By now, if you’ve been reading this website for more than 5 minutes, you know I’m usually one to try the natural route when it comes to health and healing and my teeth are no exception. The other night, while brushing my teeth, one of my back molars gave me a lot of nerve pain. I think the exact word that went through my head was: “SERIOUSLY?”
I do NOT want to visit a dentist in Argentina (we are here for another few months). Not that I think the dentists in Argentina aren’t great dentists, but I prefer visiting my holistic dentist back home to ensure my visit is as natural and free of chemicals as possible.
One difficult stretch of my cheek and a look in the mirror and there it was, a big brown spot on the outside of my molar up near the gum line. I raced out to my husband for confirmation. His words: “OH YEAH, honey, that’s a cavity!” Then he asked if I wanted to find a dentist in Argentina. When I told him my plan was to heal it naturally he gave me the one eyebrow raise.
I hate the one eyebrow raise from my husband, but it happens from time to time when I announce something totally unconventional, like healing a cavity naturally. You would think he’d be used to it by now since my entire life is unconventional but every now and again I still surprise him.
I like to keep him on his toes.
I said, “If I heal this thing naturally will you start believing in the power of holistic health for dental care?” This would be a big deal since my husband has a mouth full of filled cavities. He said YES and I responded by yelling “CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!” while racing off to re-read Cure Tooth Decay
What Causes Tooth Decay?
Tooth decay is another message from our bodies that something is out of balance. Tooth health is kept in check with proper nutrition, not dentistry or fluoride. In fact, fluoride doesn’t make teeth stronger and it actually puts our health at risk. In a recent study published in The Lancet Neurology, fluoride was added to a list of toxic environmental chemicals contributing to neurodevelopmental disabilities such as autism and ADHD. Fluoride joined the list along with mercury and arsenic. This casts a new light on those fluoride treatments offered by your dentist, doesn’t it? Unfortunately in many places around the country water is still fluoridated and any bottled water bought at the store usually contains added fluoride too. Not to mention the fluoride in many children’s toothpaste brands. UGH.
Back to healing my cavity!
If you have poor dental health, or a cavity you are trying to heal, I highly recommend reading the book Cure Tooth Decay
According to the author of Cure Tooth Decay, cavities happen for a multitude of reasons including:
- Lack of Fat Soluble Vitamins (mostly vitamins A and D)
- Standard American Diet Full of Processed Foods (SAD)
- Hormone Imbalances
- Lack of Minerals in the Diet
- A Diet High in Phytic Acid (naturally occurring on most grains, nuts and legumes. Phytic acid can be removed by soaking grains, nuts and legumes overnight in water and a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice before consuming them.)
Not all of these reasons apply to me specifically (obviously I’m not eating a SAD diet) so I put some thought into the reasons for my cavity. In my case, I have historically had very good dental health. Then… I had kids. After having children, my dental health began to decline, presumably because both pregnancies were a nutritional drain on my body and I did not take time afterwards to build up my nutrition stores again. Also my hormones could be out of balance. And let’s not forget the stress that comes with raising kids and the fact that I’m easily distracted.
Another reason for the development of my cavity? Our big move to Argentina! A year after my daughter was born we moved abroad and I’ve had a hard time eating the way I’d like because of the lack of healthy choices here, including a lack of saturated fats (of the grass-fed variety) that would provide my teeth with some much-needed nutrition. I’m also guilty of the “mom last” mentality. I give my kids an omega supplement and probiotic but I don’t always take them myself.
And lastly, we have a reverse osmosis filter for our water which along with taking out all the bad stuff, also takes out all the trace minerals too. I give my kids plenty of mineral broth to make up for the lack of minerals in their water, but I don’t always drink it myself.
So after finding my cavity I decided to start caring for myself FIRST!
This is what I’m doing to heal my cavity (I’ve updated this list to reflect suggestions from the Cure Tooth Decay book AND Anthony William’s post):
- Increase omegas by taking one omega-3 supplement daily (I only use vegan sources now and like this one)
- Drink 1-2 cups of mineral broth daily to increase my nutrient stores.
- Remove grains and sugar completely from diet (I don’t eat much of either normally, but now they are eliminated completely).
- Increase my consumption of grass-fed gelatin
in soups and drinks.
- Switched to re-mineralizing toothpaste
. It tastes like clay (because it is) but I’m doing it anyway. An even better option would be to make my own.
- Liquid mineral before bed.
- Increase supplements for oral health: Hawaiian spirulina, sovereign silver, ester-c and this plant probiotic.
For a full protocol read the Cure Tooth Decay
Can I Heal my Cavity Naturally?
