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If you are like me, you grew up with the idea that sugar and bad genes cause tooth decay. Cavities and tooth decay meant a person needed to brush better and eat less sugar. And it certainly wasn’t possible to remineralize teeth.
I believed all that stuff too… but as it turns out, there is more to the story!
This post shares my personal account of my research into oral health and my own results. It is not medical or dental advice in any way. I’m not a dentist or doctor and don’t play one on the internet. I recommend finding a great biological dentist to work with on your own oral health.
What Really Causes Tooth Decay?
Turns out, a lot of historical evidence and recent research points to the idea that diet has a big impact on oral health. In fact, diet might matter as much or more than brushing! As I started researching oral health, I found examples of groups of people with no tooth decay. I also found examples of people claiming their teeth had remineralized.
As I thought about this, it made sense…
Why would bones and other tissue be able to heal and regenerate, but not teeth?
How did other populations throughout the world have great oral health, no cavities and no need for braces when they didn’t even have access to modern dentistry?
Research of Dr. Weston A. Price
As Dr. Weston A. Price (a dentist) found and detailed in Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, there were cultures throughout the world who had perfect teeth spacing and no evidence of cavities. This was despite no access to dentists or modern toothpaste, while similar cultures with different diets had very high rates of tooth decay.
Price showed examples of cultures with similar genetic backgrounds. Some living in primitive type societies and eating primitive type diets and others eating a more modernized diet. He concluded that many primitive cultures were able to completely avoid tooth decay and the many oral health problems we struggle with today. This was true even in cultures where they didn’t brush their teeth.
The image on the left shows a stark example of this: the woman in the top right ate a primitive, whole-food, high-fat diet while the other women ate a more modernized diet that contained grains and agricultural foods.
Price hypothesized that several dietary factors contributed to this difference in oral health.
Research of the Doctors Mellanby
Sir (Dr.) Edward Mellanby (he discovered Vitamin D) and his lovely wife Dr. May Mellanby were also influential in discovering the roles of nutrients in oral health. These two contributed much research in the areas of bone and tooth health and mineral absorption.
In fact, it was Edward who discovered that Vitamin D deficiency caused rickets. They also discovered that tooth structure is determined during a child’s growth, and that poorly formed teeth are more likely to decay (pretty logical).
The Doctors’ Conclusion: Diet Affects Oral Health
These doctors all reached the same conclusion after years of research. Specifically that tooth structure and decay is largely determined by diet, especially three main factors:
- The presence of enough minerals in the diet.
- The presence of enough fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) in the diet.
- How bio-available these nutrients are and how well the body is absorbing them. They found that this is largely influenced by the presence of Phytic Acid in the diet and how much sugar is consumed.
Phytic Acid Effect on Oral Health
Phytic acid is a molecule of phosphorus tightly bound with other molecules to form a type of phosphorus that is not easily absorbed by humans.
More simply, it is a compound present in grains, nuts, seeds and legumes. It is also present in much smaller amounts in some fruits and vegetables. The body naturally converts phytic acid into phytates. Some research shows that these take calcium from the body. Those who consume high amounts of phytic acid can lose calcium and absorb other minerals at lower rates.
Modern growing practices, including the use of high phosphorus fertilizer, mean a higher phytic acid content in many foods. Seeds, nuts, bran, oatmeal, and soybeans are especially high in phytic acid, and these foods are present in abundance in modern diet.
Check out this article about phytic acid for a comprehensive list of phytic acid content in foods.
Phytic Acid’s Effect on Bone and Tooth Health
People who consume large amounts of phytic acid (most Americans) in the form of grains, seeds, nuts, and legumes have higher rates of tooth decay, mineral deficiencies and osteoporosis.
Just as lack of Vitamin D and poor calcium absorption can cause malformation of the bones of the legs (as in the case of Rickets), it can cause the jawbone to form poorly, resulting in spacing problems for the teeth and braces for the child.
Sadly, the most commonly eaten diet in America these days is high in grains, sugars, and vegetable oils, and low in animal fats and fat soluble vitamins, the exact opposite of what the Drs. Mellanby found to be helpful for optimal bone health and the prevention of tooth decay.
Vitamin D and Phytic Acid
These doctors showed in their research that teeth are able to heal themselves in a process called remineralization. They explained that specialized cells in the center of the tooth are able to regenerate dentin, the layer of tooth just under the enamel. The enamel can then properly remineralize from the outside. This same process happens in bones when phytic acid is removed from the diet and minerals/fat soluble vitamins are added.
