been researching this for the past few months, more intensly for the past few days. We currently do not have dental so we are investing in FCLO and butter oil along with some other stuff and following the diet from Heal Tooth Decay. I have dental problems because of the medical community. Truly. My mother was told to give me flouride drops as a baby, so she did, because you know, the dr said so…. After awhile he told her stop giving me the flouride. He said the research had changed and now because of the flouride THAT HE PRESCRIBED I would have gray, mottled and cavity ridden teeth before I was 30?! I will be thirty next fall, I’ve had four children and lots of breastfeeding, so I know that is a contributing factor. My teeth are horrible and I swear there’s a twinkle in my dentist’s eyes as she looks over my teeth and talks about extractions,implants, root canals, fillings and crowns
Lol! I don’t think my entire comment saved:) basically, I’m truly excited to read this and follow your progress for encouragement:) good luck!
Ugh, so frustrating Ashley! I have read on Kelly the Kitchen Kop’s blog about her oldest son’s fluoridosis (is that what it’s called I think, the gray teeth?), so she might be a resource for you too. I hope the book works wonders for the both of us!!
🙂 Katie
Thank you! I will check her blog out! I forgot to mention that I’ve been oil pulling lately and my teeth are noticeably whiter, can’t tell if it’s my wishful imagination though?!;) thank you for the info!
Such great timing! I just went to the dentist. I dread it because I ALWAYS have a cavity, plaque, receding gums, etc. no matter what my oral hygiene habits are. When I went in this time, they were praising me on how much better my teeth are (receding went from 5 to 4mm, no cavities) and asked me what I’ve done differently and I couldn’t think of what I’ve done differently. On my way back home, it dawned on me that I’ve been avoiding highly processed food for about 7 months now. I follow so many of the habits listed in your article. Totally amazing how that transformation occurred!
LOVE love love your story, Ella! Especially that it happened without you really trying to focus on your *oral* health specifically – what a testament to real, whole foods!
🙂 Katie
Hi Katie,
I healed three of my son’s four cavities a few years back. I got one filled and then I decided to not to fill the other three. Instead, I worked on his nutrition and gave him cod liver oil daily. At the six month dental checkup, his cavities had stopped getting any larger. When my husband took him to the year appointment, the dentist was amazed that they were gone. I think my husband was surprised, too! My husband thought it was great, though, and the dentist asked him lots of questions about what we were doing.
My daughter then got a few cavities and we have been doing the same protocol that we used for my son. The one difference is that we have added a supplement called Biodent that my chiropractor gave us. It is supposed to help rebuild the dentin. We went to her six month check up recently, and the dentist said her cavities were healing.
Unfortunately, I have not had much success with my own teeth, but I am very thankful that it works for my kids.
I’m glad to hear about you healing your son’s cavities with Biodent. My dad was a chiropractor and sold Standard Process vitamins, but must not have known about Biodent when we were young because my sisters and I have our share of fillings! My sister healed her son’s cavities using it, and now I’m working on my son’s teeth with it also. I’ll have to try adding cod liver oil too. Thanks for that tip!
Good luck, Katie! I think half the battle is mind over matter (good food is paramount of course). If you think it can happen, it can. If you think it won’t, it never will!
Forty five minutes for a dentist? Nothing. Join my club of 1 1/2 hours to see our biological dentist. Better than the previous 3 1/2 hours! In all fairness, we drive past a closer biological dentist because we don’t like him! 🙂
Love the unsubscriber comment. Why do people get so scared of something outside their comfort zone? Just follow what the government doles out. Too many sheep in this country! 😉
Thanks Olivia! I’d drive myself…but with toddlers and babies who hate being in the car, I just couldn’t bite off that commitment unless I knew it was totally necessary! And maybe I’ll change my mind… 🙂 Katie
I too struggle with brushing often enough after I have had a baby. What has helped this time around is to put a toothbrush and toothpaste in my downstairs powder room, which is right off of my kitchen. That way if I don’t get a chance to brush before coming down for the day I can pop in there at some point in the morning and do it. And at night sometimes I will brush in there before sitting down to nurse the baby in case she falls asleep on me. Don’t know if that tip applies to you at all, but wanted to mention it!
My mother in law is attempting to remineralize her teeth, as she has some “watch ” spots, in her words! I am not sure what her exact plan is. I’ve heard some positive things about bone broth for teeth. In fact, I am reading Nourishing Broth right now, and it sounds like it is a vital part of these tooth decay healing process. Thankfully, I’ve never had a cavity! But I can’t say it wouldn’t happen. I’ve gotten a little lazier in the brushing area since I’ve had two young kids, but I always attempt to brush twice a day. Flossing… Well, not so much, but I think you’ve inspired me to redouble my efforts 🙂 Hope your plan works! It’s worth a shot!