I know a lot of people doubt the possibility of healing cavities naturally because it’s been drilled into us (pun intended) that filling cavities with dentistry is the only way to achieve healing but that simply isn’t the case. I have friends who have healed their own cavities (and their children’s cavities!)… I know it can be done. After 2 weeks on this protocol my tooth is no longer sensitive…so that’s promising. Can I heal my cavity naturally? Only time will tell—in 6 weeks I’ll see my holistic dentist and report back.
In the meantime: CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!
Update: I visited my dentist when we returned to the states, about a year after finding the brown spot in my tooth. My dentist examined the spot and said it could have been a cavity that arrested. She can’t say for sure because she didn’t examine my tooth when I first presented the symptoms of tooth pain. However, she says there is nothing she would fill and it looks like it’s fine. I don’t have any tooth sensitivity anymore and I’m happy it’s been looked at by my dentist. In fact I didn’t have ANY cavities during my last visit and I intend to keep it that way. Thanks for reading and sharing this post. Dental health really is a reflection of our overall health.
For other great posts about healing cavities naturally check out these articles:
How to Reverse Your Kids Tooth Decay Naturally
Heal Cavities with a Grain-free Diet
How I’m Healing my Cavities without Dentistry
Homemade Remineralizing Toothpaste Recipe
I totally believe tooth decay can be reversed. We have had success in our family. The cod liver oil/butter oil combination is amazing.
I’ve healed a cavity in my own mouth by some of your suggestions plus taking homeopathic cell salts, specifically calcarea phos and calcarea fluor together.
Thanks so much for the homeopathic remedies too! I’ll look into them 🙂
Me and my 2yr old have cavities that i need to heal. I have cod oil and a bottle of minerals from the health food store. How do i use those ingredients you listed?
Hi Jaimi, The Heal Tooth Decay book will walk you through it all: http://amzn.to/1Ivx9Ho
The issue in this article is that you have no proof that it is a cavity. Without a radiograph, or an exam from a dentist, you are merely surmising that you have active decay process occurring. There is a VERY good chance that what you are experiencing is actually just recession (sensitivity), with what could be demineralized tooth structure (which, yes, COULD turn into decay, but is not synonymous with decay), but is likely not a cavity yet. Thus, your article is giving potentially false hope to people who have legitimate decay. All I’m asking is that you state clearly in your article that you have no valid proof yet that it is decay, thus you have no proof that what you are doing to “heal your cavity naturally” will actually work.
Hi Amy, I can understand wanting proof of a legitimate cavity. What I can tell you is that I have a large brown spot that is visible to the eye, indicating decay. So perhaps thinking of my advice as “how I’m healing my tooth decay” might help. I’m certainly not giving false hope, take a look at the links below for many first hand accounts of success with this protocol. I know several who have done it personally myself. Of course there are varying levels of tooth decay and everyone must make a decision that is right for them. Thanks for reading and hope this helps!
Thinking of it as “how you’re healing your tooth decay” is no different. Decay is the same as a cavity. Cavity is the term for the common man, caries is the dental terminology. So, that is no different. As a dental professional, I just find it quite frustrating when people try to say/do things that discredit our hard work & years of education. Most decay processes cannot be halted. When people are saying they’ve healed a cavity, they aren’t stating that it had not yet broken through the various layers of the tooth. They also aren’t providing proof- radiographs, etc. Most legitimate dentists won’t choose to fill a cavity until it has broken past the enamel into the dentin, at which point you won’t be able to “heal” it anymore. I could go on & on, but I won’t. Your example will really have no weight to it because you have no proof that it is even decay. Just a thought on your part, though a visible brown spot. I’ve seen loads of visible brown spots that are not decay…
I’m not harping on you specifically, but most people (mainly women) reading blogs take whatever the author says as “truth” & “fact”, but this is one of those things that needs proof. Unfortunately, very few people will ask for the proof…
We will have to agree to disagree on this one. Our dentist does in fact agree that teeth remineralize and can heal. Have you read the Cure Tooth Decay book? It explains much more than I can in this commentary. I have a few friends and colleagues, scheduled to have caries filled by legitimate dentists (x-rays taken and all!) and have healed them instead of getting them filled (all returned to the same dentist and were declared free of caries/cavities), SO…again we can agree to disagree. I’ll stand by my post:) I never provide false hope here on Kula Mama, only hope. The brown spot I have on my tooth is identical to a brown spot I had 2 years ago that was declared a cavity and filled by my last dentist. Sure, some caries may be too far progressed and healing them would take tremendous effort. But I don’t think anything is impossible. I hope many readers take this post as hopeful and also make the connection that what we eat and our overall nutrition has the greatest impact on our dental health. Most people don’t know there is a connection. That in itself is a tremendous “Aha Moment.”