To prove this theory, the Drs. Mellanby did a study on children with existing cavities and reported their findings in the British Medical Journal. The children were put into three groups:
- One: Regular diet plus oatmeal (which is high in phytic acid)
- Two: Regular diet plus vitamin D
- Three: Diet low in phytic acid plus vitamin D.
This is what they found:
The group consuming phytic acid with no supplemental vitamin D continued to get cavities with little to no healing.
Participants that just supplemented Vitamin D showed some healing, but also got some new cavities.
The group consuming no phytic acid and supplementing Vitamin D showed very few new cavities and actually had many existing cavities heal!
This article at Whole Health Source explains more.
Can Teeth Regenerate?
Dentists know that the enamel of teeth can regenerate. Common belief is that once a cavity is through the dentin (the layer under the enamel), it is impossible for it to heal without dental intervention.
In my own life and in further reading, I’ve found that this isn’t the case either. As this article elaborates:
Fortunately, a decaying or broken tooth has the ability to heal itself. Pulp contains cells called odontoblasts, which form new dentin if the diet is good. Here’s what Dr. Edward Mellanby had to say about his wife’s research on the subject. This is taken from Nutrition and Disease:
Since the days of John Hunter it has been known that when the enamel and dentine are injured by attrition or caries, teeth do not remain passive but respond to the injury by producing a reaction of the odontoblasts in the dental pulp in an area generally corresponding to the damaged tissue and resulting in a laying down of what is known as secondary dentine.
In 1922 M. Mellanby proceeded to investigate this phenomenon under varying nutritional conditions and found that she could control the secondary dentine laid down in the teeth of animals as a reaction to attrition both in quality and quantity, independently of the original structure of the tooth. Thus, when a diet of high calcifying qualities, ie., one rich in vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus was given to the dogs during the period of attrition, the new secondary dentine laid down was abundant and well formed whether the original structure of the teeth was good or bad.
How to Remineralize Teeth
To recap, the things that Drs. Mellanby and Dr. Price found to be important for oral and bone health are:
- The presence of enough minerals in the diet.
- The presence of enough fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) in the diet.
- How bio-available these nutrients are and how well the body is absorbing them. They found that this is largely influenced by the presence of Phytic Acid in the diet.
What does this mean practically in the diet? It is not possible or necessary to fully eliminate Phytic acid from the diet. What should be considered is taking care to minimize the foods that contain the highest amounts.
Some preparations like soaking and fermenting can reduce the phytic acid content and should be practiced if the foods are going to be consumed, but in many cases, it is better to avoid these foods completely.
Foods to Watch Out For
Nuts, for instance, have a high phytic acid content which can be greatly reduced by soaking the nuts in salt or lemon water overnight and then rinsing and dehydrating in the oven (the same can be done with beans). While this step is time consuming, it is feasible with things like nuts or beans, but much more intensive with wheat (which contains more phytic acid!)
Grains especially are better soaked, sprouted and fermented, if consumed at all, but this process does not completely eliminate the other harmful properties of grains. Avoiding the most common food sources of phytic acid can also help:
You might notice that meats, eggs, vegetables, and healthy fats are not on this list of high phytic acid foods. As I’ve mentioned before, these foods contain higher levels of vitamins and minerals are are more nutrient dense anyway.
If foods high in phytic acid are going to be eaten, check out this article from the Weston A. Price Foundation on how to sprout, ferment, and soak them to make them less harmful.
There is also a great book called Cure Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition by Rami Nagel that explains in great detail the connection between phytic acid and tooth/bone health and practical steps to reverse it.
Remineralizing Teeth: My Experience
In early 2010, my regular dental check-up revealed that I had some soft spots and a lot of plaque on my teeth. I also had one “official” cavity. The cavity wasn’t bad, and while they suggested getting it filled soon, it wasn’t a huge rush. They did warn me that I had the beginning stages of gingivitis in several places and had a lot of plaque. (It took them about 30-40 minutes to scrape and clean my teeth, which I thought was normal). They took x-rays, so I have picture evidence of my teeth at this time.
I had every intention of getting the cavity filled quickly, but then life happened and I didn’t get around to scheduling an appointment for months. By the time I was ready to schedule an appointment, I had seen some interesting info in books about the ability of teeth to heal, so I decided to hold off.
