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Cure Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition
Forget about drilling, filling, and the inevitable billing. Your teeth can heal naturally because they were never designed to decay in the first place! They were designed to remain strong and healthy for your entire life. But the false promises of conventional dentistry have led us down the wrong path, leading to invasive surgical treatments that include fillings, crowns, root canals and dental implants. Now there is a natural way to take control of your dental health by changing the food that you eat. Cure Tooth Decay is based upon the pioneering nutritional program of dentist Weston Price, former head of research at the National Dental Association. Dr. Price’s program proved to be 90-95% or more effective in remineralizing tooth cavities utilizing only nutritional improvements in the diet. Cure Tooth Decay is the result of five years of research and trial and error that started as one father’s journey to cure his daughter’s rapidly progressing tooth decay. With Cure Tooth Decay you will join the thousands of people who have learned how to remineralize teeth, eliminate tooth pain or sensitivity, avoid root canals, stop cavities -- sometimes instantaneously, regrow secondary dentin, form new tooth enamel, avoid or minimize gum loss, heal and repair tooth infections, only use dental treatments when medically necessary, save your mouth (and your pocketbook) from thousands of dollars of unneeded dental procedures, and increase your overall health and vitality. Cure Tooth Decay provides you with clear and easy to understand dental facts to help you make healthy, life-affirming choices about your dental health. It is about healing cavities without dental surgery or fluoride. Cure Tooth Decay highlights include: conventional dentistry's losing war against bacteria, why people fear the dentist and what you can do about it, the power of butter to heal teeth, the difference between healthy and unhealthy fats, specific dietary and meal plans that highlight the types of foods to eat every day to remineralize teeth, a simple cavity-healing program that is easy to follow, the cause of dental plaque and an amazing technique to reverse gum disease, safe dental filling materials, how to find a good minimally invasive dentist, how to prevent root canals, how to monitor tooth decay at home, toxic vs. non-toxic tooth cleaners, your bite: a hidden cause of cavities, understanding ideal jaw position and TMJ dysfunction, how to save your wisdom teeth, x-ray proof that cavities can heal, how to heal children's cavities and find peace, why women get cavities during pregnancy and how to stop it, and so much more. Real Testimonial Highlights: Dr. Timothy Gallagher, president of the Holistic Dental Association says, "Cure Tooth Decay is treasure-trove of wisdom as it takes the mystery out of dental health." Mike, Oregon. - “The practical advice in this book really seems to be reversing my tooth decay!!! Halleluiah, brother!!!” Pam Killeen, NY Times bestselling author. – “The protocol in this book is very effective for preventing and mineralizing cavities.” David, Idaho. - “This is a very different type of health book, written from the heart. The dietary advice put forth in this book is not only crucial for preventing tooth decay but for preserving the health of the human race.” Leroy, Utah. – “Thanks a million to Ramiel Nagel for writing this book. Unbelievable!” Willis, England. - “I am reading your book as fast as I can; it is a real jaw-dropper! Amazing!” E. Cohen, Florida. – “My teeth have actually re-enameled over the brown spots quite a bit -- I definitely have had regrowth.”
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
628 people are currently reading
2231 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
April 10, 2013
So grateful to have discovered the research in this book. After a year of being frustrated with my daughter's tooth decay despite a healthy diet and regular brushing/flossing, I now have hope. After 2 months of following this diet the best we could (raw dairy, cod liver oil, lots of veggies, organic meats, little fruit, low grains, and pretty much no sugar) her decay stopped and two of her cavities healed completely. The dentist was shocked as he crossed those two off her chart and told me to keep up whatever I was doing. Nutrition amazes me and I wish this knowledge was more well known! Praying we can continue to keep this up and that the days of painful/traumatic toddler root canals are over!
October 22, 2012
There is a lot of good information here, but also a lot of personal beliefs hammered in over and over and some bad information mixed in. I gave it 4 stars because the good stuff is material you just don't tend to find elsewhere (I've never seen most of it anywhere). It's reasonably well documented but ultimately very one-note.
It's all about diet. Which doesn't add up, but I'll agree diet is very important. Unfortunately, his examples of cultures with good teeth are all very dairy-centric ones. So his proposed diet is huge with dairy (we're talking a quart of milk and several oz of cheese, every day, plus butter). To the point where he insists that dairy is necessary for dental health. Never mind that most of the world does not eat dairy (or didn't before modernization/Westernization). Somehow, all those examples got lost in translation.
The idea of someone reacting to dairy? Why it's just that they aren't using the good stuff, raw and grass-fed and low processed. Yeah, I've heard that one before. For a few people, it's true. For most of us with dairy intolerance, it's B.S. He does give a quick nod to actual dairy intolerance in the section on children, but it's less than a paragraph.
His diet is also all about meat. Just like with the dairy, he focuses on truly healthy, humanely raised, meat. That's fine, except not everyone chooses to eat meat. He does have a decent vegetarian version but it's really heavy in dairy. He is rather insulting to vegans (I'm not a vegan but I felt insulted).
The majority of the book is about what you should and shouldn't eat (mostly a couple very specific products, plus meat, seafood, and dairy). The rest is fascinating. There's a lot on what mainstream dental treatments actually do to your teeth and the rest of your body. Plus detail about accessing the need for dentist intervention and alternatives. There is an entire section on children's teeth as well. Only a few parts cover what I hoped much of the book would be about: herbs, supplements, tooth care, etc. It also only has one small chapter on gum health, which is mostly why I wanted to read the book.
Over all, it's worth reading, you just have to take some of his claims with a few grains of salt (but hey, you can brush your teeth with that salt!).
It's all about diet. Which doesn't add up, but I'll agree diet is very important. Unfortunately, his examples of cultures with good teeth are all very dairy-centric ones. So his proposed diet is huge with dairy (we're talking a quart of milk and several oz of cheese, every day, plus butter). To the point where he insists that dairy is necessary for dental health. Never mind that most of the world does not eat dairy (or didn't before modernization/Westernization). Somehow, all those examples got lost in translation.
The idea of someone reacting to dairy? Why it's just that they aren't using the good stuff, raw and grass-fed and low processed. Yeah, I've heard that one before. For a few people, it's true. For most of us with dairy intolerance, it's B.S. He does give a quick nod to actual dairy intolerance in the section on children, but it's less than a paragraph.
His diet is also all about meat. Just like with the dairy, he focuses on truly healthy, humanely raised, meat. That's fine, except not everyone chooses to eat meat. He does have a decent vegetarian version but it's really heavy in dairy. He is rather insulting to vegans (I'm not a vegan but I felt insulted).
The majority of the book is about what you should and shouldn't eat (mostly a couple very specific products, plus meat, seafood, and dairy). The rest is fascinating. There's a lot on what mainstream dental treatments actually do to your teeth and the rest of your body. Plus detail about accessing the need for dentist intervention and alternatives. There is an entire section on children's teeth as well. Only a few parts cover what I hoped much of the book would be about: herbs, supplements, tooth care, etc. It also only has one small chapter on gum health, which is mostly why I wanted to read the book.
Over all, it's worth reading, you just have to take some of his claims with a few grains of salt (but hey, you can brush your teeth with that salt!).
August 9, 2011
There are some interesting ideas in here and I think I'm going to start implementing some of the nutritional recommendations into my diet, however there were a few things I just couldn't get over.
Ramiel Nagel says, "For many, but not for all, vegetarianism is a masked form of a denial of life. Somewhere deep within you, you believe that life is suffering, and you want to suffer. Superficially, vegetarianism is a good way to minimize impact on the planet, not harm animals, and to get a high and light feeling from avoiding the seemingly burdensome animal foods. Deeper down, you are suffering."
