I Kissed Toothpaste Goodbye
The tale of how I came to shun toothpaste (even “natural toothpaste”) is a somewhat convoluted one. It started about ten months ago when I discovered my first massive blunder with numero uno, my firstborn child. On our way back from a service celebrating Papaw Dessinger’s life, Katie’s front tooth broke.
No trauma. No fall. It just broke.
What had happened to my otherwise healthy, robust child? Turns out, Katie had a lip tie (same as my son’s) that caused milk to pool near her top four teeth in the front, causing a breastmilk version of “bottle rot.”
I felt horrible, scared, guilty, foolish, and embarrassed. You name it, I felt it.
Every time Katie smiled in public I felt the sting of the expressions I’d see on other people’s faces. How could I let my child walk around like this without doing something? The thing is, I wanted to do something, but I knew that although dental procedures could cosmetically correct the problem, they couldn’t strengthen her teeth. I wasn’t ready to accept this mistake as permanent, so I began researching ways to build up Katie’s teeth and bones. Food had been a healing force in my life and I believed it could do the same for my daughter.
My AHA! Moment
After scouring the web I ran across someone who had been through the exact same experience with his own daughter. Ramiel Nagel, author of Cure Tooth Decay, had successfully helped his daughter’s cavities heal using food. I had never heard of such a thing! Apparently, the tooth structure that had decayed didn’t fully grow back it’s original structure, but the decay disappeared and new enamel formed to seal and protect what was left of the tooth. Amazing.
The days spent waiting for Amazon to deliver my precious package stretched my patience, but when it finally arrived I knew it had been worth the wait before I finished the intro:
“Decaying teeth can be a scary, painful process. When in a state of fear and panic, we disregard the most sensible decision we could make: to search for the real cause, rather than succumb to the easy and passive response of allowing a dentist to “fix” the problem for us. We have been taught, for the most part, that tooth decay is inevitable and that we have no choice in the matter. After reading this book you will see that this is far from the truth.”
The book is based on the research of Dr. Weston Price, a figure whose findings had played a prominent role on my own journey from chronic disease to vibrant health. Dr. Price was a prominent dentist that traveled the world in the 1930s to study why indigenous cultures have stronger teeth and fewer cavities than modern “civilized” cultures. Dr. Price was no quack. In fact, he was the first research director of the National Dental Association, which later became The American Dental Association (ADA).
During the 1930s, Dr. Price was able to document the sharp decline in health experienced by previously healthy people who came into contact with modern civilization. The revealing findings of Dr. Price, along with his telling photographs, bring home the fact that our modern food and lifestyle is a primary cause of disease.
Cure Tooth Decay, p. 24
Despite our zillions of toothpastes, mouthwashes, flavored flosses, etc. we are actually worse off than many “primitive” cultures when it comes to dental health. We have more cavities, more gum disease, and more need for braces.
How can that be?
Dr. Price found that traditional diets were significantly higher in fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E &K), calcium and phosphorous. As tooth enamel wears away these nutrients are needed to replenish it (often referred to as tooth remineralization). Unfortunately, since the modern diet is typically deficient in all of these that doesn’t happen. Keep in mind, this research was done back in the 1930s. Although refined sugar, canned vegetables and white flour had already been introduced just think how much worse it is now!
But wait! We’re Real Foodies. We don’t eat a SAD diet.
And if you don’t have tooth decay that may be why. However, I have unfortunately run into several real foodies whose children have similar issues to Katie. So what gives? Obviously, in Katie’s situation an undiagnosed lip tie played a huge role. But aside from that there are other practices that can interfere with tooth remineralization. Like toothpaste.
My personal experience has been that flossing and brushing do help limit tooth decay. The act of brushing may not be harmful, but the use of certain toothpastes (especially those with flouride) could create harmful effects and even promote cavities. Glycerin is added to toothpaste to give it its “pasty” consistency. Supposedly, glycerin requires 27 rinses to remove from the teeth. And this could create a barrier on the teeth that would prevent teeth from getting harder and stronger.
