Cure Tooth Decay: Book Review

How to cure tooth decay yes it is possible Cure Tooth Decay: Book Review

I’d always assumed (and was told) that tooth decay was not curable, cavities could not heal and the only way to fix oral health problems was through modern dentistry. As I read and researched more, this made less and less sense and when I ran across information from Dr. Weston A. Price in Nutrition and Physical Degeneration and Ramiel Nagel in Cure Tooth Decay I was ecstatic!

Can Tooth Decay be Cured?

Ramiel Nagel researched the information that later became the book Cure Tooth Decay when his daughter suffered from severe tooth decay at less than 2 years old. Much of the information he found was from the works of Dr. Price who studied the oral health of many people around the world.

Nagel found and tested the idea that tooth decay could be reversed and later shared this information in his book. It details a system of specific supplementation and nutrition focused on providing the body with a high concentration of minerals and nutrients that allow it to heal teeth.

As a mom, this book was especially helpful as Nagel addresses the specific protocol that is helpful for children and talks about how oral health for a child begins in the womb and the various steps an expectant mother can take to give her child’s oral health a boost in utero.

He details a specific dietary protocol (much like the one I recommend here) with limited or no grains, sugars, beans, and limited nuts while the teeth are healing. He recommends foods like coconut oil (check), grassfed meats and pastured dairy(check) and lots of vegetables (check).

I like that Cure Tooth Decay details why fat soluble vitamins are so necessary for healthy teeth (which makes sense as many of us do not consume enough fat soluble vitamins) and how food choices directly impact oral health.

Cure Tooth Decay even touches on the role of health gums on healing teeth and how modern dentistry can sometimes do more harm than good. The book explains how orthodontics and TMJ can affect oral health and how factors like mouth breathing can impact tooth health.

The suggestions in Cure Tooth Decay focus mainly on a high nutrient diet and some important supporting supplements.

The Nutrition Protocol:

As Dr. Price recommends and as I’ve talked about before, the protocol to cure tooth decay as outlined in the book focuses on:

  • Limiting foods that are high in phytic acid, especially in the initial stages of tooth remineralization. The foods highest in phytic acid include grains, beans, nuts, seeds, etc.
  • Consuming high amounts of fat soluble vitamins and healthy fats from sources like coconut oil, fermented cod liver oil, grassfed organic dairy (especially butter), grassfed meats, seafood and bone broths.
  • Eating organic cooked vegetables daily, especially in soups made with homemade bone broth.
  • Keeping blood sugar balanced as as unbalanced sugar levels in the blood can lessen calcium and phosphorus in the body and both are needed for oral health.
  • Organ and gland meats to balance hormones and boost the endocrine sustem. Meats like liver are also great sources of fat soluble vitamins.
  • Taking a specific protocol of supplements to support the tooth remineralization process.

The Supplements:

  • Fermented Cod Liver Oil is the holy grail of tooth supporting supplements. It is extremely high in fat soluble vitamins A, D and K which are all vital for tooth remineralization and which I recommend in my own Tooth Remineralizing Protocol.
  • Magnesium can also make a difference in tooth health as many people are deficient and the body needs enough magnesium to be able to effectively use calcium and phosphorus.
  • Gelatin- As many people don’t make the time to make bone broth each day, gelatin can provide an alternative (though bone broth is still better). It is great for the gums and digestion and can help the body absorb nutrients more readily.

Other Suggestions:

From my own experience, the suggestions in Cure Tooth Decay are solid and do in fact, help improve oral health. The book has many reviews on Amazon filled with testimonials of people who have healed even advanced tooth decay that was through the enamel (it is possible!). I’ve seen it in my own life and get several emails a week from readers who have seen a difference in their own teeth or reversed cavities.

I’d suggest also adding a Remineralizing toothpaste or tooth powder and/or and product like OraWellness Brushing Blend which helped Susan of OraWellness heal her advanced gum disease.

Things like getting enough sleep, reducing exposure to EMFs and lowering stress can also have a big impact or oral health as they help balance hormones, especially stress hormones, which can reduce calcium and other nutrient levels in the body.

Have you ever read Cure Tooth Decay? Had success improving your oral health? Still struggle with oral health problems? I’d love to hear your take below!

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About Wellness Mama

Wellness Mama is a full-time housewife with a background in nutrition, journalism and communications. Her passion is helping others achieve optimal health through a “Wellness Lifestyle.” She has helped hundreds of clients lose weight, increase athletic performance, improve fertility, and overcome numerous health problems and diseases. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, & Pinterest.

