I’d always assumed (and was told) that it was not possible to cure tooth decay, that 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 also suggest switching an all-natural toothpaste (like my Wellnesse brand!). You can also try a remineralizing toothpaste or tooth powder and/or and product like OraWellness Brushing Blend which helped Susan Revak 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!
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?
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…
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.
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.
Hi, I see this is an older post but it popped up while researching this book. My toddler has a hole in her tooth that I’d like to try to heal naturally before moving forward with a drill and fill. Can you share any tips on HOW to get a toddler to take FCLO? I take it myself, but it’s very difficult to choke down. My toddler is very particular and I know getting it down the hatch will be a battle! Any tricks? TIA
You say to use cod oil “without butter oil” to heal teeth. why?
You say to use cod oil “without butter oil” to heal teeth. why? Have you tried the infused coconut oil with fermented cod liver oil, skate oil, and butter blend?
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!
You should find the evidence that it is the combination of butter and no sugar that leaves you with no cavities.
I do believe that milk products have no role in avoiding cavities. Only no sugar is the key to having sound teeth.
Milk products are too acidic for the body. They damage kidneys. I virtually never eat milk products. I almost never eat sugar or processed food. I have no cavities.
Only if you try without milk products and have cavities, you could be able to say that milk products help. Otherwise, you are just stuck in your idea because you like it.
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. 😉
I agree about peroxide. I have seen it help with my teeth, my face, all sorts of things that people insist you should not use. I have heard of people actually drinking it and it helping with cancer. I believe in all natural things first and then drugs at the last resort.
I truly believe we have everything we need from nature. Drugs and all the other stuff is what is killing us and making us sick.
People do not die from cancer they die from the treatment. There is tons of evidence. The problem is you never hear that because the government and big pharma does not want you to know about it.
If you research enough you can find the proof that there is a cure for cancer. We have had it for a long time but both the government and big pharma are keeping it in the dark and they try to destroy anyone who comes forward.
God gave us everything we need.
So true about cancer!! I actually wrote our president once about this and I received a letter back that basically said to mind my own business!!
Millions of lives lost because rich men and women want more money! Terrible!!
Can someone tell me with a comment like the one i am replying to where they say …….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. Are they referring to 3% food grade or a higher percent ? ty
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.
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.
Thats great news!
My 10 yr old has 2 very deep cavities in premolars. I was wondering if it is possible to heal them with nutrition?
I really don’t want to go with the ‘Root Canal’, etc….
Here’s what I would do: https://wellnessmama.com/3650/remineralize-teeth/
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 🙂
How did you heal your cavity if i may ask? 🙂
You say you did a similar thing as mentioned in the article, but it’s always nice to get different peoples opinions.
Cheers.
How long did it take to heal your cavity with this regimen? I’m in the process and am curious. I have four small cavities/soft spots and want to try this before resorting to getting them filled. But would like to find out how long it takes.
How do you know you don’t have any cavities if you haven’t seen a dentist in over 20 years??? I find that hard to believe. Cavities are caused by strep mutans and acids in the mouth. If you take sugars and acids out of your diet and make the mouth alkaline, you will be able to keep cavities at bay. Peroxide has been shown to kill the strep mutan bacteria therefore stopping cavities from occurring, as well as xylitol. Xylitol has been shown to put the strep mutans into “hibernation”, it is widely used in European countries, so there is less occurrence of tooth decay.
I don’t agree. See my above comment, do some research on people who have used the protocol in this book. Try it yourself. You might be surprised.
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.
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…
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.
“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
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).
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!
Cranio Sacral Therapy (energy work) can straighten teeth 🙂
I have multiple Rare Disorders and the years of medications have taken their toll on my once perfect teeth. I am very hopeful for any natural assistance. Just to make everyone aware. Energy work is great but Cranio Sacral therapy almost killed me, so please be careful before trying it. I had a major cerebellum herniation called a Chiari Malformation 1 and it took 4+ years and 51 specialist consults just to find a neurosurgeon that correctly diagnosed & performed 16 hours of emergency brain & c spine surgeries to stop me from becoming a quadriplegic. During those 4+ years I saw everyone possible that was a healer of any kind except the guy in South America with the rusty knife. I have a friend that is a well known osteopath and he was trained to perform Cranial Sacral Therapy but we didn’t know I had a major congenitial health issue. I spent the next week in the dark praying to die literally from the pain and pressure. My CSF was totally blocked at this time. Could this happen to others possibly. Just know sick people will try anything to feel better and you don’t always get the expected results or even medical professionals can foresee some complications. Just be safe consumers. I don’t believe anyone called to healing would hurt anyone, but please if you are a cranial sacral practitioner make sure your clients don’t have these symptoms: https://www.conquerchiari.org/index.html
Trust me you and they will thank me. Thank you all for this great website and the incredible information.
If you can find a holistic dentist sometimes they have equipment that can work with the DNA of the jaw and reverse it!
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!
You’re right… the non flavored doesn’t harden. I’ve been taking the emulsified blend and it does. Thanks for clarifying that!
How long did it take you to heal your cavities? I currently have…20 something cavities…yes scary. And recently one of my molars broke. So i have 2/3 of it left in my mouth. It kills me everyday, but I’ve been taking steps to heal my teeth the pass three days, so the pain is bearable.
It took be about 2 months to fully reverse it
Hi Kat i have a cavity it is a small black hole. I’m wondering if it might be too advanced to heal? what kind of cavities have you healed brown spots, black spots, little black holes, etc? thank you for the info.
I have a big hole in my molar! Can the tooth grow back? I’m curious to know how you healing is going since you mentioned 1/3 of your tooth is gone! Thanks!
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.
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!
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!
It does solidify and is easier to get down, especially with a glass of coconut milk or kombucha.
I can’t believe I never tried that! This may be the answer!!!
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.
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!
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… :/
There is a grass fed farm in Brookland, Nine Oaks. I live in Paragould!
The truth is (speaking from personal experience) that you can cure ALL ORAL deseases just by stop using toothpastes and oral solutions like Listerine 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. 😉
I agree with you. I also believe that the body can heal itself of anything if we keep ourselves happy and feed it properly. I am oil pulling also for my teeth. I have seen how much whiter they are, they no longer hurt, even my two front teeth that have been bonded are getting whiter from the oil pulling.
I will never have another root canal. That has been a nightmare. And after reading that they can cause cancer I am still rethinking having the tooth pulled.
I use peroxide also. My Mom always had it in the house when I was growing up and used it for infections.
It is funny how we have gotten away from all the things that used to work.
I believe in natural things, supplementation, exercise first and then drugs if have to be but never for life.
God gave us everything we need to keep our bodies healthy if we would just realize that. Our world is so sick because we do not look at what we are putting into out bodies and we think by taking a drug we can still do all the bad things and we are going to be healthy.
We do not have healthcare in this country we have sick care.
did you end up getting the root canal removed? I have 4 and with Mr Nagel Passing from cancer at 39! has me worried. Maybe radioactive fish oil caused his cancer?
I can believe what you say about peroxide. My nine year old son had stains on his teeth from poor brushing. banking soda and provide removed them completely and turned his teeth WHITE within about a week. The part that surprised me most was that probably 75% of it was accomplished with the first 1-2 minutes brushing. That is pretty much all we do for brushing now. I also oil pull and take COM with butter oil.
Sorry, I have a hard time figuring out acronyms. What is COM? Thanks