Cure Tooth Decay, p. 123
According to Nagel, remineralization occurs both through direct contact with nutrients when food is chewed and also through digestion/uptake via the bloodstream. By coating our teeth we prevent one of the two ways teeth are designed to remineralize and harden.
In addition, products like tooth whitening gels strip the teeth of their enamel and make them more vulnerable. Manufacturers say whitening products don’t harm enamel, but I have used them and experienced enamel loss firsthand. My teeth did get whiter, but they also lost their sheen, which is the outermost layer of enamel.
What Now, Brush With Tree Bark?
So, if tooth brushing is beneficial but toothpaste is bad, what do we use . . . tree bark??? Yes and No. If you’re teeth are really suffering there are some very beneficial herbal blends that contain bark (White Oak, Prickly Ash, Bayberry and Slippery Elm). But I am getting ahead of myself. There are basically three options: tooth soap, baking soda or herbal tooth powders:
- Tooth Soap – Sold as a liquid or in little flakes that dissolve in your mouth, tooth soap is a gentle cleanser made with coconut, olive and/or palm oils. We make our own using this recipe.
- Baking Soda with Ground Calcium/Magnesium – I blend calcium citrate/magnesium supplements in the coffee grinder and mix with a little natural baking soda. I like to add a drop of essential oil (licorice, peppermint or fennel) to make it more palatable. Use once or twice a week to remove stains. Note: Because baking soda is very alkaline and your mouth needs a certain level of acid to kill bacteria, it is best not to use baking soda every day. If you begin to experience gum sensitivity or bleeding it may mean your mouth is too alkaline and is not killing bacteria properly.
- Herbal Tooth Powders and Liquids – These are especially helpful if you are already experiencing problems with your teeth or gums. They are very healing but can cause discoloration if used long term. Nagel recommends the Tooth & Gum Restore Formula by Dr. Richard Schulze and Dr. Christopher’s Herbal Tooth & Gum Powder.
For natural tooth whitening, Nagel makes this recommendation:
Dab a small amount of organic peppermint essential oil on your finger (much less than a drop), rub your finger on your toothbrush, and then brush normally.
My dentist friend and his wife are going to be horrified when they read this, but things got worse with Katie’s teeth before they got better. She got two cavities in her bottom molars. Although I am not a dentist and never had one confirm that she had cavities, I worked as a dental assistant for my friend for a brief period during college and I’m 100% sure that she had two.
When I found them I decided to hold off on an exam and order both of the herbal formulas I mentioned. Katie hates them both, but she hates Dr. Christopher’s Herbal Tooth & Gum Powder less. Since I began using it one cavity has healed completely (with new white enamel over the top) and one has gone from a scary black spot to a light brown one that looks better all the time. Overall, the quality of the enamel on her teeth has also significantly improved. They went from looking slightly translucent at the tips to being more dense looking.
We still have a ways to go, but I think that’s mostly because I can only get her cooperation part of the time when it comes to eating certain healing foods. Overall, though, I feel very strongly that because of Nagel’s book she will suffer no long term effects due to my previous ignorance. Her baby teeth may not be as perfect as some other childrens, but her bones and adult teeth will be strong and healthy.
Personally, I have seen significant remineralization with my own teeth since switching to toothsoap, but I have more stains that I’d like. I think I’ll try the peppermint oil and see how it goes.
Click here for an amazing photo update on Katie’s teeth!
Resources:
For an insightful synopsis of Dr. Price’s research with photos of the cultures he studies, check out this post at Nourished Kitchen.
For more in-depth info visit The Weston A. Price Foundation
Photo credit: Julia Freeman-Woolpert
Mae
Thank you so much for posting this Heather! I have…ahem, several cavities, and just overall bad luck with my teeth. I have a cap on one of my teeth that I’ve had for about 11-12 years now bc one of my teeth came in completely decalcified. I’ve been afraid Lily would have similar issues. I will def be getting that book!