Does this apply to cavities that are small but threw the dentine? I just started taking vitamin d will it eventually close the hole in my tooth?
I can’t say for sure but I found the book Heal Tooth Decay very helpful for improving my dental health: http://amzn.to/1Ivx9Ho
Hi kulamama, I know this is delayed but you handled this rebuttal beautifully! I love that refer everyon to the book (it’s one of my favorites), I recommend it to many of my patients. The information in the book cure tooth decay comes from an original text written by a dentist. You probably already know tons about Dr. Westin A. Price but he proved back in the 1920’s with the most extensive research ever compiled (even to this day) that curing cavities (dental caries) through diet is necessary. In fact, he proved that what the dental community was doing (filling, bridging, root canal-ing) was shortening lifespans and unless people changed their diet it would only accentuate in later generations to create tooth decay sooner in children and as the generations progressed. Look into price-pottinger research. The nutrient void diets we have adopted creates more than cavities but also all the diseases Americans die from and diseases we don’t die from we just live with chronically. the book you can reference future doubting dentists written by a dentist is Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Dr Price. It provides Picture proof of not only fillings NEVER being needed but also braces NEVER being needed(there’s two whole career fields eliminated) .
You are not ‘discrediting’ anyone’s work or education you are simply repeating the proven (by Dr Price himself, a dentist himself) the truth that a large part of dentists are operating under archaic information. I will speak from experience when I say it is hard for a doctor to hear more accurate information from a layperson than what they we fed in school. Maybe by getting the word out enough we can change the current dental community from the outside in ;). The tools they use (metal drills, toxic chemicals, etc they could double as torture devices if someone didn’t know any better) and the training and education they have is archaic, let’s share the good news to free all those mouths for a healthier tomorrow!
Best wishes in your endeavors!
Thank you so much Kula Mama love you!
Oil pulling is great for teeth and for general health…UNLESS you have amalgam fillings. It will cause them to loosen and fall out. I can tell you this from personal experience. (You can also read about it online if you google it.)
Oh my this is the first I hear about this.I have amalgam fillings and oilpull.
How long did you pull untill they fell out??
Most people I know have fillings, is that only for amalgam fillings this applied in your case?
Thank you for sharing all this info! I fully believe in the possibility of healing our cavities. I have had 4 babies in the past 5 years and THAT along with eating waaaaaaay too much sugar has lead to 8, yes 8 cavities! But instead of taking on a 3,000 dollar dentist bill, I am going to try to naturally heal my cavities first- all tote glory of God for His healing! Starting my new diet on September 8!
I would love to know how this went for you. I just found out I have three cavities from my recent dental exam and have a month to try and heal naturally or reduce the damage. I would love to know if you were able to lessen the cavity at all even if you still had to have a filling.
Hi i would like to know what treatment you took for the cavties u found?
Are there any other alternatives to the High Vitamin butter oil as a Vitamin K2 source?
I live in Canada and it’s a bit expensive to buy it online here.
Thanks.
Hi kula,
How did your holistic protocol work for you? I just was at a dentist who discovered several cavities (to my shock) and I would like to do a holistic remineralizing protocol as well.
Please let me know,
James
Hi James, my protocol worked for my tooth sensitivity and I used this book to help me put my program together: http://amzn.to/1Ivx9Ho
After I visit my dentist next month I will update on the results. Thanks for reading!
So what ever happened with this?
Lauren, I’m waiting to get in to my holistic dentist. No tooth pain since I started this program last spring. I’ll update when I see my dentist!
Just chiming in to say I’m awaiting your results of your efforts.
I know you say no more tooth pain. What about the brown spot – is it still there?
Thanks much!
so. what happened in the end?
OK guys I just came home from the dentist. To say I felt some pressure about the outcome is an understatement 🙂 The good news is that she does not think anything needs to be done about the brown spot on my tooth. It has faded but not disappeared. It does not hurt at all anymore (the pain stopped within a month of starting my program). She said it likely could have been a cavity that “arrested” was the term she used…so it may have remineralized as a result of my lifestyle changes. But since she didn’t see me a year ago when I had the pain (we were in Argentina) she couldn’t say for sure. I am going to keep going on my program for the most part (I was really strict for the first 3 months but then when we moved back to the states and were traveling all summer I couldn’t stay on it as strictly–most of it yes, but not all of it). going forward I’m increasing my trace minerals and am adding a mineral toothpaste she recommended a few times a week for overall dental health. All in all I am very pleased with the outcome. No cavities! Woot!
Hi Heather, just read your cavities post, after going to the dentist myself and have her said I have two cavities….(I’m in shock!) how can I find a holistic dentist in my area? Just got the book you recommend so will start on that today too!! Thanks!!