Disclaimer: Many of the links on my site, especially those from Amazon, Mountain Rose Herbs, Tropical Traditions and OraWellness are affiliate links. Should you click on these links and decide to purchase anything, I will receive a small commission and you will have my sincere thanks for supporting Wellness Mama!

DISCLAIMER: The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

  • Heather

    I read this book last fall and found it very interesting.  I have gum disease and found that the dentist was amazed at my oral health, even though I wasn’t going to see them as often as they recommend.  I credit a serious increase in my vegetable intake for that and having to watch my carbs in later pregnancy.

    I will say that most of his recommendations are completely OUT of our budget.  Maybe if we had one child like he does, we could swing it.  But with the effect of the economy on my husbands job and 6 people in our family to feed, buying organic pastured dairy and grass-fed beef is almost completely out of our budget (I splurge every once in a while when I can find a good deal) and of course the supplements are out of our limited budget as well.  Well, and my baby girl is allergic to dairy which has made me remove all of that from my diet. :(

    I have added “oil-pulling” to my oral health regime and am excited to see what the dentist finds next week when I go in after not being seen in nearly 11 months. (they want me in every 3-4 months)

    Thank you for some of your other recommendations.  I plan on looking into those and seeing if I can incorporate any of those.

  • Mrs Sduncan

    Great review! Really covers the vital points. I had 11 cavities in December 2010. I was unknowningly pregnant with my second son, and unfortunately had an xray to determine just how many “sugar spots” I had. I still feel bad about that xray… Anyway, not wanting to pay for a barbaric drilling in my head and then having toxic metals residing in my mouth, I started doing some serious research before finding this book. This book, however, so saved me! I have not followed all of the recommendations, and I couldn’t swallow the cod liver oil, but I have no sensitivity whatsoever.. Such a relief from staying up all night on pain!

    How do you all take fermented cod liver oil? I purchased the chocolate flavored paste thinking I could trick my family into eating it (lol!), but no such luck!!!! Are the capsules bearable??? I can usually do anything if I tell myself it’s healthy, but even I couldn’t get it down.

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    I keep it in the fridge and scoop out a little bit with a knife and swallow it with water without chewing it or touching it with my tongue. The capsules are not bad at all though… If I could, I’d just stick to the capsules!

  • Mrs Sduncan

    So if you keep it in the fridge does it solidify like coconut oil would? I guess it wouldn’t be too bad if it wasn’t all..pastey. Even if it was solid though, capsule form sounds better, for sure!

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    It does solidify and is easier to get down, especially with a glass of coconut milk or kombucha.

  • Mrs Sduncan

    I can’t believe I never tried that! This may be the answer!!!

  • http://thischickcooks.net/ Katie

    Great post! I take the non-flavored fermented cod liver oil from green pastures and it does not solidify in the fridge. I just put some in a measuring spoon, pour it under my tongue and then chug down water afterwards. It is not bad at all. I was psyching myself up for how horrible it would be, but was pleasantly surprised.
    Just make sure to take it with a meal to minimize/avoid fishy burps!

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    You’re right… the non flavored doesn’t harden. I’ve been taking the emulsified blend and it does. Thanks for clarifying that!

  • Chantel

    Have you looked into purchasing pastured/grass-fed meat directly from a local (or relatively local) farm? We recently purchased a “meat share” from a farm in the Ozarks that we have visited (we live in Little Rock) that includes 1/4 beef, 1/2 hog and 24 chickens. It ended up being like $4.50/lb which is actually cheaper than we can buy conventional meat at the grocery store. We are on a payment plan and they even deliver and provide a rental freezer if you need one. I wonder if you could find something like that where you live. I was initially surprised at how inexpensive it was.
    Great book! I read it last year. Thank you wellness mama for toothepaste recipe. I will never go back to toxic toothpaste!

  • Christy

    Does the book address any dental problems other than tooth decay?  My oldest (just 4) has an overbite and is a mouth-breather (his upper lip is ridiculously chapped!).  

    I didn’t start eating whole foods and truly healthy fats until after he was born.  I was unable to breastfeed him (super low milk supply) and so he had a whole year of formula.  I would love to avoid braces (and glasses and all the other interventions that I’ve read go along with a narrow facial structure and overbite) using a nutritional solution but I can’t seem to find anything specifically recommended beyond what I’m already trying to do (whole foods, no grains/sugar, healthy fats, etc).

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    He does address those ad also talks about the right and wrong ways to use orthodontics. Apparently there are even holistic ways to straighten teeth… wish I’d known that when I had braces!