Research Phase
I did more research, read the book Cure Tooth Decay and read accounts of other people reversing dental damage, so I decided to give it a try. I took advice from all the research I had done and figured out a specific diet and supplement regimen that I was going to use to try to heal my teeth.
After a couple of months, my teeth were whiter and much less sensitive to cold. This was big news to me as I used to have such sensitive teeth that drinking too cold of a drink could literally almost bring me to tears.
My Results
It was fall of 2011 before I finally got around to making it back to the dentist (I know, I know… every six months…) and I didn’t mention a thing about the cavities and soft spots that needed to be fixed… and neither did the dentist!
It also only took them about 5 minutes to clean and scrape my teeth. I thought she was still checking them and she was done! The hygienist told me that my teeth and gums looked great, and asked if I had started using fluoride or fluoride toothpaste (my chart made it very clear that I was anti-fluoride). I told her no but that I had been trying to make sure I was taking better care of my teeth lately (very true!).
When the dentist checked my teeth, he didn’t mention any problem areas either and remarked that my gums looked great! On a random note, I heard him telling another patient that cutting back on the sugar and starches was a good idea since “without starches, cavities can not form, since they feed on sugar and starches.” Newfound respect for my dentist!
So what did I do?
Diet to Help Heal Cavities and Improve Oral Health
- I drastically cut foods that contained phytic acid. I already wasn’t eating grains or beans, but I also cut or limited nuts. Podcast guest Dr. Steven Gundry points out that using a pressure cooker like an Instant Pot reduces phytic acid and lectin content and is a great option for people who still want to consume these foods.
- 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. Most dentists will back this advice up. Studies show it isn’t just sugar consumption but how often we consume it that is linked to higher risk of cavities.
- Ate a LOT of healthy fats. I added seafood, fish oil, olive oil, and healthy fats to my diet each day, and used only pastured, cultured butter. This helped increase the presence of fat-soluble vitamins.
- I made an effort to consume a lot of homemade bone broth for its added minerals. (If you’re short on time, I recommend buying your broth online.
To recap: No grains, beans or nuts and limited fruits and starches. Lots of vegetables, protein, healthy fats and bone broth.
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. While diet alone might be enough, many foods are depleted of nutrients from being grown in nutrient-depleted soil, so supplements help fill the 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 I took it during this time to help my teeth. FCLO has become controversial recently, but it is the supplement I used to reverse my tooth problems so I’m listing it here but do not feel comfortable linking to it or sharing the brand.
- Vitamin D– This was the other main supplement that Dr. Price and the Drs. Mellanby found was extremely supportive of dental healing. In the study they did, cavities healed even when diet wasn’t changed if Vitamin D was optimized. Patients healed most when diet was optimized and Vitamin D was added. I personally get my blood levels of Vitamin D tested often and am careful not to take too much.
- Other supplements– I also took magnesium, gelatin and vitamin C daily. These aren’t as vital to tooth healing.
Toothpastes and Powders to Remineralize Teeth
- When I started, I brushed with homemade remineralizing toothpaste daily. I also swished with both calcium and magnesium powders (75% calcium, 25% magnesium) dissolved in water daily to help provide minerals and to keep the mouth alkaline.
- I no longer make homemade toothpaste since launching my own Wellnesse toothpaste (no mixing required!). It contains hydroxyapatite, a mineral that naturally strengthens and whitens teeth. Ora Wellness Brushing Blend is another great choice (and what I used before I created my own brand).
- I brush with activated charcoal every couple of days to help pull toxins from the mouth (Exciting update: My Wellnesse Charcoal Toothpaste is now available!)
- I also practice oil pulling to help support tooth and gum health.
Other Results
I’ve gotten a lot of emails from readers with cavity-free teeth as well. Here is one of my favorites:
Hey Katie-
I just want to say thank you and share a healing success story thanks to your encouragement!
Last year (at age 30) the dentist told me I had my first cavity. It was not going to heal, he said it was too far advanced and not possible. I told him I didn’t want to deal with it because I was diagnosed with stage 4 carcinoid cancer and had recently had surgery to cut out a tumor. The thought of cutting something else out of my body when I was working so hard to heal my body didn’t make sense to me. So I found your site, read your tips, made homemade remineralizing toothpaste, ate a lot of bone broth and good butter, cut down on phytic acid, etc.
I went back to the dentist 6 months later and he was shocked that the cavity was gone. He wanted me to tell him everything I had done. I felt so good!