Hey Percy! In the book there are some resources for you!
I have a question that I haven’t seen answered anywhere else so far! So, what if a person successfully removes the tooth decay by taking these steps. What then? You would have a left over small hole where the tooth decay was previously. Would that be problematic? Would a person still need to go in to get something like that filled? And how would the process work differently if your dentist determined that you had in fact removed the decay?
Thanks!
I have been doing coconut oil pulling for about a month. I do have mercury fillings and would like to know if anyone has had them get loose and fall out? I have not had that happen but have noticed it helps relieve the pain I have had mainly at night. I use home made toothpaste and still have sensitivity. I read an article about using reminerlizing toothpaste. Going to try that. I am waiting to get into a holistic dentist with my new insurance so I thought it would be good to continue to try healing my cavities naturally. I do take vitamin C and D but I have not tried the ferminted cod liver oil does that really help?
Help! I had several fillings done before I found out about healing naturally! They were deep and ended up touching the nerve/root in some places. I am having more pain and the dentist said I need a root canal. I am making big adjustments in my diet and doing salt switching and oil pulls as well as taking homeopathic nerve pain supplements. Is there something I can do to settle the nerves in my damaged/filled teeth down so that I can stop having cold/hot/sweet/hard pain and avoid the root canal?? Thanks for any help!!
Oh Lauren, I’m so sorry to hear this. How painful. I’m not an expert but I would try reading this book and connecting with some of the community over there. I imagine there’s a facebook group talking about how to heal tooth decay too and you might get some testimonials. http://www.curetoothdecay.com/
Keep doing what you’re doing. To me it’s a no brainer going holistic. I think your teeth and gums can heal naturally, just like everything else in your body.
Dear kulamama,
What is the name of the mineral toothpaste your holistic dentist recommended?
She recommended using Mpaste and putting it on after brushing (to let it sit on the teeth and gum line a bit)
Okay I just have to add a little plug for myself 😉 As a
dentist who has seen hundreds and hundreds of remineralized cavities ranging in
size from small to huge, I wrote a book about how people can go about healing
teeth naturally. It is called, How to Stop Cavities: A Natural Approach to
Prevention and Remineralization.
Healing a cavity (called ‘remineralizing’ and ‘arrested
decay’ in dentist terms) does not result in the missing tooth structure growing
back, but does result in a hard surface that functions as normal and is not
susceptible to further decay. It usually does not require a filling! I like to
compare healing a cavity (remineralizing/arrested decay) to accidently cutting
a fingertip off. When the finger heals, the missing fingertip does not grow
back but the skin is hard, functions normally and no longer at risk of
bleeding. Remineralization of cavities is an awesome capability that each and
every one of us possesses!
Happy Teeth, Happy Life!!
Hi Dr. Benoit, Thanks so much for sharing this. My DDS explained the process in a similar way–so glad you are helping patients heal!
i jst got dis pls am dieing for tooth pain seriously….wish cure can i use to stop d pain??
Do you know anything about cats? My cat has what they call FORL..I have got her on cell salts the vet suggested…but they said there may be a cavity also there..any suggestions on this all?
In a few days I gave her two doses of phosphorus, coconut oil daily like 1/3 tsp..and colloidal silver and the inflammation and infection in her tooth went away,,they were going to pull it but this removed a lot of the problem…
If there is something more I should add please advise.
Hi,my teeth got a hole,inside is black,if I use your methods,will it fill again? Because I just want to be heal…
Sorry my english isn’t very well
Hi there – you said you had had a cavity previously and had it filled. What material did you have that tooth filled with?
Thanks.
How did you find your holistic dentist?
Hi Marilyn, I found mine by asking my naturopathic doctor. I believe there is a holistic dentist’s association though so check there if you don’t have an ND.
hi,
I thought I had an initiation of a two row teeth kind of a condition so asked my dad to accompany me for a dental check up. Apparently there was nothing of that sort that was troubling me but dentist could point out two cavities that have emerged (not to my knowledge as I was feeling no pain ) and highly recommended to get them filled asap and stressed that there is no other way in modern dentistry to fix it up and challenged me to go and research for myself if I doubted his knowledge.
then I found this link and everything written on it was very convincing as I am follower of organic living and in India its not hard to be one as its the originating land of Ayurveda and yoga and tons of other things.. so therefore we are a vegetarian family..
I wanted to ask if you can suggest some alteration to your program for healing cavity so that I can prepare everything at home, being vegetarian bone broth and other meat involving things will not work..
i am already a fan have started recommended this website to friends and family ..
Great post. Mustard oil is also a great ingredient to heal cavities. Here is how you can use mustard oil with different herbs to heal cavities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPNnIsIpcJQ