Can We Heal and Prevent Tooth Decay Naturally with Food?
It’s pretty amazing how our skin repairs itself after an injury. Do our teeth have the same ability?
At our last dental check up with my 2 kids, I asked our dentist if a tooth decay can heal by itself. He looked at my like I was crazy (maybe my 5 year old daughter should have asked instead) and said that if the damage is done, it needs to be fixed right away with a filling, there wasn’t another option.
The same night, I decided to do my own research and came across a few articles of parents who reported their kids’ tooth decay were healed naturally with certain foods.
We decided to interview THE expert on this subject: Ramiel Nagel, a Dental Health Advocate and Author of “Cure Tooth Decay.”
We’d love to hear from you – let us know what you think in the comment box below!
Here’s our exclusive interview:
Why is the current tooth decay theory wrong?
The current theory of tooth decay says that bacteria eat carbohydrates in the mouth and produce acid as a waste product causing tooth decay. Since teeth can slowly dissolve with acid, it is assumed that this is the main cause of tooth decay.
It is wrong because it leaves out an important factor that teeth can be immune to these acid attacks provided that they are strong enough. This theory was created
to support the modern dental industry that makes the disease of tooth decay to be caused by something that feels outside of the individuals powers.
The wrong bacterial theory also leads to absurd conclusions such as that tooth decay is a transmissible disease since it is caused by specific types of bacteria. And therefore parents should be careful not to “infect” their children with the tooth decay bacteria. This is a false idea based on wishful thinking.
In your opinion, what really causes tooth decay?
Let me be clear that I rarely actually write my own opinion. I simply am sharing the opinion of dentists who have truly sought to understand the mechanisms of tooth decay, its cause and prevention. For example, the idea that strong teeth are immune from acid is not my own. It comes from the doctor who is credited to be the originator of the bacterial theory of tooth decay in the 1800’s WD Miller.
It is both scientifically verifiable, and proven through both anthropological data and animal experiments that tooth decay is caused by a mechanism of mineral chelation which is regulated in the hypothalamus. The mechanism is called dentinal fluid transport. Our body controls a process of mineralization and demineralization through hormones. What our body chooses to do to our teeth is largely controlled by the individuals diet.
What nutritional deficiencies can lead to cavities?
Any nutritional deficiency has the potential to result in tooth decay. The minerals associated with tooth decay are calcium and phosphorus since these are components our bodies use to make teeth and bones. These minerals need their activating components which come from fat-soluble vitamins A and D (which is concentrated in fermented cod liver oil), as well as an activating hormone that dentist Weston Price called Activator X. (Which is found in spring and summer grassfed butter).
Which foods cause tooth decay?
The biggest contributors to tooth decay are
1. Synthetic sugars like high fructose corn syrup
2. Excess of natural sugars.
3. “Whole” grains.
Each one of these foods usually causes mineral loss to the body. Also consumption of excess sugars means that building foods like fat and protein are eaten in smaller quantities.
Which foods can heal it (what vitamins/minerals)?
Foods and vitamins and minerals are two different things. Vitamins and minerals is how the limited view of the Western mind has isolated a small fragment of creation and placed a label on it.
So I would emphasize that foods heal cavities. And that certain foods have certain minerals and vitamins that are apart of the cavity healing process.
The most potent cavity healing foods are.
1. Grassfed spring and summer butter.
2. Fermented Cod Liver Oil
3. Animal liver (organic)
4. Raw grassfed milk (It is dense in calcium and phosphorus.)
Both cow and goat milk can heal and prevent cavities. But the cow milk has more fat-soluble vitamins.
“What are your thoughts about fluoride?”
There are two ways to be exposed to fluoride. Topical treatments, like sealants, or through the water supply. Fluoridating water is an unethical practice that has been proven by scientists to increase deaths caused by cancer. The fluoride used in most water systems is a hazardous industrial waste product.
Water fluoridation is system of medication to the masses. It is unethical, and it is dangerous. Multiple large scale studies have proven that water fluoridation does not reduce the rate of tooth decay. This is because fluoride is not a necessary mineral for the body.