  • Sarah

     ah! I wonder if there is anything close to that where I live, near Jonesboro (not very far from little rock only like a couple of hours or so) , Cus grass fed meats are no where to be found in any grocers around here, and I dont know where any farmers markets are…  :/

  • Amber

    As a dental hygienist, I would caution your readers to still see their dentist regularly. And while nutrition and healthful living may reverse small areas of decay, I doubt it can reverse decay that is near or at the pulp of the tooth. I think a balance of natural and conventional dentistry is probably the best approach for most.

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    Thanks for weighing in. Certainly, I am not encouraging readers not to visit their dentists, but I have seen cases in our own family of actual holes through the enamel remineralizing, and have gotten letters from readers with even more severe cases. Agree that balance is good, but I feel like often the natural approach is completely shoved aside by conventional dentistry, so the balance needs to extend both ways…

  • Mommamihmsy

    I totally agree with Amber I work as a dental assistant, and once a cavity has started if it has not reached the dentin sometimes with a proper diet , good oral care and flouride a cavity came sometimes be reversed but once it has progressed it cannot be changed.   Regular visits to your dentist every 6 mo. and following their recommendations is the best.  

  • http://www.facebook.com/eapurebeauty Ea Purebeauty Greek HandmadeSo

    the truth is (speaking from personal experience) that you can cure ALL ORAL deseases just by stop using toothpastes and oral solutions like *isterine and start brushing your teeth (as well as mouthwashing them for 1-2 minutes) with a solution made from 3 parts water and 1 part peroxide (NOT THE ONE FOR EXTERNAL USE :::BUT ONE WHICH IS INTENDED FOR INTERNAL USE::::) simple as that. My gums stopped bleeding, my teeth got significantly whiter and almost all caries have gone. Only the wisdom teeth have some caries now, but I believe it will soon be gone also!!
    peroxide is a miracle medicine from the not-so-distant past… Look it up in google. ;)  

  • http://www.facebook.com/eapurebeauty Ea Purebeauty Greek HandmadeSo

    ?he truth is (speaking from personal experience) that you can cure ALL ORAL deseases just by stop using toothpastes and oral solutions like *isterine and start brushing your teeth (as well as mouthwashing them for 1-2 minutes) with a solution made from 3 parts water and 1 part peroxide (NOT THE ONE FOR EXTERNAL USE :::BUT ONE WHICH IS INTENDED FOR INTERNAL USE::::) simple as that. My gums stopped bleeding, my teeth got significantly whiter and almost all caries have gone. Only the wisdom teeth have some caries now, but I believe it will soon be gone also!!
    peroxide is a miracle medicine from the not-so-distant past… Look it up in google. ;)

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    Again, I’m not encouraging anyone to not visit a dentist, but I do have first hand experience with an actual cavity, through the dentin, reversing itself.

  • Aurelie

    It all makes a lot of sense to me. As a child i didn’t brush my teeth until I was 12 years old, i am now 33 and i have been to the dentist 3 times in my life. I have never had a cavity ever! What saved me? Being french we always ate a lot of butter, cheese and cream, also lots of fatty cuts of meats (liver and kidneys are delicacies for us!) and never drunk sugary drinks. My teeth are beautiful and white and i have no fillings! Good luck people!

  • Crystal

    Any recommendations for a toddler? I noticed some gray in the middle of my 2 1/2 year olds top front teeth. She only drinks water & occasionly almond milk. I see a lot of encouragement to consume butter & dairy products, but she has a dairy allergy.
    She has never had formula & still nurses some daily.

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    You can do a lot of healthy fats from coconut oil, meats, fish, and fermented cod liver oil without the butter blend. The FCLO probably made the biggest difference for us.

  • Wendy D

    It is unfortunate that you would use your status as a dental hygienist to pump up what is merely your opinion and based upon any type of research. You are trying to influence people with what you “think”. I respectfully say, please do some research before trying to persuade people to believe in something as you do or do not.
    If anything, you are going to dissuade many people from the dental profession and I do not believe that is what you want to do.

  • Wendy D

    “merely your opinion and based upon any type of research” should be – merely your opinion and not based upon any type of research
    sorry for the typo

  • Becky

    So I picked up a bottle of the FCLO/ Butter Oil blend to give this remineralizing a try. But how much am I supposed to take to effectively heal the teeth of cavities and worn enamel? The bottle says 1/2tsp is the serving size, is that what you were taking? I’m taking 1/2 tsp right now, which is giving a slightly laxative effect… will my body adjust to the oils after taking them for a while?

    Also, am I supposed to use a natural bristle tooth rush or anything special? Will this work with an electric Pulsonic toothbrush or do I need a manual toothbrush?