-Catherine D. from Virginia
This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Lauren Jefferis, board certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor or work with a doctor at SteadyMD.
This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Steven Lin, who is a Board accredited dentist trained at the University of Sydney. With a background in biomedical science, he is a passionate whole-health advocate, focusing on the link between nutrition and dental health. Listen to my podcast or read the transcript of my interview with him here.
As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor or dentist.
What do you think? Would you try remineralizing your own teeth? Do you already do these things?
Do you ever oil pull with coconut oil? Trying to remember in the morning before I eat or drink anything is kinda hard, and I always end up needing to talk to my kids when I have it in my mouth, but it is suppose to do amazing things for your teeth, gums and general health.
I was going to ask her the same question. There are supposed to be detoxifying benefits as well from oil pulling. I just started and am super curious to see if I can tell a difference in my teeth or overall health.
https://wellnessmama.com/7866/oil-pulling/
Been oil pulling for years several times a week. My mouth feels extremely clean when I am done. I contribute in part to the oil pulling the fact that I have not been sick in several years. I use coconut oil and sometimes only pull for 5 minutes others up to 20 minutes. sometimes I just brush my teeth with the oil. I am still surprised how well this works. I added cod liver oil and butter oil to my diet and started the oil pulling 4 years ago when the dentist said I had 4 cavities. I had two filled. Then put off the other two. Started this regimen and my teeth healed. My hygienist says the spots are slightly darker where the cavities where. But that they are completely healed and hard enamel has covered the spots. Actually the last time I went in. She said the slight darkness had almost gone away. So they are now whitening up. don’t expect it to happen over night. But a good diet with proper care should get you results.
I love this recipe and have been using this for about 6 months. However, I noticed that my sink tends to clog with all of the coconut oil. Has this happened to you, and how do you deal with this issue?
I haven’t had any trouble with it, but maybe try spitting into a trash can instead?
It seems a little gross; but many people who “oil swish” or “oil pull” spit into the toilet! ) : Not fun, but will save your sink!
For Carola, do NOT spit into the toilet. It will eventually clog your toilet system. Use any empty receptacle that will be disposed of anyway. I ususally use empty jars, put the lid on after my “deposit” and keep using until full, then dispose. The collected “deposits” of swish material don’t smell good…be prepared for that. Yet my drains are safe! I have been swishing a long time and it is wonderful. 20 minutes every morning. Also use the Tropical Traditions Gold Label Coconut oil.
so i wanted to ask you if its possible to regrow your enamel? because ever since i was little i ate alot lemons not knowing it can erode your enamel and now im 20 years old and now i have erosion on enamel so is it possible to regrow it back through diet or is it to late?????
Yes, you can heal enamel, it just takes a little time and some good nutrition. If you follow the protocol in the article, you should start seeing some positive changes.
i know everypone is different, but how long must we be diligent before we start seeing and feeling the difference?
You can regrow enamel on your teeth by not using toothpaste with glycerin. Glycerin coats your teeth so that the minerals in your saliva cannot repair the enamel on your teeth. Brush with baking soda instead and then the minerals in your saliva can get to your tooth surface and heal it. I had a small cavity and tried this and it worked. Now I only brush with baking soda. Rinsing with hydrogen peroxide can deal with any stains .
As a Dental hygienist, I think it is great that you were able to remineralize your cavities. However, this diet and daily routine would be unlikely for most people do. Most of my patients won’t even floss and brush 2 times a day. With my experience, I would not wait to fix a cavity that is already inside the dentin. If the cavity progresses, it will reach the nerve of the tooth and a root canal will be needed. If the cavity is only in the enamel, there is a better chance of remineralization. Most people are to busy or lazy to work as hard as you did for the health of your teeth. This seems unrealistic to me.
Amanda, how is your comment helping here? You sound a lot like every other dentist I’ve heard when the ADA credo gets questioned. I’m not sure if it’s scared, or just close-minded.. The fact is that “most of your patients” probably aren’t reading this blog. They probably aren’t even searching for holistic forms of dental care, because like you, they’ve been conditioned not to see that dentists get paid highly for a service that’s less important than we’re led to believe. Personally, I think it’s one of life’s miracles that most problems, dental or other, are solvable through a change in lifestyle. Unrealistic, huh? What seems unrealistic to Me is paying a high premium for a service that I wouldn’t need if I just changed my diet. What seems even more unrealistic is asking dentists to fight a battle for me that is ultimately rendered futile, because I turn around and sabotage their work at every meal.