Mae´s last [type] ..Our Week In Pictures
Heather
Mae, the good news is you’re already doing a lot of things the book recommends so it shouldn’t be too overwhelming. I did learn several important keys though that I simply haven’t heard of anywhere else. The roles of phosphorous and “activator x” were particularly enlightening and I changed Katie’s diet based on that info. I also realized I needed to cut down on the dried fruit she consumes in favor of fresh fruits because of how they affect her blood chemistry. All in all, it is one of the most important books in my library because I have not seen this research put together in an understandable format ANYWHERE else.
lizzy
great post, heather. we’ve been on the ‘natural’ toothpaste for a few years now, but am glad to find out that there are even better alternatives out there. i am definitely going to give this a try.
for some reason, the toothsoap.com site isn’t loading for me… have you had anyone else report a similar problem?
lizzy´s last [type] ..my new old best friend
Heather
Hey Liz, it seems to be working. Will you recheck. Nevermind . . . I’ll send you tweet ; – )
Melanie Buck
Well, we are not at all horrifed. We are in awe of you. You have blessed our family in so many ways because of your research. I remember going through this journey with you and Katie and I admired your embrace of knowledge and not settling. Richard has not used toothpaste since dental school, hmmmm…….. You are a wonderful Mommy and I am going to order toothsoap today. Thank you for another great blog.
Heather
Did you feel that gust of wind just pass your house. That was my sigh of relief ; – )
Shelly
Hey Heather, GREAT post! Thank you so much for the info
The website isn’t coming up for me either, not even when I type it in directly? I’ll try again later, but I am VERY interested! I have been enjoying your blogs very much, thanks for keeping well informed!
Heather
Shelly, thank you so much! I’m sorry you are having problems getting to the site. Just curious . . . you wouldn’t happen to be using the Google Chrome browser would you? Or maybe your browser doesn’t allow pop-ups or something?
Some people have emailed with the same problem and it seems to resolve if they try to click on the link using Internet Explorer or Firefox. Worth a try at least ; – )
Esther
Another awesome post! I really believe you are right on track, Heather. Curt is almost 2.5 now and I must admit that I rarely brush his teeth (my excuse is all the issues of last year!
)
Anyway, his teeth (thank you, Lord!) are immaculate. As I think back, feeding him foods rich in calcium and minerals has been a huge part of his diet. Sipping NT broth from his sippy cup was one of his first foods. I really believe it’s preventing/treating the issues from the inside out. Just like all other health issues, we can either treat symptom or get to the real source of the issue.
The healthy teeth topic especially interesting to me. My dad is a dentist. I worked for him for 10 years and have seen every situation imaginable! very fascinating.
Anyway, I’ve been on the hunt for a new toothpaste and can’t wait to order some Tooth Soap!
Heather
Wow, I am definitely doing broth in a sippy for this one. What a great idea!
Shari VV
The coupon code is not valid–anyone else having trouble with it?
lizzy
it worked great for me a couple days ago when i placed my order…
lizzy´s last [type] ..my new old best friend
Heather
Hi Shari – I tried calling the company but they are closed for the day. The email I received did not indicate when the code would expire so I will check with them on Monday to see if it has.
Shari VV
Thanks–I found a tiny little link on their home page that says it was valid through midnight July 6, so I missed it!
Esther
Have you tried Tropical Traditions Teeth Cleaner? We have the mint flavor and it’s great! here are the ingredients: purified water, organic Virgin Coconut Oil, baking soda, xanthum gum, wildcrafted myrrh powder, stevia, organic essential oils of peppermint, spearmint. My hubby is very picky about his toothpaste and this is the closest to all natural that he will use.
http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/organic_teeth_cleaners.htm
Heather
Looks interesting! Very good ingredients from what I can tell, but I’m not sure about the xanthan gum. I wonder if it coats the teeth the way glycerin does.