WTF?
Also, there were at least a hundred grammatical errors. Where was the editor of this book?!
Ramiel Nagel says, "For many, but not for all, vegetarianism is a masked form of a denial of life. Somewhere deep within you, you believe that life is suffering, and you want to suffer. Superficially, vegetarianism is a good way to minimize impact on the planet, not harm animals, and to get a high and light feeling from avoiding the seemingly burdensome animal foods. Deeper down, you are suffering."
WTF?
Also, there were at least a hundred grammatical errors. Where was the editor of this book?!
June 1, 2013
This book is written by a father after his daughter's teeth crumbled out of her mouth. He did a bunch of research to try to save her teeth (his teeth were also failing ... made me wonder about their drinking water, etc.). The book is heavily reliant on the ideas of Weston A. Price. I have mixed feelings about Price. He has some good things to offer, but much from his foundation is extreme and unrealistic. This book suffered the same problem but in much worse fashion. The man who wrote the book isn't well-versed in research or in understanding it. He cherry-picks his data and makes absurd claims (including that sugar combats bacteria as well as if not better than xylitol ... seriously).
The most revealing part was at the end of the book when there was a question from someone saying, "How can I do your remedy as it costs so much?" The remedy has to do with eating all kinds of special (and expensive) cod liver oil, grass-fed pastured butter and liver, and bone broths ... on and on. Quite pricy (pun intended). His answer? Well, duh, just start farming your land and grow your own food. Or, if you can't do that, go ask for the organs from your local butcher (of grass-fed animals, of course) and get them for cheap. Or go to the docks and ask the fishermen if you can have their fish guts pail. You could get it for free, and think of all the nutrition! Sorry, but this just isn't a realistic approach to health for teeth or anything else.
Do I recommend this book? Nope. I just can't. As a researcher, I was appalled at this book from the introduction clear to the end. If you're already totally sold on the ideas from the Price foundation, then this book might really appeal to you.
The most revealing part was at the end of the book when there was a question from someone saying, "How can I do your remedy as it costs so much?" The remedy has to do with eating all kinds of special (and expensive) cod liver oil, grass-fed pastured butter and liver, and bone broths ... on and on. Quite pricy (pun intended). His answer? Well, duh, just start farming your land and grow your own food. Or, if you can't do that, go ask for the organs from your local butcher (of grass-fed animals, of course) and get them for cheap. Or go to the docks and ask the fishermen if you can have their fish guts pail. You could get it for free, and think of all the nutrition! Sorry, but this just isn't a realistic approach to health for teeth or anything else.
Do I recommend this book? Nope. I just can't. As a researcher, I was appalled at this book from the introduction clear to the end. If you're already totally sold on the ideas from the Price foundation, then this book might really appeal to you.
July 6, 2011
I had extreme tooth sensitivity for over a year. It was so bad that I couldn't open my mouth outside in the winter or else I'd have an instant tooth ache. After 2 weeks on the prescribed diet, my tooth sensitivity disappeared. I also have, what mainstream dentists call, a dead tooth. My "dead tooth" made my whole head ache for weeks. The vast majority of dentists would recommend a root canal, but I have decided to try to heal my tooth with diet. It turns out that my tooth is not dead after all, and my body does have the capability of healing my tooth, as long as I give it what it needs. I have followed the advice for tooth infections for 2 months now and I have noticed significant results. I no longer get tooth aches and my overall health has improved. This book has been an invaluable source of information. Thank you, Ramiel Nagel!
December 19, 2008
To cure tooth decay, Ramiel Nagel used the research of the dentists Weston A Price and Melvin Page to heal himself and his daughter. Price focused on principles he found in all “native” diets around the world that were cavity free and Page focused on diet and body chemistry. Nagel adds reflexology to the protocol with the intention to help balance the glands thus balancing the blood chemistry thus helping with the correct flow of the fluids in teeth thus aiding in healthy teeth.
Nagel discusses the false theory that regular brushing alone prevents cavities. The work of the said dentists busted that theory before it should have been started. He gives a fair look at what is involved in root canals and removing teeth. He gives lists of foods that must be avoided and foods that must be included daily to stop tooth decay and build a new layer of enamel. These foods aren’t new to followers of WAP and the cookbook Nourishing Traditions, however Nagel focuses on certain ones that are more specific in healing teeth. Besides the old stand-bys of cod liver oil, butter oil, bone broths grass fed raw milk, raw wild fish and grass fed meat (organs too) and pastured raw eggs, he emphasizes bone marrow and celery/parsley juice. He shows x-rays of teeth building a new layer of enamel.
Nagel consoles the reader for problems they might have had with their children and dentists. He constantly urges the reader to listen to her instincts and pray and ponder what is best for her to do. He gives lots of resources and references to look up additional information.
Cure Tooth Decay is an easy and inspiring read.
Nagel discusses the false theory that regular brushing alone prevents cavities. The work of the said dentists busted that theory before it should have been started. He gives a fair look at what is involved in root canals and removing teeth. He gives lists of foods that must be avoided and foods that must be included daily to stop tooth decay and build a new layer of enamel. These foods aren’t new to followers of WAP and the cookbook Nourishing Traditions, however Nagel focuses on certain ones that are more specific in healing teeth. Besides the old stand-bys of cod liver oil, butter oil, bone broths grass fed raw milk, raw wild fish and grass fed meat (organs too) and pastured raw eggs, he emphasizes bone marrow and celery/parsley juice. He shows x-rays of teeth building a new layer of enamel.
Nagel consoles the reader for problems they might have had with their children and dentists. He constantly urges the reader to listen to her instincts and pray and ponder what is best for her to do. He gives lots of resources and references to look up additional information.
Cure Tooth Decay is an easy and inspiring read.
March 7, 2017
Notes to Self:
-My three-year-old had a rotting molar and within three weeks of extremely limiting (as in, once a week) any intake of sugar, grains, potatoes, or nuts, his molar has hardened. So though it is not pretty, he no longer needs a filling. So.... even though this isn't the most well-written or well-organized or well-communicated book of all time, I am giving it 5 stars for saving my son from needless medical intervention.
-I have been taking green pastures fermented cod liver oil plus high vitamin butter oil for years, but I have the dose wrong. I have been taking 2 capsules as it says on the bottle. To prevent cavities and heal the body you must take 7-10!!! I need to confirm this with WAPF.
-Obtaining oats that have not been destroyed is impossible, don't eat oats.
-A bone broth soup should be eaten every day or every other day.
-If you are going to eat sugar, including fruit, eat it with a fat (e.g. apples and cheese, berries and cream).
-This book is the WAPF diet but errs on the side of Primal over WAPF. As in, eat WAPF, but if you are not healthy enough or your teeth are struggling, go Primal. And if you can't handle Primal, at least go GAPS. Super interesting.
-My three-year-old had a rotting molar and within three weeks of extremely limiting (as in, once a week) any intake of sugar, grains, potatoes, or nuts, his molar has hardened. So though it is not pretty, he no longer needs a filling. So.... even though this isn't the most well-written or well-organized or well-communicated book of all time, I am giving it 5 stars for saving my son from needless medical intervention.
-I have been taking green pastures fermented cod liver oil plus high vitamin butter oil for years, but I have the dose wrong. I have been taking 2 capsules as it says on the bottle. To prevent cavities and heal the body you must take 7-10!!! I need to confirm this with WAPF.
-Obtaining oats that have not been destroyed is impossible, don't eat oats.
-A bone broth soup should be eaten every day or every other day.