Amanda is correct. When all the “meant to do it but didn’t” people end up with a root canal or extraction they’ll be complaining, too. Furthermore, if the people just did their daily hygiene diligently (under other factors or even adding flossing or sulcabrush, regardless of diet, not adding sugar products before bedtime or eating sugar like candy all day long nonstop), they wouldn’t get cavities to begin with. Combine that with going to the dentist for a proper oral cleaning twice a year to catch areas you missed, you have a good baseline for no decay. Another factor is mouth breathing which you would learn if you actually bothered to go to a dentist.
I just came from my dentist who told me specifically that even the best dental hygiene can’t prevent all cavities because bacteria are able to get into small spaces that brushes can’t. I don’t eat candy, I do brush twice daily and I do go to the dentist. I agree that lots of people will have good intentions but your rant was ill-informed.
I can tell you from first hand experience that I do almost everything I possibly can to prevent my teeth from decaying and they are still rotting out of my mouth at an alarming rate. I brush twice a day with a high fluoride toothpaste and rinse with a high fluoride mouthwash, both of which I hate. I floss before and after brushing just to make sure I got everything before rinsing. Guess what? I have had to have 2 root canals anyway, one tooth removed so far, and I have some $5000 left before all my teeth are fixed. I am in constant pain and half the time can’t eat the foods I love. I’m only 24 years old, and I have a feeling that I won’t have any teeth left by the time I’m 30. I’m vegan so this diet isn’t going to work for me like it may work for other people, but discrediting the fact that we are able to remineralize our teeth isn’t helpful. I was reading another blog that suggested the a similar regiment and the person was told they would need a root canal. Guess what? They didn’t after making a few changes in their diet. They did not give up fruits or stick to mostly animal products, but they did use the cod liver and butter supplement, made a fluoride free toothpaste, and attempted to reduce the acidity of their natural saliva. There is a load of evidence this works. I don’t understand why so many dentists advocate that your teeth can’t heal. EVERY thing in your body can heal, why can’t your teeth?
Your toothpaste and your mouthwash is the reason why you got tooth decay.
You SHOULD know that flouride is not good as what people think it is.
I can’t believe you just said your teeth are rotting out with fluoride use and a vegan diet, and yet you choose to continue in this manner. It is quite obvious for the sake of your teeth and your health you are making bad choices.
Lesley, your troubles with rapid decaying of teeth and gum at a young age sounds similar to my young brother in law’s, who found that he has Celiacs disease, to stop the decay and other symptoms he had to eat a completely gluten free diet. You should consider being tested for that if you haven’t already.
Lesley, my experience has been similar to yours, except that I stopped the high-fluoride thing years ago (that’s another conversation entirely). I love eating grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds because they are GOOD and good for me. I have done all I can for my teeth and my children’s teeth, and watched my Mother and sisters do the same… and we all have some serious dental issues. So, with this new possibility to consider: adding in some things I previously avoided, such as liver and butter, and cutting back on the easy, sweet foods (though “good for me”–but my conscience says maybe not since it’s so easy to eat them too much); I have to ask myself, would it hurt to stop being so vegan for awhile, especially since it is winter (traditionally, not all that vegan food exists this time of year), and work from every angle I am NOW aware of, to see what happens?
Best wishes in whatever course you choose.
Good for you Wendy!!
I applaud your choice to consider the information discovered in your search for knowledge! We all want to do what is Right. So often in our conviction to stand behind what we have chosen and believe is Right for us we fail to realize that it may not be Right forever! Not much in life stands still, things around us are constantly changing and so are we. The needs we have now are different than the needs we had as children. It is wise to reevaluate everything from time to time. Don’t be so proud or stubborn to equate practices with beliefs. Do we really need to make our diet a belief?
Let’s not Believe ourselves sicker, but be teachable and humble.
“It is better to try and succeed than to not try at all!”
Hold the phone here- cut out the fluoride immediately! Cut out gluten out of your vegan diet and make sure you are eating whole foods and nothing too processed. For legumes and grains ensure you are properly soaking and sprouting before cooking.
I’m also vegan, and while this diet doesn’t work for me, I can at least properly soak the legumes and increase some of the my other vegetable intakes and supplement.