Angela Campany
Odd question for you… Do you know anything about pet dental health? Our vet has told us to brush our dog’s teeth, but something just seems odd about that. Dogs don’t brush their teeth in the wild right? Have you ever heard anything about this? We feed them an all natural dehydrated raw food, but they still get awful plaque build-up.
Heather
Sorry, Angela. I have no clue!
Angela Aitken
Read this article when you first wrote it and I think it’s awesome! I have since been using Tate’s The Natural Miracle Toothpaste and absolutely love it! I’d be interested to see what you think of their ingredients. Their website is ourtatefamily.com. It tastes like that Close Up toothpaste that used to be in stores. Hope you’re doing well!
Angela Aitken´s last [type] ..Tates Family Products Review
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[...] haven’t brushed with toothpaste in over a [...]
Michelle McCoy
Do you mind sharing the dentist name that you use for your kids and do they support breastfeeding? I am in desperate need!
Michelle McCoy
Nevermind, I figured that one out LOL and he was actually recommended by someone from the LLL
I think I will give them a call!!
Heather
Michelle, I have heard wonderful things about Dr. Cole (http://www.svcole.com/)
Michelle McCoy
Also does the powder stain her teeth?
Heather
Yes, unfortunately, it does.
Ashley
How is your daughters teeth now and what are you using when you brush her teeth? I just found out my 6 year old has bad decay in one baby tooth and slight decay in 5 others. I refused the xrays at past cleanings but when he started having pain I let them do it at this last check up. He is actually complaining about his permanent molar cutting in the back. I can only see one brown spot on the one that has the most decay and said he needs a stainless steel crown. I do have toothsoap already for me and started it on him that night. He already has a great diet but wondering if we are missing any calcium or other minerals. So disappointing now what to do!?! Do you think that book is a good buy? Do you know of any holistic dentists that see children in Dallas?
Heather
Ashley – The only holistic dentist I know of is Dr. Cole in Fort Worth. To answer your other questions: We recently learned that her front tooth decay is due to a maxillary tie that prevented milk from clearing off her teeth after she nursed. One tooth still has significant demineralization and the others have slight demineralization. Her molars are doing very well and appear to have sealed, so yay for that! I found the book to be very enlightening and I highly recommend it.
Karen
I just found your site from Cara at Health, Home & Happiness. I wanted to order some of the toothsoap but the coupon code does not work. Could you give us another coupon code especially if this is our first time to buy the toothsoap? I have been wanting the Cure Tooth Decay for over a year now and I think I will get it soon because everyone raves how good it is. Thanks for the advice!
Heather
Hi Karen! This post was actually written over a year ago, so unfortunately that coupon is WAY EXPIRED! To be honest, we ran out awhile back and I forgot to reorder, so we’ve just been using peppermint flavored castille soap. It’s not too bad if you add a touch of honey! And since you mentioned Cure Tooth Decay, I am curious if you saw this post I wrote just a few weeks ago on healing my daughter’s teeth. It was such an awesome moment for us! http://www.mommypotamus.com/can-a-weston-a-price-diet-reverse-tooth-decay/
Happy Birthday To Me!!! « The Mommypotamus
[...] daughter’s smile. But when she grins at strangers my heart breaks a little. Although we have made a lot of progress there is still visible damage to her teeth. I feel completely responsible. UPDATE: Her teeth are [...]
Jen
Hi thanks for the update on Katie’s teeth. AWESOME job. How long did you use the herbal tooth powder? Just wondering about staining of the teeth.
Heather
Hi Jen! We used one container until it was gone and then just never got around to replacing it
OraWellness
Hi Heather,
Thank you for your awesome research and willingness to share your experiences with us all. We offer another toxin free option for folks looking for an ‘in the mouth’ support as well. Our products are 100% (yep, 100%) organic and wild crafted ingredients. They are very effective to help support someone on the nutrient dense path create greater oral health.