I was going to say, you should cut yourself some slack, Katie! 🙂 you just had a baby! As well as have 3 other children…. And you still manage to eat healthier than 99 percent of the American population! 🙂 Eating a real food diet takes a lot of work (especially since most of us don’t live on farms or as close to the earth anymore!) and sometimes we go through seasons in our life when we have to cut corners a little bit. it doesn’t mean you still aren’t making healthy choices for your family. Just wanted to mention that! You are an inspiration to many of us who are trying to move towards a healthier lifestyle.I check out your website every day!
Aw, thanks Rebecca! That’s so sweet! I know you’re right, and I’m guessing this is mainly because pregnancy is tough on a body and skipping brushing teeth after munching chocolate chips all night on the computer!! 😉 I’m just glad my kids’ teeth were gorgeous – so I know I didn’t fall down on the job. Thanks for the sweet note!! 🙂 Katie
Absolutely! Grace
I hate the dentist! I’m interested to see your results! 🙂
Dear all,
I can certify that remineralising/regrowing teeth and healing cavities IS possible. In my 20s I was on a liquid magnesium aspartate supplement which completely fixed my teeth! Asked my naturopath about it and he said “Of course, didn’t you know?”
I lost several teeth on steroid treatment (for secondary pituitary failure). I haven’t got dentures yet because I am convinced my body can grow new teeth. Any ideas about how to do that – so not just healing a cavity, but getting your body to replace entire teeth?
Health, well-being and blessings.
Did you know that taking magnesium orally only allows your body to absorb 5% of the intake? And is a natural purgative… so will help move bowels whether you are seeking that outcome or not? Soaking your feet (or your whole self) in an Epsom salt bath is super relaxing and allows your body to absorb as much magnesium as it needs through the most effective mechanism.
Thanks for that info, yes, I discovered the laxative action of SOME Magnesium supplements the hard way, lol, but have never had any adverse effects with Magnesium Aspartate and/or Magnesium Chelate. It’s the Magnesium Orotate that seems to be the problem one for me.
In addition to my oral intake I have long soaking baths with Dead Sea salt/Minerals plus Epsom Salts and Bicarb Soda. This has completely stopped the muscle cramping I used to suffer from so terribly – even improved my angina! (Which is cramping of the arteries of the heart, arteries and veins are muscles too)
Also, you can take and absorb tonnes of magnesium (and the relative amount of calcium) but without enough Boron it won’t do you much good. So I use Boric Acid as a mouthwash (kills all bacteria and brightens teeth as an added bonus) as you absorb enough Boron via the lining of your mouth.
Dear Katie: I CONGRATULATE you for having the courage to write about this topic. You are my kind of heroine. I’m certain your experiment will turn out well. God bless you.
Irini, could you please give more specifics on your bath regime for muscle cramps? I need this! So tired of getting up multiple times at night to walk off or rub down cramps in areas I was unaware muscles existed. Soaking my feet in magnesium oil helps — wondering what else I could do.
Katie, I love your protocol and effort to heal you teeth. I too want to fix my teeth. After doing apple cider vinegar and honey tea for several months, I discovered I damaged 23 teeth. Yes, I said 23! I was in shock and denial for over a year. . . had to have 2 teeth pulled. Still haven’t gone beyond that (money and insurance issues.) I have written your protocol down and will also attempt to use Lent to get my teeth in order. Thanks!
Have you watched the Orawellness videos? I’ve been working on my teeth and found them really informative. I’ve read Cure Tooth Decay but it’s so overwhelming!
I have watched some of them, Daphne, but maybe only on the Bass brushing technique. I’ll have to go looking for their others! Thanks for the recommendation! 🙂 Katie
Just want to encourage you to keep up the good work. Yes, this is a little edgy, but I find it fascinating and can’t wait to hear how it turns out. I don’t think you are saying the whole medical field is out to get us, but there truly are some medical minds that are clamped shut. Good luck with it and keep us posted!
Pregnancy and nursing will definitely increase the odds of cavities. And as gross as it is, I hear you on the somedays I just don’t get around to brushing twice a day! I love lemon in my water and I’m a little worried about my next dental check-up and if the acid plus constant grazing caused any problems. Have you heard about the work of Dr. Nara? Wondering how it compares to other remineralizing programs.
That’s a new name for me, Nicole, but I added it to my research document, thanks! 🙂 Katie
Yes, in the same boat! No cavities at all til Baby 1 came along! Haven’t been to the dentist in about a year, and I was pregnant then with Baby 2 and didn’t have x-rays (which I think would have shown more decay activity.) Now carrying Baby 3 and really concerned! We are a gluten free/partially grain free family, and lately I have really cut back on sugar, but my eating habits have been a bit crazy (thank you, 1st Tri “morning” sickness!) Been “Blotting Brush” brushing and taking magnesium and CLO (Swanson Double Strength, not the FCLO but still on the “decent” list from WAPF). I think maybe I’m missing the Butter Oil/ K2 portion of the equation.
Does anyone know– do healthy teeth still hold on to stains? Or is that a sign of decay?