I question your possible lack of care prior to your attempt to improve your oral health! It is not normal for a patient who is seen on a regular basis every 3-6 months having xrays yearly and a thorough exam to all of the sudden need multiple root canals and teeth pulled! Either you had a dentist doing supervised neglect or you were neglecting yourself by not keeping the proper preventative care. Yes you can have bacteria within your saliva that will cause an increased decay rate even without extreme amounts of plaque and tartar, but those cases are far and few between and should be addressed and assessed by your dentist with a saliva screening.
You can do all the things on the outside that you want. But if you are not getting the right things inside of your teeth. ie minerals and adequate nutrition your teeth will decay. I know several vegans that are having a very hard time keeping their teeth. They have always taken care of themselves and their hygiene. Vegans have a very hard time getting an adequate diet. Not saying everyone else does get an adequate diet. But, you really have to work extra hard. I mean every bite that you eat has to be thought out if you are going to get adequate nutrition as a vegan. From experience I was vegan for a couple years 25 years ago. I did all the proper things. Including soaking, fermenting, food combining. It still ruined my health. I still got lots of cavities. I did not eat any processed foods including anything with added sugar or any soda. When I added back in the humanely raised meat and sat fats I regained my health. When I added the cod liver and butter oil my teeth healed. It is hard to explain this to young people that think they know. But, those of us who have lived through it, thinking it was the right thing to do, have come out on the other side knowing some things just don’t work for everyone. Some of us need strong protein and sat fat to thrive. I say this with respect for Lesley. Ti questioned her hygiene. I feel that was unjustified. By her comment she obviously has taken action in her own well being and is doing what is right for her. I commend Leslie for at least looking at possible solutions to her cavities and hopefully giving some a try.
Sorry but Amanda is 100% right. My dentist told me that I had the beginning stages of a cavity and to keep an eye on it and I CHOSE to research alternatives to help me. No most people are not going to change their lifestyle because if there is an easy alternative, thats the path they’re going to take. The information is out there and its up to the individual to look for it. We live in an age where we can know almost anything instantly, there is absolutely NO excuse for someone not to chose this kind of regime because they weren’t informed. Add to the fact that a lot of the re mineralization regimes i’ve seen so far are pretty extensive, I doubt the average person is going to do this (granted i’ve only seen a few but they had same long list). Not all health care professionals are the bad guys, they work to keep the average person’s health in good shape :). And by average person I mean someone like me who brushes 1-2x a day and maybe flosses 3x a week.
And also a lot of the recommended supplements are VERY expensive and some people just can’t afford the lifestyle change
getting cavities filled, root canals done and paying for dental insurance is also VERY expensive. why not change your diet to benefit your entire body, including your teeth?
I totally agree that most dentists and doctors are trying to do the right thing and help people. Thank you for not believing they’re all in on the conspiracy. Personally, I studied biology in college and one of the required courses was Genetics. For about a week in class we went over the processes of the body that are designed to help us heal, which are nothing short of GLORIOUS, BEAUTIFUL, and MIRACULOUS. …And the very next thing they taught us was why those beautiful processes “aren’t enough” to keep us well. Sadly I bought into this thought immediately and held onto it for 3 or 4 years before I snapped out of it when I started researching alternative medicine. But for those good medical practitioners who’ve been indoctrinated this kind of “truth” is stated so often during their training that it’s hard for them to even question whether or not it’s real. I’m happy to say that now I’m totally cured of that erroneous information and I know that, other than a very few things (mostly genetic disorders), our bodies are capable of healing throughout, if we just know how to help them! And SIDEBAR – maybe you shouldn’t underestimate the motivated commitment of person who’s trying to avoid a root canal… 🙂
Even “so called” genetic disorders are reversible… The new studies in epigenetics show that genes can be altered through meditation or lifestyle changes. Genes are not pre determined, they are an expression of the present state of a being… That’s the big fallacy we are plagued with… Determinism and mechanistic biology are wrong. We are beings of infinite potential and ther are no conditions, medical or otherwise that cannot be changed… Yes changing oneself is hard, but it is achievable…
James — maybe you can help me. I ask you the same question i asked above. What if one has a difficult time transitioning to a higher fat diet? I’ve been eating way too low fat for almost 10 years, and am paying the price, but every time I try to increase fats, even in small amounts, I suffer the consequences…higher triglycerides, higher bad cholesterol, and a very disrupting/annoying ‘restless leg’
(only my left leg!) situation within 3-4 hours of adding a small spoonful of added fat to my diet. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
I’m not James, but I’ll comment anyway. What occurs to me here is — if you’ve been eating “way too little” fat for a decade it’s possible you’ve been receiving a significant proportion of your nutrition from carbohydrate sources, and possibly many from refined carbohydrate sources.
