4 Unusual Ways to Boost Oral Health

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Wellness Mama » Blog » Health » 4 Unusual Ways to Boost Oral Health

I’ve always been somewhat fascinated with the methods available to naturally boost oral health.

I remember asking my orthodontist why my teeth were crooked to begin with when getting braces. Of course, his answer: simply genetic. Just like my dentist told me that teeth couldn’t heal and that sugar was causing cavities.

As I researched my way into a real food diet, a lot of things started making a lot more sense, but the idea that dental health was sheerly genetic and the presence of sugar on the outside of the teeth causing cavities didn’t make sense at all. Then, I read Cure Tooth Decay by Rami Nagel (much cheaper on Kindle if you have it) and Dr. Price’s Nutrition and Physical Degeneration and things feel in to place.

Like the rest of our body, our teeth and oral health systems are a living, changing environment that is, but just treating from the outside alone (brushing and flossing), won’t fix oral problems unless you address the inside too, though these are still very important.

How to Boost Oral Health

Optimal oral health comes with supporting the body and mouth from the inside and outside at the same time. I saw tremendous changes once I realized this. My teeth were whiter, my gum puffiness went away, and my dentist even commented that cavities were getting better and my plaque was gone!

There were several things that were vital for me to boost oral health for myself and my family members:

1. Change in Diet

What you eat can boost oral health as much (or more) than brushing or flossing.

Here’s why…

Teeth are in constant state of remineralization as the saliva in the mouth provides minerals to the teeth and the cells in the teeth use these minerals to strengthen themselves.

I first started researching this after reading Cure Tooth Decay by Rami Nagel and Dr. Price’s Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. Both books delve into the work of Dr. Weston A Price, a dentist who studied the oral health of people in cultures around the world.

He found that certain tribes that never brushed or flossed had virtually no cavities or tooth decay, and everyone had perfectly straight teeth and wide jaw lines. His research showed that several factors contributed to this incredible oral health in certain populations, mainly:

  • The presence of enough fat soluble vitamins in the diet
  • Low levels of phytic acid in the diet
  • Enough minerals in the diet

I talked about this in depth in this post about how I reversed my own cavities and this one about how to have healthy teeth from the inside out.

I followed the advice in Cure Tooth Decay and made some changes to my diet, mainly:

Diet to Help Heal Cavities and Improve Oral Health

  1. I drastically cut foods that contained high amounts of phytic acid (grains, beans, etc). I already wasn’t eating grains or beans, but I also cut or limited nuts.
  2. Limited foods containing even natural sugars or starches– I limited fruit and even starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes and focused on mineral rich vegetables, bone broths, meats and healthy fats.
  3. Ate a LOT of healthy fats. I added extra of coconut oil to my diet each day, and used only pastured, cultured butter.
  4. I made an effort to consume a lot of homemade bone broth for its added minerals.

To recap: No grains, beans or nuts and limited fruits and starches. Lots of vegetables, protein, LOTS of healthy fats and bone broth.

2. Adding Supplements:

Supplements to Help Heal Cavities and Improve Oral Health

To help the body remineralize cavities, it is sometimes necessary to increase mineral levels with supplements. Many foods are grown in nutrient-depleted soil, so supplements help fill those nutritional gaps. These are the supplements I typically recommend for improved oral health and dental healing:

  • Fermented Cod Liver Oil and Butter Blend   This is one of the main supplements recommended by Dr. Price from his research and recommended in Cure Tooth Decay. Only the fermented Cod Liver Oil has the optimal combination of nutrients and is high i Vitamins A, D and K.
  • Vitamin D This was the other main supplement that Dr. Price and the Drs. Mellanby found was extremely supportive of dental healing. The study found that cavities healed when vitamin D was optimized — even if diet wasn’t changed. Of course, the best results occurred when diet was optimized alongside Vitamin D. As a result, I spend time in the sun *gasp* around noon everyday, and take Fermented Cod Liver Oil. That way, I don’t need to supplement with extra Vitamin D.
  • Coconut Oil– I take an additional 1/4-1/2 cup a day of coconut oil in a smoothie or melted in tea each day. We get ours from Tropical Traditions, but you can find it many places…. just look for organic, virgin and unrefined coconut oil. My favorite right now is to blend it into coffee to emulsify it with a dash of vanilla.
  • Others: I also take Magnesium, Gelatin, and Vitamin C daily, though these aren’t as vital to tooth healing.

3. Balancing Hormones

Hormones can have a dramatic effect on oral health as they can control the acid/alkaline balance in the mouth and how well the body can heal or fight disease. Many of us have symptoms of hormone imbalance and things like optimizing sleep, stress, diet, and fitness can make a big difference in hormone health and oral health.

4. Change In Oral Health Products

how to whiten teeth naturally with charcoalMany conventional toothpastes and mouth products contain chemicals and artificial ingredients that can do more harm than good! Ever read the label on a regular tube of toothpaste? There is a list of cautions and warnings as even a small mouthful of toothpaste can kill a small child… not something I want sitting on my counter with teething toddlers running around!

The good news is that switching to natural toothpaste (like my Wellnesse brand whitening and charcoal toothpastes!) is often easier than switching diet, exercise or (*ahem*) getting enough sleep.