Rachel,
Good luck!! All I know about the stains is that my 9yo has staining, is not a coffee or soda drinker (much to the surprise of the dentist) and has never had a cavity. ??? I have no idea why his teeth are stained, but here’s hoping it’s not a problem. 🙂 Katie
Same here with my 12 y.o. daughter. She was breastfed until almost 3 y.o. Her permanent front teeth came in with yellow stains. Never drank well water. No cavities. Brushes and eats well (no grains, no sugar). Last time she went to the dentist and previous visits to different ones, I asked about the stains and both of them said it’s genetic, not caused by food (never drank soda or coffee). They offered to give her abrasive treatment to strip away top layer, but we are not doing that. I will try brushing with baking soda and clay to see if it whitens her teeth.
Hope your journey to healing your teeth is successful. I hadn’t been to the dentist in 14 years, and went last year. They found 2 small cavities, after having 4 children. I have many fillings from when I was a child. My Mom didn’t feed me well (lots of soda and sugar), but after I became a teenager I took care of my teeth and haven’t had any problems.
I think sometimes our teeth’s health is due to the genetic we inherited. But I am all for trying to make them better. 🙂 Good luck.
My young boys had bad staining at their last cleaning and the dentist and I were wracking our brains to think of why – they don’t drink coffee or tea. Finally we figured out it was their daily bowl of frozen blueberries! She got the stains off.
That’s too funny! He often has blueberries in his yogurt, but only about 10. ? I wonder! 🙂 Katie
My husband has dealt with cavities all his life and hates going to the dentist. He was having pain due to what we assume were cavities…eve pieces of his teeth breaking off. We added FCLO with butter blend and have been seeing major improvement! No more pain and even regrowth…past fillings/caps have been chipping off because of new tooth growth. I imagine we’d see even better results if we followed more of the suggestions!
That is amazing, Beth!! 🙂 Katie
Beth, how much FCLO does your husband take each day?
any real proof its regrowth? I have taken fclo and eaten well for some time and I have a tooth that has a huge filling that the tooth seems to be chipping around.
So I’m now an “unsubscriber” because I find this kind of fool hearty. And honestly, I’m tired of the word “natural.” As if the entire medical field is out to get everyone. Done.
Liz,
I’m hoping I get to prove you wrong – I’m not the first person to try to heal my cavities with food. It might be foolish to break new ground, but I feel the path has been trodden successfully already. Sorry it bugs you – I didn’t even use the word “natural” in my title or image – it is a bit overdone in general. Have a good one!
Katie
What IS fool hardy is your attitude. CAVEAT EMPTOR. Maybe you just need to have some more negative experiences and get seriously ill at the hands of modern medicine to learn from other’s experience and not let emotion get in the way. The medical profession is not deliberately out to hurt us, but their so-called “science” IS, because it’s not real science. I am old enough to remember most doctors and dentists – this was in the 1990’s – genuinely believing that you could eat whatever you wanted without it affecting your health. Scepticism is good: unless you only direct it towards so-called “newer” ideas and accept the old as gospel. NOTHING is pure gospel. There is more we DON’T know about the human body than we do know. Don’t squash ideas you know nothing about just because they’re too foreign to you. Our bodies are pure miracle machines and capable of just about anything. I am living proof. But each to their own, so good luck to you, and I mean that without any malice whatsoever.
“Food eaten has no real impact.”
REALLY?!? Dentists blame poor nutrition (i.e. candy, soda, sugary foods, etc) for causing cavities, but the lack thereof can’t help prevent and even heal cavities? Yes, there are people who, for genetics or other reasons, are predisposed to cavities, and others who are not, but excellent nutrition can certainly make an enormous difference!
Katie, look into Black Walnut Tincture too. Some people have seen a difference in cavities with this herbal remedy.
I believe the dentist is saying food eaten has no real impact on *healing* cavities. Food certainly does contribute to causing cavities. Once a cavity is deep enough to be into dentin, I’m not sure how food is able to heal at all. I haven’t seen any research on that.
Also, I may have missed this while reading (there are girls happily singing and yelling in the background), but was there any mention of flossing? Plaque removal is critical and if the cavities were seen on an xray, they were between the teeth, where flossing is vital and brushing is ineffective.
I hope your experiment works out for you. 🙂
Kelli,
Yes, I do think that’s what the dentist meant – healing – or at least even in causing them from the inside. I’ll have to go back and read that part again to make sure it’s clear.
I didn’t mention flossing – but that IS something I do once a day (as long as I get the evening brush in). Some of the sources I cited, along with the Cure Tooth Decay book, definitely talk about healed cavities beyond the enamel, into the dentin, so I’m hopeful! 🙂 Katie
Kathleen,
He did say (or I clarified) “from the inside” not on the teeth – definitely dentists think food hurts our teeth, but only as a fodder for bad bacteria to grow and cause dental carries.
I added that tincture to my research doc, thank you – although something in the back of my mind is saying it’s not okay for nursing. I’ll have to look. Thanks, Katie