Those with traditional diets high in carbohydrates, and who manage to maintain good health on those diets, often eat a lot of legumes or tubers which contain food for bacteria that produce fatty acids. This type of carbohydrate diet will not be damaging long term. It’s a balanced diet, and quite unlike Western higher carbohydrate diets.
Transitioning is going to take a reduction in simple carbohydrate (assuming here you eat some of those) and a corresponding increase in protein with some accompanying fat. Choose fattier cuts of meat, high fat cheese and eat some oily fish for DHA and EPA. High fat, high carb diets are bad news for overweight people, and also for underweight people.
I personally recommend The Perfect Health diet. Gimmicky name I know but I’ve seen it work for many people to help normalize body composition and improve overall wellbeing.
Amy x.
Hi Kelly!
I’m not an expert here, but you could try a naturally high fat unprocessed food like avocado. Maybe your body is rejecting the oils or other things you have tried using because they are processed? Just a thought.
why spread pessimism? sure, some people are lazy and don’t care, but chances are, these people who are too lazy to take care of themselves are also too lazy to do internet research on how to fix the problem. people who have gone out of their way to find their way to this article clearly have some sort of drive to heal their teeth. your attitude doesn’t encourage anybody.
doesn’t soaking nuts and grains get rid of the phytic acid?
It minimizes it but doesn’t remove it, so if a person is actively trying to heal teeth, I recommend avoiding both.
I am feeling so thankful for all this information! I have been feeling for quite some time that we’ve been bamboozled by modern dentistry to some degree but I had not really found a reliable source for help, so thank you. My question is about diet too. I really don’t envision changing my family’s entire diet to eliminate grains and beans. We like our beans as a protein in place of meat (sometimes) and just because we like the taste and there are other beneficial nutrients. And grains…well let’s just say we’re slowly improving the quality and amount that we eat, but we’re a carb-loving family, and I just don’t see eliminating grains anytime soon! So are there measures we can take to minimize the effects of those foods? Do you recommend extra brushing or treatments as described above? Right now no one has (new, unfilled) cavities, but both myself and my older daughter have soft enamel and I’d like to do what I can just to strengthen our teeth — especially hers since she has her whole life ahead of her and I don’t want her to be dealing with bad teeth for all those years! Thanks!
Eating lots of healthy fats (coconut oil, tallow, grass fed butter, lard, etc) and taking fermented cod liver oil can both help counteract the internal effects and a remineralzing toothpaste can help saliva quality and the external…
Thank you so much! This sounds like a great starting point for us.
What if one can’t tolerate all that fat? I’ve been eating a very low fat diet for way too long, but every time I try to increase my fats — and I’m talking 1/2 teaspoons of say olive oil — butter is even worse — I get a very uncomfortable ‘restless leg’ situation and also some cramping in my legs and feet.
Have you heard of anyone else experiencing a difficulty transitioning to a higher fat diet?
If you are having a hard to getting healthy fats back into your diet. You may have to take some digest aids or bile supplements when you eat. Your pancreas needs fat in order to get the signal to release the natural bile salts into your intestines. By eating low fat for so long you may have hindered this process and will have to supplement until things get up and working again properly.
Ok Wellness Mama I need your help bad in this department. Is all this safe for children too. They filled my sons mouth with silver caps a few years ago and his behavior has been terrible sinCe. I wish I could take them out of his mouth. 🙁 Please help.
is there a happy medium? the reason why phytic acid is so dangerous to the body is because it readily binds with most minerals. so if soaking minimalises this, but doesn’t completely eliminate it, how about instead of completely avoiding things like soaked nuts, soaked grains, and soaked beans, how about we add vitamin and mineral rich dandelion, dock, plantain herb, chickweed, etcetera to each meal? this way the phytic acid has more than enough minerals to bind with, which in the end will leave you with plenty of minerals which will allow the body to rebuild. just a thought, not fact.