Somewhat less insidious is topical fluoride. The tooth that has had topical fluoride placed on it has its chemical structure changed. This tooth has a slightly increased buffer against tooth decay. This very slight improvement does not justify poisoning children’s bodies. A small amount of fermented cod liver oil will go much father towards prevent cavities.
Fluoride-class-action.com/letter-to-seattle-city-attorneys-1-10-12
What kind of toothpaste do you recommends for babies/toddlers/children?
I would not recommend any toothpaste for toddlers or children. Toothpaste contains chemicals, highly processed sugars, and abrasives. Toddlers and children will swallow a significant amount of the paste. Keep in mind that toothpastes don’t have the same legal requirements as food because it is assumed that people do not ingest tooth paste. I would recommend you never, ever give your child anything to put in their mouth for tooth cleaning that is not safe to swallow as well.
Sea salt, baking soda, or tooth powder are safe for children, such as Holistic Dental’s Herbal Tooth Powder. Their tooth powder is just herbs without anything unnatural added. It can have a strong minty taste which may be a little much for some children, while others like it. They are making a mild flavor for children. I don’t have enough data to be 100% sure for babies. But I don’t think I would put any paste or tooth cleaning substance in babies mouths at all. If you feel like you need to clean their teeth with a soft cloth, or similar that is fine.
Which top 5 foods you recommend parents give their young children regularly to avoid or heal tooth decay, which foods should they avoid?
Key foods to take:
- Green Pasture’s Royal Blend Butter Oil and Cod Liver Oil Blend (http://www.codliveroilshop.com)
- Organic Liver from any animal
- Raw milk or cheese from grassfed animals
- Grassfed Butter or Ghee
- Bone broth, broth made from beef and fish is preferable. Chicken can be excellent as well.
- Good quality protein.
- Plenty of veggies. But don’t force your child to eat veggies, just encourage it. Some children have a difficult time digesting vegetables.
Key foods to avoid:
- Any product made with whole wheat, or brown rice (or whole grains in general) (Quinoa, and buckwheat should be fine)
- High fructose corn syrup, agave nectar
- Any food with cane sugar added.
- Vegetable oils like sunflower, canola, soybean, cotton, etc
- Use nut butters in strict moderation. Nuts can be loaded with plant toxins and they should be an occasional snack and not a main staple.
So I guess giving kids any kind of pasta or bread (even whole grain) is bad for their teeth?
Parents need to avoid feeding their children “whole” grains, or sprouted grain products. Wheat, rye, barley, kamut,and spelt (probably oats as well) need to have their bran and germ removed because these can be highly toxic. Corn flour should also not be consumed in it’s “whole” form. Avoid breakfast cereals.
Masa Harina is an example of safer corn flour, where the bran is removed and it is soaked in lime as well as cooked before being used for tortillas.
If you don’t eat any of the suggested animal products to prevent tooth decay, does that mean vegans or vegetarians in your opinion are more prone to tooth decay or have a lesser chance to heal it naturally?
I have a vegetarian program in my book.
Vegetarians who have access to good quality eggs, cheese, and excellent butter can remineralize their teeth. The main difficulty is in getting fat-soluble vitamin D. Which is most concentrated in cod livers. If they use the green pasture’s butter oil which has some natural vitamin D, this can really help.
Many dentists report that vegans and vegetarians have higher rates of tooth decay. See Curetoothdecay.com/blog/vegetarians-more-likely-to-have-dental-erosion/
Vegans are in a difficult situation because they cannot give their body any animal fats. People should be aware that a vegan diet can be cleansing, but without a moderate amount of animal protein and fat the body does not heal and regenerate very well on the diet. So for the long term, it fails. A vegan diet is especially damaging for children.
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About Ramiel Nagel, Dental Health Advocate and Author of “Cure Tooth Decay.”
Ramiel Nagel is an internationally published author whose tooth decay research has been featured in Nexus Magazine and the Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients.
Nagel has a BA from the University of California and has ten years of training in emotional health care. Nagel is a member of the Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation and the Weston A. Price Foundation. He lives in Oregon with his spouse and two daughters.
For more information, please visit his website at Curetoothdecay.com.
Category: 0-1 yr, 1-3 yrs, 3-5 yrs, 5+ yrs, Feeding, Fluoride
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