If you would like more information on our company, please email us or find us on Facebook.
Keep up the awesome work!
Paxton Campbell
Hi Heather,
I was wondering what would be your best recommendation on natural toothpastes, I have always had problems with my teeth and as a kid Iwas diagnosed with decalcification and they said my mouth turned everything into an acid after I put something into my mouth. By the time I was in Kindergarden I had my whole mouth but the front bottom four capped with silver caps. I am 18 now and about to get braces, I have already had to get porcealin veniers on my top front 4 teeth. I was also wondering about when you started using the tooth soap and stuff with your daughter did it help your teeth at all because I have all of my permanent teeth and I have already have had alot of work on them.
Thanks a Bunch for all of your help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OraWellness
Hi Paxton,
I hear your distress and concern with your oral health. We help folks take control of their oral health. The breakdown in oral health can be amended very easily with helpful information and the right tools and techniques.
We approach creating greater oral health from both a system wide approach as well as from ‘within the mouth’ so to speak. Sites like Mommypotamus do a great job to share their insights with eating a nutrient dense diet, which is foundational to creating greater oral health as well as whole system well being. Addressing the creation of greater oral health from within the mouth is fairly easy. One must reduce the presence of disease causing microbes in the mouth without stressing the immune system by introducing any poisons (that are in many oral ‘health’ products). After all, introducing poisons (which weaken the immunity) while trying to create greater oral health is like taking one step forward and two steps back.
I encourage you to check out our site as well as find us on Facebook by searching OraWellness. We have several free instructional videos covering a wide range of strategies and techniques to help create greater oral health.
I hope this helps you along your path.
To your health!
Jess
Hello,
I just bought Dr Bronner;s 18-in-1 Hemp Baby Mild to make this. Is this correct? So much writing on the bottle I got a little confused. Also, the ingredients don’t say glycerin, but there is a line on there that says after sapnofying into soap and glycerine (it is referring to some ingredients not being in the final product). I just got confused b/c I thought there was not glycerin?
Heather
Yes, they are a little strange with the writing all over the package
To answer your question yes that is what I use, but I’ve never noticed that part about glycerin so I’m confused too! I wonder if the are using the same label template as other bottles (that do contain glycerin)? I will email them to find out!
Heather
Hi Jess! I emailed and got this response back.
“Thanks for writing. The retained glycerin comes off of the olive and coconut oils when they are saponified (turned into soap). Castile soap is made by reacting a vegetable oil with an alkali. An oil is a “triglyceride,” which means that three fatty acids are attached to a glycerin molecule. The alkali is either sodium (for bars) or potassium (for liquids) hydroxide, made by running electricity through salt water. The saponification process is a simple one-step reaction with no waste generated: the glycerin is split off from the fatty acids, and the fatty acids combine with the sodium or potassium to form soap, while the hydroxide forms water. The result is soap, glycerin and water (no alkali remains in our soaps).
Some soapmakers choose to drain off the glycerin to use or sell elsewhere, but we leave it in for added smoothness, since our soap is primarily a body soap.
Please let me know if you have any further questions.”
Will be looking into a castille soap without glycerin soon
Jess
Thanks so much. I was also thinking about ordering the Dr. Christopher’s tooth powder-how often do you use this compared to the home made one? Also, we are vegetarians by religion. Hindus from India have been so for over 2,000 years. There are many food prep. practices that involve fermenting and soaking, but I am wondering what other veg. ideas there may be to promote oral health. Thanks again!
Heather
We’re just using this recipe now (We ran out of the tooth powder long ago and I didn’t reaorder because our daughter’s teeth had already healed). Unfortunately, I am not knowledgeable about veg. ideas for oral health, though if you do dairy I would recommend lots of pastured butter
OraWellness
Hi Jess,
We have some expressed Hindus who love our product, made from 100% organic and wild crafted ingredients, no toxins, no artificial anything. By the way, they moved to the US several years ago. They both have gorgeous teeth, still enjoying what is called ‘genetic momentum’. I know they drink a lot of raw milk to support their dietary needs, given their religious choice.