hi, i am very excited to start making the toothpaste! my little guy has what the dentist calls “hypoplasia.” apparently, in utero, the enamel on the fronts of his 4 front teeth didnt develop all the way so he doesnt have any in those places. my question is, is it safe for a young one to swallow? he is 16 months and doesnt know how to spit yet. any thing you may know about this would be great! thanks (:
christine
Use only the edible ingredients in the list. Unless he has an allergy. Highly unlikely. It should be fine if he eats a little coconut oil and some calcium or magnesium supplement. Zylitol can give sensitive people digestive issues, so you may want to leave that out. Oh, a couple drops of peppermint or cinnamon oil in the whole batch should be fine if used sparingly. But, I would encourage him to spit it out when he can. It will have absorbed a lot of bacteria from the teeth and gums. I would consider this homemade toothpaste 100% safe compared to any pre-made commercial brand that will most likely have to have some sort of preservative (poison). We use a super small spoon or paddle to get the toothpaste out of the jar. So we do not use our fingers or toothbrush, to keep things clean. Start encouraging scraping his tongue now too. To get a lot more of the bacteria that causes cavities and bad breath out of his mouth. It will help him learn to spit if he is old enough.
Can I substitute for the castille soap?
You can actually leave it out completely, it just helps dissolve the soap a little
We have documented cavity reversals with taking the Green Pastures supplements, fluoride-free tooth paste & a low sugar diet. 🙂
hi, just wondering how long it took for your cavity reversals?? i have just changed my diet (weston price ) and started green pastures FCLO as well..
We also have documented cavity reversal for my two children and myself. 5 cavities in all. All healed using the Weston Price protocol, including the fermented cod liver oil and butter oil blend. We also did daily oil pulling with coconut oil. At our 6 month checkup our teeth were already healing. My teeth were already healed, because I am the most committed. I have been using coconut oil and baking soda to brush my teeth for some time also, but thought wellnessmama’s toothpaste recipe would be a pleasant improvement. FYI, my children’s teeth got a good shade or two whiter from the oil pulling. At first we just did the oil pulling a couple minutes, or just brushed our teeth with coconut oil, then worked our way up to 20 minutes of pulling before brushing our teeth.
What is oil pulling? How do you do it and why?
@Marcee, how did you work with your kids to get them up to 20 minutes? My son has two cavities, (after 3 years of religiously brushing!) and I’m just sick over what they want to do to him to fix it (laughing gas, tranquilizer, etc.)
I have him off of sugar this week, and we’ve been oil pulling for 3 days… he goes for 5 minutes (which WAY exceeds my expectations! Very proud of him 🙂 ) Just wondering if you had any motivators or ways of making it fun?
I have been following you for a while and I am loving all that I am learning. I am really excited to use the tooth paste and even try to diet. My Husband and I both are trying to revers Cavities. I ran out today and picked up all the ingredients for the tooth paste and was really excited to try it. I mixed it up right away, but had a really hard time getting it smooth. I made it three times trying to make it smooth or at least a rough paste, but no luck. Am I missing something? As my daughter said it looked like creamy rice. I did go ahead and use it and I am in love. My mouth has not felt this clean in a long time. Thank you for the recipe. But do you have any suggestions on how to make it a little smoother. I did try adding extra oil. But it was still a little chunky.
Don’t know if you were able to make the creamy version, but my first try turned out like rice. I had used LouAna brand Coconut Oil which had been sitting next to the stove for a day. When the Organic brand came in later in the afternoon, I remixed and got the pretty, creamy results. Don’t know if this makes the difference for anyone else, but it did for me.
This may help? I used a mortar to completely crush my calcium pill. Put some coconut oil into a container and smoothed it with a spoon until no more lumps. Added some olive oil and a couple drops of spearment and stirred it until it was smooth. Lastly I added the powdered calcium. It is smooth a creamy. Can’t even feel grit from the calcium. I am looking for some good cinnamon extract for my next batch. I used tropical traditions gold label coconut oil. I did not add the sweetener.
I added some distilled water to mine when it was too dry to make it creamier.
This is PERFECT timing. I just had a HORRIBLE dentist report yesterday and am incredibly bummed, as I eat very healthy (no grains, sugars, starches). I’m going to try your remineralizing tips and see how it goes 🙂
Check out Eat Right for your type, or I guess it’s similar to the Page
Fundamental Diet (pretty similar to the Paleo diet) per Sarah’s Rohrer’s
post above. If your teeth are suffering maybe your diet isn’t tweeked
quite right for your body. For example, If you’re a type A grains
sugars and starches are usually okay, but meat can be really
detrimental, and O’s are basically opposite of that. PS – how did
re-mineralization work for you?