-If you are going to eat sugar, including fruit, eat it with a fat (e.g. apples and cheese, berries and cream).
-This book is the WAPF diet but errs on the side of Primal over WAPF. As in, eat WAPF, but if you are not healthy enough or your teeth are struggling, go Primal. And if you can't handle Primal, at least go GAPS. Super interesting.
February 26, 2014
My only complaint about this book is the organization. When I first got it, I was desperate for WHAT DO I DO!! after my 2 yo inexplicably developed severe cavities and a gum abscess after we had been meticulously taking care of her teeth and visiting the dentist every 3 months for almost a year. The first several chapters include thoughts on prayers, motivational thinking, and how modern dentistry works. That's all good and fine, but I wanted practical steps right away. I ended up skipping all the way to the bonus chapter on healing childhood decay, starting to implement that advice, and later went back to read the rest of the book. There is a lot of great information in there, some of which complemented what we were already doing and others that didn't apply but would be good to know for the future (the ineffectiveness of braces, for example). I just really wish the book had started with a "quick start" chapter. I was already feeling lost and powerless, I didn't need a chapter to remind me of it.
Once you get to the meat of the book, however, it's amazing. We have at the very least slowed my daughter's decay if not halted it. If you don't like having conventional wisdom challenged, you are going to have a hard time with this. The results, however, speak for themselves. There are tons of blogs out there now that are photographing remineralization of teeth. It is possible, so I definitely recommend picking up this book. There is a support Facebook group online for additional insights from others who have been there. If you or your children are struggling with decay even though you think you are doing everything right, there is hope!
Once you get to the meat of the book, however, it's amazing. We have at the very least slowed my daughter's decay if not halted it. If you don't like having conventional wisdom challenged, you are going to have a hard time with this. The results, however, speak for themselves. There are tons of blogs out there now that are photographing remineralization of teeth. It is possible, so I definitely recommend picking up this book. There is a support Facebook group online for additional insights from others who have been there. If you or your children are struggling with decay even though you think you are doing everything right, there is hope!
July 26, 2012
Nagel has some interesting ideas, and some common-sense advice (like 'don't eat sugar'). But everything he says is called into question by his assertion that "vaccines promote tooth decay", and that there "is no evidence of their success". He says to "seek natural replacements and alternatives." This is just so nutty and unscientific that I can't believe anything else he says. Anyone who promotes the view that vaccines cause autism/tooth decay/pick-an-ailment need only look to history and think on the fact that we don't have to worry about dying of small pox, or polio, or any number of other diseases that modern science has freed us from.
June 18, 2013
Be aware that although this guy Ramiel Nagel in "curing tooth decay" gives you some good tips on teeth and holistic dentistry which it's mostly only more expensive dentist really, another TRAP.
As a nutritionist (coming from his personal experience and under nourishment etc)I must say he still has a long way to go not say, it is a total a disaster;
To follow his diet is also to follow a big fat belly. I was very interested in his book, even suggested at one point, I must say that following his diet besides the fact that doesn't heal your teeth really it makes you larger and fat; The author himself is a live proof of it, the guy has another body afterwards of course but if you don't intend to go up few sizes be aware and please there is no such a thing as a diet to heal teeth like this;
We are not teeth only and all the animal fat products he recommends, in my opinion, is beyond highly rich in calories and saturated fat;
this is NOT what Weston Price meant by a whole healthy life style and diet at all and that we can NOT translate literally like he does; It was a life style in a different world and pace when killing animals was for survival purposes, people had meals with their families, lived in the country side, spent much of their lives outdoors i.e. farmers, mountain people, ate what they NEED, had different needs and realities;
So my dear friend, if you are a woman specially and intend to follow this fellow, be prepared to gain a large waist line and some high quality cellulite and perhaps even a heart condition.
Jump out while you can and find a better balance to heal your WHOLE body and teeth. Eating a whole diet the best we can, getting some exercises regularly, keeping hygiene and a happy heart and mind, searching according to your personal needs. Best luck on your journey.
As a nutritionist (coming from his personal experience and under nourishment etc)I must say he still has a long way to go not say, it is a total a disaster;
To follow his diet is also to follow a big fat belly. I was very interested in his book, even suggested at one point, I must say that following his diet besides the fact that doesn't heal your teeth really it makes you larger and fat; The author himself is a live proof of it, the guy has another body afterwards of course but if you don't intend to go up few sizes be aware and please there is no such a thing as a diet to heal teeth like this;
We are not teeth only and all the animal fat products he recommends, in my opinion, is beyond highly rich in calories and saturated fat;
this is NOT what Weston Price meant by a whole healthy life style and diet at all and that we can NOT translate literally like he does; It was a life style in a different world and pace when killing animals was for survival purposes, people had meals with their families, lived in the country side, spent much of their lives outdoors i.e. farmers, mountain people, ate what they NEED, had different needs and realities;
So my dear friend, if you are a woman specially and intend to follow this fellow, be prepared to gain a large waist line and some high quality cellulite and perhaps even a heart condition.
Jump out while you can and find a better balance to heal your WHOLE body and teeth. Eating a whole diet the best we can, getting some exercises regularly, keeping hygiene and a happy heart and mind, searching according to your personal needs. Best luck on your journey.
July 1, 2011
Fascinating read on the correlation between diet and the health of your teeth. I have a few very small cavities that I really don't want to have filled, so when I found this book which claims to have the answers to "healing" cavities, I was intrigued. Most of the book is fantastic, but there are a few spots that bothered me (like the author's unfounded rejection of vaccinations). Other than those spots, I enjoyed learning about Dr Weston Price's travels and discoveries about people who never brush their teeth and yet have 0 cavities! Once these indigenous people adopt a Western diet, the tooth decay isn't far behind. It frustrates me that more people don't know about this stuff, unless it's all a bunch of crap.
December 18, 2010
An ok book. Compelling info in it that sent me in a new direction with my diet and health. Why isn't the work of Weston Price common knowledge is what I want to know? I felt the book as a work of writing wasn't all that great. Kind of repetitive and irritating to read the same advice over and over. Basically: Weston Price figured out some crazy compelling stuff about nutrition MANY decades ago, follow the recommendations of him and the Weston Price Foundation, take cod liver oil supplements from a certain source, get the cookbook Nourishing traditions. There are a few other things in there, but not a whole lot. Still, it's a worthy primer in this area of nutrition and a pretty quick read.
March 13, 2011
a must read for all those looking to firstly understand their problems with tooth decay and STOP THEM. In addition I find Ramiel to bring via Dr. WEston Price an ESSENTIAL understanding of proper diet and nutrition.
It has also amazed me to find that a lot of recommendations in the book were quite familiar to me. As a child< i recall my diet to be filled with items from this book. The recommendations for proper nourishment are heavily focused around organ meats, fat fat and more fat, fat soluble vitamins, RAW dairy (milk, kefir, yogurt, cheese, butter etc) and fermented foods.
often use the book as a reference for my own nutritional guidelines
It has also amazed me to find that a lot of recommendations in the book were quite familiar to me. As a child< i recall my diet to be filled with items from this book. The recommendations for proper nourishment are heavily focused around organ meats, fat fat and more fat, fat soluble vitamins, RAW dairy (milk, kefir, yogurt, cheese, butter etc) and fermented foods.
often use the book as a reference for my own nutritional guidelines
February 13, 2017
Cure Tooth Decay makes a very strong case for how the modern, Western diet destroys our dental health and is leading to cavities and gum disease at younger and younger ages. Nagel presents the evidence as well as an alternative diet that is designed to re-nourish your body with the necessary vitamins and minerals to re-mineralize your teeth, make them stronger and healthier than ever, and even heal existing cavities.
This book is fascinating, illuminating, and sometimes horrifying (in the things it reveals about the practices of modern dentistry). Definitely a must-read for all. Particularly if you would like dentists to stop drilling holes in your teeth!
This book is fascinating, illuminating, and sometimes horrifying (in the things it reveals about the practices of modern dentistry). Definitely a must-read for all. Particularly if you would like dentists to stop drilling holes in your teeth!
December 11, 2012
This book has a wealth of information regarding healing and preventing tooth decay. Using these practices we stopped decay in one of my son's baby teeth that hadn't formed properly. He had a very large spot that was discolored and going soft--it is hard and shiny now. My own oral health has improved as well. Many of the recommendations in the book will support overall health, too, and can be incorporated into long term habits. Most recommendations are dietary such as avoiding grains (if tooth decay is present), avoiding sugar and too much fruit, and including foods rich in tooth building nutrients like raw milk, organ meats, bone broth and cod liver oil. Not all recommendations need to be followed, you can customize to suit your needs.
He also discusses the problems with conventional dental treatments, which can be very enlightening to those unaware of how dangerous the toxic dental materials are. It will really inspire you to take care of your and your children's teeth! Overall the book is more hopeful--knowing you can prevent or stop decay--but a little depressing if you've been living with health problems as a result of toxic dental materials in your mouth.
I wish this book could have contained more info on the things he discusses, only because I want to know the whys and hows about everything, but then the book would have been an encyclopedia. I guess that's what references are for--and he includes quite a number of those.
He also discusses the problems with conventional dental treatments, which can be very enlightening to those unaware of how dangerous the toxic dental materials are. It will really inspire you to take care of your and your children's teeth! Overall the book is more hopeful--knowing you can prevent or stop decay--but a little depressing if you've been living with health problems as a result of toxic dental materials in your mouth.
I wish this book could have contained more info on the things he discusses, only because I want to know the whys and hows about everything, but then the book would have been an encyclopedia. I guess that's what references are for--and he includes quite a number of those.
August 3, 2011
One of many books on diet controlled diseases that really helps. Others helpful (keywords, concepts) are: Weston Price, failsafe diet, Dr. Robert F. Cathcart, Dr.MyHill, paleo diet, raw food.
What I would like:
Have ten pages alternative to this redundant and verbose book, with the same essential content.
Plus replacing testimonial on the cover that the person who could not afford root canal could afford recommended in the book, by a realistic estimate of income threshold you have to have to be able to afford such nutrition, in the city, long term.
I can afford root canal now and then, but can't afford such food.
But anyway, following Weston Price recommendations - as close as affordable - helps.
Spoiler alert! paragraph, skip if you like:
Eat unprocessed food, mostly animal based, not only muscles, a lot of fat, and Blue Ice Royal Gel as a vitamin supplement. Food is not from ordinary supermarket, not even organic - free range fed poultry and eggs, grass fed dairy (raw, if it's not prohibited in your country), grass fed animal meat.
What I didn't like:
Book is full of red flags - for me. Still, clean healthy food is healthy, skim the book and try to get better within your means.
What I would like:
Have ten pages alternative to this redundant and verbose book, with the same essential content.
Plus replacing testimonial on the cover that the person who could not afford root canal could afford recommended in the book, by a realistic estimate of income threshold you have to have to be able to afford such nutrition, in the city, long term.
I can afford root canal now and then, but can't afford such food.
But anyway, following Weston Price recommendations - as close as affordable - helps.
Spoiler alert! paragraph, skip if you like:
Eat unprocessed food, mostly animal based, not only muscles, a lot of fat, and Blue Ice Royal Gel as a vitamin supplement. Food is not from ordinary supermarket, not even organic - free range fed poultry and eggs, grass fed dairy (raw, if it's not prohibited in your country), grass fed animal meat.
What I didn't like:
Book is full of red flags - for me. Still, clean healthy food is healthy, skim the book and try to get better within your means.
June 11, 2011
I bought this because my husbands family has notoriously BAD teeth. His parents have an astonishing number of root canals. I know tooth and gun health is directly related to diet and while my husband's diet is profoundly better than his parents, he's starting to have a few problems.
This book basically will turn your world upside down. My husband has bought the government line that fat is evil and whole grains are the holy grail. This book will explain why pretty much the opposite is true when it comes to holistic tooth and gum health.
You will learn which fats are critical to your health, the proper way to prepare whole grains, if you bother to eat them after reading this book, and the best products to use on your teeth for long term health.
Making some of these changes will be very difficult for my husband, as he has trained himself well. I'm determined to make them though, because of the long term benefits of maintaining healthy teeth, and it is cheaper than extensive dental work.
This book basically will turn your world upside down. My husband has bought the government line that fat is evil and whole grains are the holy grail. This book will explain why pretty much the opposite is true when it comes to holistic tooth and gum health.
You will learn which fats are critical to your health, the proper way to prepare whole grains, if you bother to eat them after reading this book, and the best products to use on your teeth for long term health.
Making some of these changes will be very difficult for my husband, as he has trained himself well. I'm determined to make them though, because of the long term benefits of maintaining healthy teeth, and it is cheaper than extensive dental work.
August 24, 2012
This book was an eye opener on the importance of fat soluble vitamins such as vitamine A and D. It gives great insight how our food effect our teeth and bones; also how blood sugar and hormones can either help aid in restoring our teeth or can cause them to decay. The reason I am giving Nagel's book 4 stars instead of 5 is the fact that some of his diet recommendation are a little on the extreme. Seriously, liver and organ meat 2-3 times a day?! Yeah that's not going happen, especially when most animals are highly toxic from what we feed them. He also believes that xylitol is not good for teeth; which I'm not totally sold on either.
He's a huge advocate for fermented cod liver oil and royal butter. Cod liver oil is the greatest natural source of of fat soluble vitamins A and D, not to mention Omega 3,6,7, & 9. Just recently I have been taking it, as well as my mom and we have noticed some pleasant results.
He's a huge advocate for fermented cod liver oil and royal butter. Cod liver oil is the greatest natural source of of fat soluble vitamins A and D, not to mention Omega 3,6,7, & 9. Just recently I have been taking it, as well as my mom and we have noticed some pleasant results.
December 2, 2014
This book opened our eyes to see another approach in dealing with cavities and tooth decay. After going to the dentist, we were surprised to find the number of cavities in our children's teeth especially when they do not eat candy or drink sugary drinks.
We were surprised to find that they were deficient in teeth and bone building block ingredients and that the natural sugars found in fruits though good for them could still contribute to tooth decay.
At our last dental appointment, we spoke to our dentist and asked if he would allow us to experiment with the holistic approach found in the book. We are going to try and give this approach for three to four months and visit our dentist again and see if it works. As recommended in the book, we have been "enjoying" Blue Ice brand fermented cod liver oil and high-vitamin butter oil as well as grass fed raw cows milk. We shall see...
We were surprised to find that they were deficient in teeth and bone building block ingredients and that the natural sugars found in fruits though good for them could still contribute to tooth decay.
At our last dental appointment, we spoke to our dentist and asked if he would allow us to experiment with the holistic approach found in the book. We are going to try and give this approach for three to four months and visit our dentist again and see if it works. As recommended in the book, we have been "enjoying" Blue Ice brand fermented cod liver oil and high-vitamin butter oil as well as grass fed raw cows milk. We shall see...
February 27, 2011
Well-researched, nicely organized study of the true causes of tooth decay. Nagal says "with few exceptions, modern dentistry is an inhumane system." I never really thought of it that way, especially not until recent personal questions popped up and after reading this book. The dietary principles are extreme, taking traditional food to a perhaps new level even. Even having a good background in traditional foods, this was still an eye-opening read.
January 17, 2025
Absolutely fabulous book. An essential, in my opinion, for all households to read. I utilized the protocol several years ago to heal a cavity and recently decided to RE read the book. The book is a great source of information about prevention as much as healing. Must read for those with little children and those TYC.
June 30, 2009
I learned so much from this book. There were a lot of "a-ha!" moments of things that just made sense to me. I'm not going to change my diet to the level that he suggests, but we have made some great improvements since then. The Logan library has it.
February 11, 2009
This book has revolutionized how I look at dental health and helped me make a lot of dietary changes. It was very empowering and helpful to me.
September 27, 2024
“While conventional dentistry believes that it is the carbohydrate factor of the food sticking to teeth that causes cavities, in reality it is the changes of the blood chemistry that cause tooth decay from sugar” (53). “Saliva has a basic pH and will neutralize acids in the mouth rather rapidly. The digestive enzymes in our saliva rapidly dissolve carbohydrates in our mouths” (158). “Money seems to make many dentists forget that not every cavity needs a treatment since it might remineralize and heal” (137). “Soft leathery decay probably cannot be remineralized, but all of the other types of tooth decay can be remineralized” (152). The author recommends filling big cavities (154) but attempting to heal small cavities using diet, based on Weston Price’s findings of primitive people who have perfect teeth despite no brushing, flossing, or visits to the dentist or orthodontist. When the primitives began eating modern foods regularly, their dental health worsened.
Native Swiss diet: soured rye bread, summer cheese, fresh goat/cow milk; butter, vegetables, barley, bone broth soup. Combining vitamin C and calcium-rich dairy with the bread “protected them against any residual grain toxins left in their bread” (70). Meat was eaten once a week (14). Despite this, the author advises eating meat with every meal (93).
Scottish Outer Hebrides diet: oats, barley, fish, including head and liver (17). Despite this, the author says oats are horrible for dental health and should be avoided (27, 63, 66).
Aboriginal diet: roots, stems, leaves, berries, seeds, pea, kangaroo, wallaby, rodents, insects, beetles, grubs, fish, birds, birds’ eggs (21-22). They had “perfectly developed jaws for untold generations until they changed their diet” to that of the white man (171).
“In general, the better the nutrition of the individual throughout life, beginning from before conception, the wider the dental arches (the upper and lower jaws) will be. Wider arches mean wider, rounder faces that we subconsciously associate with both robust health and natural attractiveness. These qualities can influence how one chooses a partner who will likely be a successful mother with excellent reproductive capacities, since generally a wide dental arch indicates the pelvic brim will also be spacious enough to ensure easier births” (169-170). See the book “Healing Our Children’ for more information.
“Female dogs that were fed a good diet during pregnancy had puppies that even when given a poor diet, were highly immune to cavities because they had been born with well-built teeth. When female dogs were fed a poor diet during pregnancy, and their puppies were given a poor diet, the puppies usually formed cavities because the teeth were weak from brith” (205).
Nutrition advice:
30-70% of calories should be from fat (24). The best oils/fats: avocado, coconut, olive, palm, butter, & animal fat (87).
Avoid MSG and its other names: hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), textured protein, yeast extract, autolyzed plant protein, and anything with the word glutamate, or glutamic (88).
“If people stay off the sugar for seven days and consume adequate amounts of the good saturated fats, they lose their cravings for sugar and their tooth problems significantly improve” (xii).
He recommends these fruits which are supposedly low in sugar: green apple, pear, kiwi, berries (xii). Fruit is best eaten with fat, such as in yogurt or with cream (53). Vegetables should also be eaten with fat, like butter or cheese (62).
The only safe sweeteners are unheated honey, maple syrup, cane sugar, and fresh stevia herb. Stevia extract or overly processed stevia “will likely cause significant imbalances to your glandular system. Likewise do not use stevia that is stored in glycerin” (55). “Agave nectar is a high-fructose-containing food masquerading as a health food. It contains as much or more fructose as high fructose corn syrup” (57). “Fructose-containing sweeteners or sweeteners labeled as low glycemic may not raise your blood glucose level, but they do raise your blood fructose levels. The end result is an even deeper disturbance in your calcium and phosphorous balance than that caused by white sugar” (54).
Most important vitamins and minerals for healthy teeth: 4000-20,000 iu of fat-soluble A (from animal fats only), C, 1000-4000 iu of D, E, K, 1.5 grams of calcium, 2 grams of phosphorus, and Activator X (11, 22, 23, 26, 34, 38, 205). Synthetic vitamins are not as effective as from food (24). Many “calcium supplements contain forms of calcium that are not recognized by your body. Non-absorbable calcium raises blood calcium levels in an unhealthy way which can lead to excess calculus deposits” (51).
Larges doses of vitamin A can be toxic, but you can counteract it by getting enough sunlight or Vitamin D (34).
Dr. Percy Howe created tooth decay in guinea pigs by removing vitamin C from their diet, but not by feeding and inoculating them with bacteria associated with gum disease and tooth decay (8, 166). Antibiotics that kill bacteria don’t stop tooth decay, and antibacterial mouth rinses don’t prevent cavities (166).
“A ratio of 8.75mg of calcium per 100cc of blood, and 3.5mg of phosphorus per 100cc of blood, with normal blood sugar levels, creates immunity to tooth decay” (28).
Sources of Activator X: skate liver oil, bone marrow, fish eggs, grass-fed eggs, mustard and tomalley (innards) of crab and lobster; livers from goose/duck/animals that eat RGSG (rapidly growing summer grass); glands/intestines/blood from animals that eat RGSG; grass-fed butter/cream/cheese from goats/cows grazing on RGSG (38-39). Fish have moderate amounts of Activator X year round, but land animals only have good amounts of it in the summer (39). The best grasses for grazing are wheat and rye. “Pasteurization damages the butter’s quality, but it does not destroy Activator X. The store brands that seem to contain the highest activator X content are Kerrygold from Ireland and Anchor butter from NZ” (40). The author recommends the unsalted varieties.
Magnesium, copper, iron, and manganese are “necessary for the energy-production that allows the cleansing flow of the fluid through dentin tubules” (30). The book recommends avoiding the consumption of grains, nuts, seeds, and beans because they have phytic acid which can block the absorption of these minerals. If you do eat them, eat grains with dairy and vitamin-C foods (25 milligrams) (81). “Lentils without the bran are probably the safest beans to eat” (80). If you eat almonds, remove the skin (82).
Just one healthy meal a day was sufficient to prevent dental caries from forming (25-26):
4 oz tomato/orange juice
1 tsp of equal parts cod liver oil + high vitamin butter
1 pint stew of bone marrow, tender meat, yellow carrots, green vegetables -or- fish chowder -or- animal organs
Cooked fruit
Freshly ground whole wheat rolls with butter
2 glasses fresh whole milk
Potatoes are ok (65)
Eliminate white flour products, sugar, sweets
But of all the grains (including oats, corn, rye, barley, wheat, and rice), “white flour interferes the least with tooth mineralization” (66). “Any type of bread made with unbleached white flour will be low in phytic acid. Fermented sourdough bread is the ideal way to consume unbleached flour” (76).