I hope this helps. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to us. We are here to help.
To your health!
Paxton Campbell
I use organic toothpaste from pureandgreenorganics.com.au/teeth.html I posted the recipe on curetoothdecay.com and they said that all of the ingredients were safe to use if anyone wants to try it also bentonite oral balm was another thing that they approved of.
OraWellness
Hi Paxton,
Thanks for posting this link. We have also researched the idea of using aloe vera juice as the base for a toothpaste product. My only question about the ingredients is what process they use to saponify the coconut and olive oils. The process of saponification, making soap from fats, creates glycerin. Some soap makers wash out the glycerin from the soap, others choose to leave it in (as the glycerin makes the soap softer).
Therefore, I encourage you to check out whether this company leaves the glycerin in their saponified oils or removes it. Avoiding the use of glycerin in oral care products is a prudent action given the information about glycerin creating a wax like coating on the teeth which would inhibit remineralization.
Jess
Thanks, just got the same note as you today from Dr. B’s. What are your thoughts on their description of how the glycerine rinses clean?
Nathalie
Hi!
Here, I use calcium carbonate powder to brush my teeth, works great too.
Heather
We’ve done that, too! Did you buy it somewhere or just buy supplements and crush them up?
Paxton
Where do you get the colloidal silver Heather did you buy it somewhere or did you make it and if you did what is the recipe.
Heather
Hi Paxton! I bought it at my local health food store, but honestly I don’t think it made much a difference for my daughter in this instance. Though it’s definitely a potent anti-microbial it just didn’t stay on the surface of her tooth for very long. That’s why looking back I think the other things I did had a much greater impact in healing her teeth. Hope that helps
Jacqueline
Great Post! Now I’m worried because I take a magnesium supplement as well. I’ve been using Spry toothpaste with xylitol but want to switch over to something natural for my daughter (14 months) any suggestions of what she can use sine she’s not really spitting yet? Thanks!
Heather
Hi Jacqueline! I’m rethinking my statements on magnesium right now . . . historically it was such an abundant mineral but we don’t get very much these days. I’m thinking it may be okay to supplement even if the ratio to calcium is more than 2:1. Still researching, but that’s where I’m leaning. Regarding a tooth cleanser for your 14 month old, I usually just use a wet cloth to clean their teeth at that age. They usually like chewing on the rag.
Paxton Campbell
I was wondering on your view on xylitol because I emailed the closest holistic dentist and asked her about anything that could help with my teeth and she sent me CariFree HA NANO GEl and CariFree Boost Mouth Spray and both of these products contain xylitol she also sent me xylitol gum so I was wondering if these products are safe to use.
Heather
I can’t say I have done much research on xylitol but I really respect the opinion of Ramiel Nagel (author of Cure Tooth Decay) and he recommends against it http://www.curetoothdecay.com/Tooth_Decay/xylitol_tooth_decay.htm
Jacqueline
I just started using toothsoap thanks to you and I’m still trying to get used to the flavor but I love it! I hate to admit it but I haven’t been to the dentist in a looong time, mainly because they seem to always want to pull my wisdom teeth even though I don’t have any problems with them at all. I do have problematic gums though which run in my family and I am desperate for a natural cure for my gums so that when I do get around to finally going I won’t need an under the gum cleaning. Do you know anything I can do? or of any books that have a protocol for gums? any dentists in the dfw you can suggest? thanks a million!!
OraWellness
Hi Jacqueline,
I wanted to shout out to you given that you mention gum issues. We help folks navigate to greater oral health. Our primary focus is on tools and techniques to create positive change from gum disease. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize how common gum disease really is. The sad stat is that if a person is over 30, they have a 9 out of 10 chance of having active gum disease.
Isn’t it funny how so many of us don’t want to admit that we haven’t been to the dentist in so long?
We offer lots of free video tutorials and downloads to help folks navigate to greater oral health (from the comfort of home). We encourage you to come take a look. Here is a link to our testimonial page… http://www.orawellness.com/Testimonials/
To your health!
Will and Susan
melanie
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup sea salt
1 teaspoon or more of cinnamon
This makes a great tooth powder.
The soda & salt scrub & clean and the cinnamon has antibacterial and antimicrobial properities.
My family has been using this for almost 3 years.
After you become accustomed to the texture, so different than toothpaste, you’ll realize that your teeth have never been so clean! It feels great and you’ll never want to use nasty store bought toothpaste again!
Cathy
Hi Heather,
I recently came back to this post because my 15-month-old daughter has what looks like “bottle rot” on the back of one of her lower front teeth and plaque/stains on her upper teeth that I can’t remove with brushing. I had been pre-chewing a lot of her solid food that wasn’t easy to mash up…she still nurses a lot and doesn’t eat much at a time so I wasn’t going through the trouble of mashing or blending up hard-to-chew food that would go to waste, but now in hindsight I guess that would have been a safer option. I’ve been careful to brush her teeth with water twice a day, but she also still falls asleep nursing and still wakes up to nurse pretty frequently I hate to disturb her by shoving a cold, wet washcloth in her mouth to wipe her teeth off when I’m trying to get her down to sleep for the night or back to sleep in the middle of the night. I did buy the Cure Tooth Decay book on Amazon today but if you have any quick suggestions on night nursing I’d appreciate it.
Susan
I came across the before and after photos shortly right after our 20 month old son was diagnosed with many cavities, but I didn’t see this post until tonight. We were a new WAPF family at the time of diagnosis, but he definitely didn’t receive processed food, sugar, or juice before our nutritional conversion. We’ve seen some great improvement in the bottom molars ( healed ) and the two front teeth. The upper molars are very badly decayed, but slowing…not fast enough. Our protocol has been a natural one and advocated by our dentist, but while researching different toothpastes tonight, I learned his Squiggle Toothpaste ( xylitol paste ) has hydrated silica in it and it’s very abrasive to sensitive enamel and I now wonder if this is why we’re not seeing more remineralization in some areas despite also using MI Paste? So, I just ordered Christopher’s powder and also Dr. Schulze’s tooth and gum treatment. Fingers crossed that it helps. We’ve seen improvement, but your daughter’s beautiful photos give me hope that we may see more.
Heather
Wow, what an amazing dentist you have! So glad you have already seen results with your son’s lower molars – hope the tooth powder and gum tincture helps!
Melissa
Hey Mommypotamus, I was at the dentist today and he found a cavity (super bummer!). He offered to fill it on the spot, but I politely declined because I remember seeing this article in the past and wanted to read it again. I plan to try out the things you mention above. I am wondering how long did it take for your daughters cavities to heal? I am supposed to go back for a filling (which I don’t plan on getting done), but I hope to instead show him improvement. If it’s going to take a while, I will just have to postpone my my next visit. Thanks in advance!
Lauren
Hey Heather,
I just stumbled upon and immediately love your blog SO much! I will be coming back everyday to read all of your posts. Thank you so much for sharing your life and experiences with all of us. Happy holidays!!!!
-Lauren
Katrina
I found your blog several months ago, and I love it! I have a little six month old son, and my husband and I are doing our best on a limited budget to follow the WAPF dietal standards. This article was really interesting. What my husband and I do for oral care (besides diet, obviously) is we oil pull with coconut oil (per Dr. Bruce Fife’s book) every morning, and brush with a Bentonite clay toothpaste recipe, which we found at our favorite family owned herbal supplier, the Bulk Herb Store: http://www.bulkherbstore.com/articles/bentonite-clay-toothpaste?id=S8Ss6thC&mv_pc=10110“. We buy the bulk herbs, but a kit can be purchased. There is healing power in bentonite clay and cloves!