I’ve been making my own remineralizing toothpaste for years, and been using it in conjunction with OraWellness Products. In that time, I have had no new cavities, and several areas that the dentist was waiting to fill at my next appointment weren’t there when I went back! It also used to take them a long time to scrape down my teeth at each appointment, and now it literally takes a couple of minutes at most.

I’ve also been whitening my teeth naturally, though my method sparked a lot of controversy on Pinterest!

Here’s my full oral health routine that I used when I was actively trying to remineralize my teeth.

What is your biggest oral health challenge and what steps are you taking to overcome it? Share below!

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Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

143 responses to “4 Unusual Ways to Boost Oral Health”

  1. Katie Avatar

    It sounds like the diet you’re recommending is super low carb. Is that right? Is there a source of carbs I’m not thinking about?

    1. Jamie Larrison Avatar

      Enamel strengthening foods tend to be lower carb. Focusing on the nutrient dense foods and supplements mentioned above for a time to restore health can really help, but it doesn’t mean all carbs are always bad in the long term.

  2. gina jagim Avatar
    gina jagim

    Thank you for much this information on how to boost oral health.
    I am serious about changing my diet to help my teeth.
    Your teeth look gorgeous!

  3. Shannon Avatar

    I read an article on kids taking homeopathic calc phos 6x & calc fluor 12x-what is your take on homeopathic remedies for cavities & dental health? Do they work?

  4. Maggie Avatar

    My daughter finally got her first tooth! Just wondered what advice you have for her oral health. Currently, I oil pull every night, brush with a sea salt/baking soda mixture AND your tooth powder recipe, and floss. I’ve had awful teeth my whole life, so this all has saved me…thank you!! but what can I use on my almost 1-year-old?

  5. Cj Avatar

    My teeth are in fairly good shape, i’m more worried about my children’s teeth. I’ve purchased OraWellness Blend about a week ago and my husband and I love it! Kids aren’t too keen on it yet. I seen it on your WellnessMama blog! I want our family to have healthy, strong teeth!

    1. Will Avatar

      Try using just one drop with the paste they normally use.  The flavor can be a bit strong for some kids.  Also, they probably don’t need as much as their mouths are physically smaller as well.

      Holler with any questions.  We’re here to help!

      Thank you

  6. Taner Avatar

    Three years ago went to follow up on report of small cavities from 3 years prior, and all had advanced drastically. One cavity had visibly eaten away at a front tooth that started with a crown and ended with a root canal. Another molar caused enough toothache pain that I finally began to understand the world of pain meds. After that relatively simple root canal and crown, I had another that would just not hold on. Enter maxillofacial surgery to shave a bit of jawbone so that crown can adhere to ground down tooth. I blamed all of this on busy childbearing years, both for not getting to the dentist regularly like I should and for draining my body of calcium in order to form several new little bodies along the way. Completely ridiculous, I know, but even with improved hygiene (regular flossing & dentist visits) I continue to have sensitivity and tenderness and rapidly advancing cavities. I’m finding dental work is just leading to more dental work, something’s gotta change!!

  7. Sandy Avatar

    Biggest challenge is just trying to save my teeth…..some gum problems and some weak teeth

    1. Will Avatar

      Sandy,

      We highly encourage you to come check out our HealThy Mouth System on our site.  If you have gum problems that are advanced enough that you are concerned about keeping your teeth, I can guarantee you that you would highly benefit from using our system.  We have lots of customer testimonials how others have benefited from using our system as well on the site.  Watch the video Wellness Mama has on this page about us to see how we came up with the system…

  8. Julie Dyess Avatar
    Julie Dyess

    My biggest oral challenge is receding gums.  I probably have more gums than anyone you’ve ever seen, but still, as I’ve moved into my 40’s they’ve receded, leaving the root of my teeth painfully exposed.

  9. Ceci Avatar

    I have terrible, and I mean terrible, gums. They are sensative to all things and just suck in general.  I’ve seen a *little* improvement after going Paleo/Primal but not much.  I’m afraid I’m a victim of bad genes on this front. 🙁 Perhaps OraWellness could help me? 

  10. Jill Avatar

    I have a problem with my gums receding. I’m very interested in natural healing. Thanks for the giveaway

  11. Suz Avatar

    34 years old and still no cavities!  However, I do have sensitivity and receding gums.

  12. Linsei Avatar

    My teeth are pretty good, but I’d like to try remineralizing my molars. My dentist is “watching a couple spots on the molars and I don’t want to have to get them filled. He has not suggested doing anything to prevent them from becoming cavities.

    Can you explain the coconut oil in coffee/vanilla/emulsify thing? Do you put coconut oil in your coffee to make a tasty drink? How much do you use?

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar
      Wellness Mama

      Every morning, in coffee or chai tea, I put 1-2 tablespoons of coffee (and sometimes some unsalted, raw, grassfed butter for the Vitamin K), a few drops of vanilla, a few drops of natural stevia tincture and the blend in the blender until frothy. It tastes great and gets in a big dose of good fats. It also gives me energy until at least dinner and has been great for sun tolerance. I also take my fermented cod liver oil around the same time to get the fat soluble vitamins in with a bunch of good fats…

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