“Experiments with sprouted grains showed that oats and corn that are first sprouted and then soured at room temperature for two days (thus eliminating large amounts of anti-nutrients) lost their ability to produce rickets. While germinated and then soured grains do not produce rickets, they do not create optimal bone growth unless there is sufficient vitamin D in the diet” (66-67). “Sprouting was more effective in rye, rice, millet and mung beans, removing about 50% of phytic acid, and not effective at all with oats. Soaking by itself for 16 hours at a constant 77 degrees typically removed 5-10% of the grain and bean phytic acid content. Soaking increased or did not reduce the phytic acid content of quinoa, sorghum, corn, oats, amaranth, wheat, mung beans and some seeds. . . . Even though soaking quinoa actually increased phytic acid contents, soaking and then cooking quinoa reduces its phytic acid levels by more than 61%. The same holds true for beans. Soaking and then cooking removes about 50% of phytic acid. With lentils this same procedure removes 76% of phytic acid. Roasting wheat, barley or green gram reduces phytic acid by about 40%. . . . In humid and warm storage conditions beans lost 65% of their phytic acid content” (68).
“Grain bran is high in insoluble fiber that your body cannot digest. This explains the usual indigenous practice to remove grain bran through sifting or other methods” (69). “If it was possible for cultures using these intensive methods of grain preparation to be healthy with less work, or to retain a higher yield by keeping the bran and the germ, I am certain they would have done so. I therefore believe these slow fermented and time-consuming ways of preparing grains, typically with the bran and germ removed, are the ones which will produce the greatest degree of health” (74).
Because brown rice contains bran, he advises choosing white rice with vitamin C-containing vegetables or fruit; the vitamin C disables the anti-iron phytate levels in rice (72). He says the healthiest rice he ate was partially milled (had streaks of bran) that had been soaked with a brown rice starter (73). “If you are not going to soak your rice with a phytase-rich starter, then choose white rice” (76). “In the ancient Vedic diet, rice would always be prepared with turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and other pungent spices which have a synergistic effect against rice anti-nutrients as well as enhance overall digestion” (120).
Phytic acid is in tofu as well. Eating too much tofu can cause your hair to fall out and your skin to turn pale, but fermented soy products, natural soy sauce, miso, and tempeh are okay (85).
To treat severe cavities:
Teen/adult dosage: .5 tsp cod liver oil & butter mixture 2-3 times a day, coming out to 1-1.5 tsp per day
For younger kids, adjust dosage based on weight:
25 lb - .25 tsp per day
35 - .33 tsp per day
45 lb - .5 tsp per day
55 lb - .66 tsp per day
“There is no evidence that too much animal fat and cholesterol in the diet promote atherosclerosis or heart attacks. . . . Your body produces three to four times more cholesterol than you eat” (32). See Www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm or The Cholesterol Myths by Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD.
Consuming a lot of meat and avoiding nuts/seeds/beans goes against the blue zones nutrition advice. I suspect that all this meat eating is good for the teeth but not for the lifespan. Eating meats causes inflammation in the body, which causes cancer if meat is consumed too frequently. Out of curiosity, I looked up the author’s cause of death of the author. Cancer at 44! I tried looking up Weston Price’s death too, but couldn’t find the cause.
“It is precisely due to the lack of fat-soluble vitamins and activators in the vegan diet that makes it difficult for vegans over time to remain immune to cavities and the effects of physical degeneration” (24).
“There are healthy vegetarian societies in the world, but this is not a common finding. When Weston Price did his field studies he could not locate even one traditional culture that was vegetarian. However Dr. Price did not travel to India. Village people in certain parts of India, following a carefully designed diet based upon ancient Ayurvedic knowledge, have what appears to be a low rate of tooth decay. Each part of their diet is carefully orchestrated including planting and harvesting in harmony with the moon cycles, special soil fertility practices, special combinations of vegetables to ensure mineral balance, absolutely no processed food of any sort, grains aged for one year and freshly ground, aged sugar, special spices to enhance digestion, herbs and berries such as amalaki to enhance the mineral content of the diet, complete avoidance of all nightshades, and perhaps the most potent and nutrient-dense dairy on the planet from the water-buffalo. The milk is also processed differently in accordance with the season. A rare few deeply spiritual and traditionally rooted societies have found ways to create enough mineral density in their diet to have a high resistance to tooth decay without relying upon animal flesh. This type of diet is very difficult to recreate in the U.S.” (102).
Other advice:
Knocked-out baby tooth - don’t perform a root canal. Reimplant it ASAP and use homeopathic remedies like arnica & hypericum (215)
Chipped baby teeth - small chips don’t need to be repaired. A more severe one can be repaired with bonding materials. If the nerve is exposed, don’t do a root canal. Use homeopathic calendula and have dentist use a dental base and composite materials to seal it (215)
“Breast milk provides protection from cavities, so night-time nursing does not cause or promote tooth decay” (218). “If the mother mistakenly and consistently feeds her child too much of the foremilk, which is sweet and lower in fat, then this could hypothetically create a body chemistry imbalance over time. Other factors, such as the mother not drinking enough fluids, or the intake of other inharmonious substances, can also cause imbalances in the breast milk” (219).
Close your baby’s mouth at night. “Breathing through the mouth when asleep is associated with a smaller jaw size, bed wetting, ear infections, heart disease, hypertension, and snoring” (220).
The harms of modern society & dentistry:
“High speed drilling creates high friction and raises the temperature of the tooth nerve causing irreversible nerve damage in 60% of cases. In addition, a negative vacuum pressure from the high speed shatters a portion of the fragile microscopic nutrient tubules within each tooth” (3).
Alzheimer’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, lupus, and some forms of arthritis all have one thing in common—mercury” (4). “Dentists who placed mercury fillings were called quaks (or quacks) after the old Dutch word for a noisy peddler selling mercury-containing ‘health’ potions and salves: Quacksalber” (3). “While less toxic [than mercury], white composite fillings made up of ground glass and plastic still cause immune reactions on average in 50% of patients” (4).
“‘Watch and wait’ used to be the way children’s cavities were treated. If the tooth got infected, the tooth was simply pulled out, and although that is not a pleasant procedure, it is short and quick. There was no drama about general anesthesia surgery, no metals placed in the child’s mouth, and plenty of patience in monitoring a little decay in a baby tooth” (198). “Since youth children’s bodies are immature and delicate, the administration of general anesthesia comes with the risk of death. . . . With adults the risk of death during dental surgery using anesthetics is extremely small. There is an approximate 35% risk of an adverse event (other than death) from general anesthesia on young children, which is about twice the risk for adults. Furthermore, recent experiments on lab rats have shown that anesthesia, when used while the brain is developing, causes neurodegeneration; that is, a degradation of the nerves that can lead to subtle but prolonged changes in behavior, including memory and learning impairments” (200). In a study of 481 children, ages 1-12, it was found that “82% of decayed baby teeth fell out without pain. 18% of children experienced pain their untreated teeth. The teeth most likely to cause pain were molars of children showing decay before the age of three years. Children who were older and developed cavities in their baby teeth were less likely to experience pain from the carious teeth” (203).
“A good dentist should confirm his diagnoses with a second perspective. this means that an x-ray image should not be exclusively relied upon to make the decision to drill. Other testing methods include probing with an examiner, visual inspection, or using electrical or ultrasound tools to test the strength and health of the tooth” (139).
“A high percentage of chronic degenerative disease can originate from root filled teeth. The most frequent were heart and circulatory diseases. The next most common diseases were those of the joints, arthritis and rheumatism” (140, quote from Dr. Meinig). “Not all root canals become infected and not all root canals cause health problems. the most recent studies of root canal success rates over five-and ten-year periods reveal a dismal 30-40%. During the time of Dr. Price, the rate of root canals that definitely had no observable side effects was 25%” (140). “A root canal is not usually needed with cracked teeth that can be bonded together or in the case of inflamed areas near a tooth that could be a gum infection, not a tooth infection. . . . If you have been told that you need a root canal but you do not feel any sort of pain, swelling, or inflammation, then you more than likely do not need this dental treatment” (143).
“Microwave ovens are the only cooking source that needs a shield. Yes, regular ovens have a heat shield, but you can still open them when they are operating and you will be fine. Studies show that microwaved food can pose a greater health risk than foods cooked by other conventional means” (118).
Instead of seeing an orthodontist, see an orthopedic orthodontist or functional orthodontist. Instead of forcing teeth to appear to be in alignment using braces, they focus “on the structure and alignment of the cranial bones, with the intent to align the jaw towards its normal developmental state” (177). “The wires in orthodontic appliances contain nickel and can cause personality changes such as a lack of affection and lowered intelligence. Homeopathic remedies for nickel poisoning can resolve this situation” (181).
Science:
“Pasteur’s ‘science’ has remained the status quo despite a large body of evidence showing that bacteria don’t invade people, but rather that they evolve and change based upon their environment” (5). “That bacteria are the cause of tooth cavities was adopted from Dr. Miller’s research but was never proven. In the 1940s at an International Association of Dental Research meeting the debate about the cause of cavities was put to an end. By the power of vote dr. Miller’s acid/bacterial theory was adopted as fact despite contradictory evidence and theories” (8). “Dr. Steinman’s rat studies showed that while bacteria produce acid, there is no correlation between acid produced by bacteria and the presence of tooth decay” (8).
“The tooth loses its mineral density first (lime salts), and then microorganisms can cause trouble” (7).
“There are different forms of fluoride, and the one put in drinking water is usually hydrofluosilicic acid. In 1986-1987, a study involving 39,207 children aged 5-17 showed no statistical difference in tooth decay from using non-fluoridated or fluoridated water. Several large scale studies worldwide show the same results. According to data published in the July 2009 Journal of the American Dental Association children’s cavity rates are similar whether the water is fluoridated or not. . . . Most of the fluoride used in water supplies is toxic waste from the fertilizer industry. . . . Fluoride is the major cause of brittle bones and teeth, and is responsible for causing mottled enamel, producing white, light gray or brown spots on teeth. . . . Fluoride may cause brain and kidney damage, a decrease in I.Q., and may cross the placental barrier in pregnant women. Water fluoridation has also been linked to cancer” (165). “A majority of Europe does not use water fluoridation and neither should we. . . . Fluoride has never been proven safe and effective” (166).
Native Swiss diet: soured rye bread, summer cheese, fresh goat/cow milk; butter, vegetables, barley, bone broth soup. Combining vitamin C and calcium-rich dairy with the bread “protected them against any residual grain toxins left in their bread” (70). Meat was eaten once a week (14). Despite this, the author advises eating meat with every meal (93).
Scottish Outer Hebrides diet: oats, barley, fish, including head and liver (17). Despite this, the author says oats are horrible for dental health and should be avoided (27, 63, 66).
Aboriginal diet: roots, stems, leaves, berries, seeds, pea, kangaroo, wallaby, rodents, insects, beetles, grubs, fish, birds, birds’ eggs (21-22). They had “perfectly developed jaws for untold generations until they changed their diet” to that of the white man (171).
“In general, the better the nutrition of the individual throughout life, beginning from before conception, the wider the dental arches (the upper and lower jaws) will be. Wider arches mean wider, rounder faces that we subconsciously associate with both robust health and natural attractiveness. These qualities can influence how one chooses a partner who will likely be a successful mother with excellent reproductive capacities, since generally a wide dental arch indicates the pelvic brim will also be spacious enough to ensure easier births” (169-170). See the book “Healing Our Children’ for more information.
“Female dogs that were fed a good diet during pregnancy had puppies that even when given a poor diet, were highly immune to cavities because they had been born with well-built teeth. When female dogs were fed a poor diet during pregnancy, and their puppies were given a poor diet, the puppies usually formed cavities because the teeth were weak from brith” (205).
Nutrition advice:
30-70% of calories should be from fat (24). The best oils/fats: avocado, coconut, olive, palm, butter, & animal fat (87).
Avoid MSG and its other names: hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), textured protein, yeast extract, autolyzed plant protein, and anything with the word glutamate, or glutamic (88).
“If people stay off the sugar for seven days and consume adequate amounts of the good saturated fats, they lose their cravings for sugar and their tooth problems significantly improve” (xii).
He recommends these fruits which are supposedly low in sugar: green apple, pear, kiwi, berries (xii). Fruit is best eaten with fat, such as in yogurt or with cream (53). Vegetables should also be eaten with fat, like butter or cheese (62).
The only safe sweeteners are unheated honey, maple syrup, cane sugar, and fresh stevia herb. Stevia extract or overly processed stevia “will likely cause significant imbalances to your glandular system. Likewise do not use stevia that is stored in glycerin” (55). “Agave nectar is a high-fructose-containing food masquerading as a health food. It contains as much or more fructose as high fructose corn syrup” (57). “Fructose-containing sweeteners or sweeteners labeled as low glycemic may not raise your blood glucose level, but they do raise your blood fructose levels. The end result is an even deeper disturbance in your calcium and phosphorous balance than that caused by white sugar” (54).
Most important vitamins and minerals for healthy teeth: 4000-20,000 iu of fat-soluble A (from animal fats only), C, 1000-4000 iu of D, E, K, 1.5 grams of calcium, 2 grams of phosphorus, and Activator X (11, 22, 23, 26, 34, 38, 205). Synthetic vitamins are not as effective as from food (24). Many “calcium supplements contain forms of calcium that are not recognized by your body. Non-absorbable calcium raises blood calcium levels in an unhealthy way which can lead to excess calculus deposits” (51).
Larges doses of vitamin A can be toxic, but you can counteract it by getting enough sunlight or Vitamin D (34).
Dr. Percy Howe created tooth decay in guinea pigs by removing vitamin C from their diet, but not by feeding and inoculating them with bacteria associated with gum disease and tooth decay (8, 166). Antibiotics that kill bacteria don’t stop tooth decay, and antibacterial mouth rinses don’t prevent cavities (166).
“A ratio of 8.75mg of calcium per 100cc of blood, and 3.5mg of phosphorus per 100cc of blood, with normal blood sugar levels, creates immunity to tooth decay” (28).
Sources of Activator X: skate liver oil, bone marrow, fish eggs, grass-fed eggs, mustard and tomalley (innards) of crab and lobster; livers from goose/duck/animals that eat RGSG (rapidly growing summer grass); glands/intestines/blood from animals that eat RGSG; grass-fed butter/cream/cheese from goats/cows grazing on RGSG (38-39). Fish have moderate amounts of Activator X year round, but land animals only have good amounts of it in the summer (39). The best grasses for grazing are wheat and rye. “Pasteurization damages the butter’s quality, but it does not destroy Activator X. The store brands that seem to contain the highest activator X content are Kerrygold from Ireland and Anchor butter from NZ” (40). The author recommends the unsalted varieties.
Magnesium, copper, iron, and manganese are “necessary for the energy-production that allows the cleansing flow of the fluid through dentin tubules” (30). The book recommends avoiding the consumption of grains, nuts, seeds, and beans because they have phytic acid which can block the absorption of these minerals. If you do eat them, eat grains with dairy and vitamin-C foods (25 milligrams) (81). “Lentils without the bran are probably the safest beans to eat” (80). If you eat almonds, remove the skin (82).