Jessica H
Did you use both the Tooth & Gum Restore Formula by Dr. Richard Schulze and Dr. Christopher’s Herbal Tooth & Gum Powder to heal her teeth or would just one or the other work to heal teeth as a single?
Maggie
I am trying to find a link I am almost 100% confident I found through your blog for some tooth drops that you used and there were a lot of flavors, but I cannot find it…can you please help me!!
Maggie´s last [type] ..GROSS!!
Heather
Hi Maggie! You are probably thinking of toothsoap.com
Maggie
Thank you…will look at both links
Maggie´s last [type] ..GROSS!!
OraWellness
Aloha Maggie,
(Heather, I hope it’s ok if we offer a bit of a gift here?) We welcome you to come over to OraWellness.com and check out our toothpaste alternative that’s made with 100% organic and wild crafted ingredients. If you choose to order, we’ll include a free specially designed toothbrush that has been proven to help reduce the risk of gum disease.
Here’s a link to our site: http://www.OraWellness.com
Here’s a link to a video tutorial that explains the brush: http://www.orawellness.com/Videos/how-to-brush-your-teeth-to-reduce-gum-disease.html
And finally, here’s a link to what others have to say about our products and company: http://www.orawellness.com/Testimonials/
Feel free to holler with any questions Maggie, we’re here to help!
Heather
Ahhh, thank you for stopping by Will! Maggie, OraWellness products are great
Stephanie
Hi Heather, I came across your website in search for a way to reverse cavities in children. My precious 3 year old daughter has a black spot on the top of her back molar. I haven’t taken her to the dentist yet but I am certain it is a cavity as her breath has started smelling too.
I have been diligent about brushing, she doesn’t get candy and she was exclusively breastfeed and still breastfeeding now. I am devastated by the appearance of this cavity. I bought the book Cure Tooth Decay and I have been reading it all morning. I have a question for you. To heal Katie’s teeth did you give her the cod liver oil/butter oil mixture? And if so how much did you give her? Did you start giving her the foods suggested in the book? I have ordered the linked cod liver/butter oil that is listed in the book sold by Green Pastures and I have also order some tooth soap from your link. I am hoping to reverse this cavity and avoid painful dental work for her. Thanks for you help and a great blog post!
Stephanie (in Japan)
Heather
Hi Stephanie! We have access to grassfed butter and ghee so I don’t buy the mixture, but I do feed both my kids lots of butter and they get cod liver oil every day. The Weston A. Price Foundation recommends 1/2 teaspoon for children over 8 months and 2 teaspoons for nursing mothers. Those are the dosages I use
Stephanie
Hi Heather, Thanks so much for the reply! I have been taking cod liver oil since I was pregnant and have been giving to her daily since she was 1 year old. She has been taking the Nordic Naturals DHA (which is made from cod liver oil. In the book he suggests fermented cod liver oil which is why I bought the Green Pastures brand. Also I don’t have access to Grass Fed butter. I did by some regular very high quality butter and have started giving her that with her breakfast and dinner. I am really hoping this all works. We have also started letting her do a salt water mouth rinse before bed. I am not sure if that is a good idea or not but my husband thought we should try it. Thanks again for the great post and information! I will post back if we get results!
Jessica
Sorry if this is a repeat question. Is the glycerin by-product of Castile soap okay for teeth? It think toothsoap must have some glycerin as by-product of sapnofied oils too.
Heather
I would say it’s not ideal, but I’ve used it and don’t worry about it too much. From what I understand there’s far less in castile soap than what you find in most toothpastes. Personally, though, I prefer the tooth powder in DIY Organic Beauty. It tastes better and leaves my mouth feeling the cleanest it ever has.
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