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    My body did adjust after taking for a few weeks… I usually take about 1/2 tsp, but up to 1 tsp when trying to heal a tooth… In my opinion, a manual toothbrush is better, and I prefer a Bass toothbrush which has rounded bristles that are gentler and more effective on the teeth…

  • The Modern Pioneer Mom

    Respectfully… Fluoride is one of the WORST things you can use. It’s toxic. Research it. And I am with Wellness Mama. I reversed/healed my own very large cavity & my tooth re-mineralized. Of course though, it’s going to be those who work for dentists (or dentists themselves) that are going to recommend going to them. I haven’t been to a dentist in over 20 years & have only had 2 cavities in my entire life. The one, I healed on my own with similar to this protocol, & the other one is on its way. M ore & more people are waking up to the fact that this IS possible, & health care can often times be taken into your own hands, if you just do a little research & figure out how it works. Natural healing is AWESOME :)

  • The Modern Pioneer Mom

    Cranio Sacral Therapy (energy work) can straighten teeth :)

  • Peggy Medina

    not sure if my other message showed up! But I was wondering if i can heal cavites if I don’t have acsess to grass fed meat or milk? I live in Bolivia and

  • MelDrop

    Two years ago, I went to the dentist after a long hiatus (5+ years) and
    they found EIGHT cavities! GASP! I could not stand the thought of having them
    filled because of anxiety, so I did nothing…or at least, so I thought.

    During this time is when we started making diet changes to more real foods
    and very little wheat and processed foods. Not always consistent, but most def
    better than what we had been doing all our life.

    About a year ago, I started oil pulling. Not every day, but a few times a
    week. I also became much more serious about what we eat and eliminating
    processed foods. And even more so over the past 6 months, and past 3 months. The
    more I learn, the more I want to change!

    I went to the dentist 6 months ago, and guess how many cavities they found?
    Only TWO!!

    At the time, I had not read anything about being able to heal cavities,
    so I thought maybe the dentist miss-counted, or something (even though I
    questioned him.)

    Over the past two weeks, I have slowly transitioned to making and using my
    own toothpaste with coconut oil. It didn’t hit me until this morning what was
    happening. The food choices and other changes I’ve made over the past year were
    really healing me from the inside out.

    I was supposed to have another appointment next week, but I have postponed
    it a few more months. I want to give my new teeth-cleaning method some time, and
    I’ve also just recently started taking gelatin and fermented cod liver oil on a
    daily basis. I would love to go in and be cavity free and be able to share my
    story with them!

    I am blown away at the changes I’m seeing. Thank you for all the wonderful information you share. I hope you know that you are helping to change people’s lives for the
    better.

    God bless you, Katie!

  • Max

    ” … Limiting foods that are high in phytic acid, especially in the
    initial stages of tooth remineralization. The foods highest in phytic
    acid include grains, beans, nuts, seeds, etc….. ” <——- That means eliminating the core protein sources of vegetarian diet.

    "…Consuming high amounts of fat soluble vitamins and healthy fats from sources like coconut oil, fermented cod liver oil, grassfed organic dairy (especially butter),
    grassfed meats, seafood and bone broths. …" <—— Most of these foods were identified as a blood arteries killers, root factors of coronary disease and stroke.

    " …. Eating organic cooked vegetables daily, especially in soups made with homemade bone broth…." <—— Cooking kills vitamins and enzymes. What's
    left is fiber and maybe some minerals. The main benefit of cooked foods is delivering heat to the digesting system otherwise not much nutrition is left except when proteins are added.

    "…Keeping blood sugar balanced as as unbalanced sugar levels in the
    blood can lessen calcium and phosphorus in the body and both are needed for oral health…." <—— "Everything" except straight meats and straight greens contains sugars or is converted into sugars. I guess he's talking about sweets …..

    "Organ and gland meats to balance hormones and boost the endocrine
    sustem. Meats like liver are also great sources of fat soluble vitamins. …" <—– Very bloody diet. I guess it could include straight raw blood as it is accepted in some cultures …

    Again, very, very bloody diet. It challenges a lot of well established and researched
    dietary systems of healing (ex: Ornish and his coronary disease research). It also misses to acknowledge the universal cause of good health which is "protecting of all life"… less you kill, longer your life span is.

    It seems that is much less harmful to deal with the dentists than to cause so much slaughter/carnage ……

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    I’ll have to strongly disagree. I consider organic and humanely raised animals and animal products an essential part of a healthy diet and also question the research showing that these foods are “killers.” I was a vegetarian when I was younger and it did not work for my body at all…

  • Max