Just one healthy meal a day was sufficient to prevent dental caries from forming (25-26):
4 oz tomato/orange juice
1 tsp of equal parts cod liver oil + high vitamin butter
1 pint stew of bone marrow, tender meat, yellow carrots, green vegetables -or- fish chowder -or- animal organs
Cooked fruit
Freshly ground whole wheat rolls with butter
2 glasses fresh whole milk
Potatoes are ok (65)
Eliminate white flour products, sugar, sweets
But of all the grains (including oats, corn, rye, barley, wheat, and rice), “white flour interferes the least with tooth mineralization” (66). “Any type of bread made with unbleached white flour will be low in phytic acid. Fermented sourdough bread is the ideal way to consume unbleached flour” (76).
“Experiments with sprouted grains showed that oats and corn that are first sprouted and then soured at room temperature for two days (thus eliminating large amounts of anti-nutrients) lost their ability to produce rickets. While germinated and then soured grains do not produce rickets, they do not create optimal bone growth unless there is sufficient vitamin D in the diet” (66-67). “Sprouting was more effective in rye, rice, millet and mung beans, removing about 50% of phytic acid, and not effective at all with oats. Soaking by itself for 16 hours at a constant 77 degrees typically removed 5-10% of the grain and bean phytic acid content. Soaking increased or did not reduce the phytic acid content of quinoa, sorghum, corn, oats, amaranth, wheat, mung beans and some seeds. . . . Even though soaking quinoa actually increased phytic acid contents, soaking and then cooking quinoa reduces its phytic acid levels by more than 61%. The same holds true for beans. Soaking and then cooking removes about 50% of phytic acid. With lentils this same procedure removes 76% of phytic acid. Roasting wheat, barley or green gram reduces phytic acid by about 40%. . . . In humid and warm storage conditions beans lost 65% of their phytic acid content” (68).
“Grain bran is high in insoluble fiber that your body cannot digest. This explains the usual indigenous practice to remove grain bran through sifting or other methods” (69). “If it was possible for cultures using these intensive methods of grain preparation to be healthy with less work, or to retain a higher yield by keeping the bran and the germ, I am certain they would have done so. I therefore believe these slow fermented and time-consuming ways of preparing grains, typically with the bran and germ removed, are the ones which will produce the greatest degree of health” (74).
Because brown rice contains bran, he advises choosing white rice with vitamin C-containing vegetables or fruit; the vitamin C disables the anti-iron phytate levels in rice (72). He says the healthiest rice he ate was partially milled (had streaks of bran) that had been soaked with a brown rice starter (73). “If you are not going to soak your rice with a phytase-rich starter, then choose white rice” (76). “In the ancient Vedic diet, rice would always be prepared with turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and other pungent spices which have a synergistic effect against rice anti-nutrients as well as enhance overall digestion” (120).
Phytic acid is in tofu as well. Eating too much tofu can cause your hair to fall out and your skin to turn pale, but fermented soy products, natural soy sauce, miso, and tempeh are okay (85).
To treat severe cavities:
Teen/adult dosage: .5 tsp cod liver oil & butter mixture 2-3 times a day, coming out to 1-1.5 tsp per day
For younger kids, adjust dosage based on weight:
25 lb - .25 tsp per day
35 - .33 tsp per day
45 lb - .5 tsp per day
55 lb - .66 tsp per day
“There is no evidence that too much animal fat and cholesterol in the diet promote atherosclerosis or heart attacks. . . . Your body produces three to four times more cholesterol than you eat” (32). See Www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm or The Cholesterol Myths by Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD.
Consuming a lot of meat and avoiding nuts/seeds/beans goes against the blue zones nutrition advice. I suspect that all this meat eating is good for the teeth but not for the lifespan. Eating meats causes inflammation in the body, which causes cancer if meat is consumed too frequently. Out of curiosity, I looked up the author’s cause of death of the author. Cancer at 44! I tried looking up Weston Price’s death too, but couldn’t find the cause.
“It is precisely due to the lack of fat-soluble vitamins and activators in the vegan diet that makes it difficult for vegans over time to remain immune to cavities and the effects of physical degeneration” (24).
“There are healthy vegetarian societies in the world, but this is not a common finding. When Weston Price did his field studies he could not locate even one traditional culture that was vegetarian. However Dr. Price did not travel to India. Village people in certain parts of India, following a carefully designed diet based upon ancient Ayurvedic knowledge, have what appears to be a low rate of tooth decay. Each part of their diet is carefully orchestrated including planting and harvesting in harmony with the moon cycles, special soil fertility practices, special combinations of vegetables to ensure mineral balance, absolutely no processed food of any sort, grains aged for one year and freshly ground, aged sugar, special spices to enhance digestion, herbs and berries such as amalaki to enhance the mineral content of the diet, complete avoidance of all nightshades, and perhaps the most potent and nutrient-dense dairy on the planet from the water-buffalo. The milk is also processed differently in accordance with the season. A rare few deeply spiritual and traditionally rooted societies have found ways to create enough mineral density in their diet to have a high resistance to tooth decay without relying upon animal flesh. This type of diet is very difficult to recreate in the U.S.” (102).
Other advice:
Knocked-out baby tooth - don’t perform a root canal. Reimplant it ASAP and use homeopathic remedies like arnica & hypericum (215)
Chipped baby teeth - small chips don’t need to be repaired. A more severe one can be repaired with bonding materials. If the nerve is exposed, don’t do a root canal. Use homeopathic calendula and have dentist use a dental base and composite materials to seal it (215)
“Breast milk provides protection from cavities, so night-time nursing does not cause or promote tooth decay” (218). “If the mother mistakenly and consistently feeds her child too much of the foremilk, which is sweet and lower in fat, then this could hypothetically create a body chemistry imbalance over time. Other factors, such as the mother not drinking enough fluids, or the intake of other inharmonious substances, can also cause imbalances in the breast milk” (219).
Close your baby’s mouth at night. “Breathing through the mouth when asleep is associated with a smaller jaw size, bed wetting, ear infections, heart disease, hypertension, and snoring” (220).
The harms of modern society & dentistry:
“High speed drilling creates high friction and raises the temperature of the tooth nerve causing irreversible nerve damage in 60% of cases. In addition, a negative vacuum pressure from the high speed shatters a portion of the fragile microscopic nutrient tubules within each tooth” (3).
Alzheimer’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, lupus, and some forms of arthritis all have one thing in common—mercury” (4). “Dentists who placed mercury fillings were called quaks (or quacks) after the old Dutch word for a noisy peddler selling mercury-containing ‘health’ potions and salves: Quacksalber” (3). “While less toxic [than mercury], white composite fillings made up of ground glass and plastic still cause immune reactions on average in 50% of patients” (4).
“‘Watch and wait’ used to be the way children’s cavities were treated. If the tooth got infected, the tooth was simply pulled out, and although that is not a pleasant procedure, it is short and quick. There was no drama about general anesthesia surgery, no metals placed in the child’s mouth, and plenty of patience in monitoring a little decay in a baby tooth” (198). “Since youth children’s bodies are immature and delicate, the administration of general anesthesia comes with the risk of death. . . . With adults the risk of death during dental surgery using anesthetics is extremely small. There is an approximate 35% risk of an adverse event (other than death) from general anesthesia on young children, which is about twice the risk for adults. Furthermore, recent experiments on lab rats have shown that anesthesia, when used while the brain is developing, causes neurodegeneration; that is, a degradation of the nerves that can lead to subtle but prolonged changes in behavior, including memory and learning impairments” (200). In a study of 481 children, ages 1-12, it was found that “82% of decayed baby teeth fell out without pain. 18% of children experienced pain their untreated teeth. The teeth most likely to cause pain were molars of children showing decay before the age of three years. Children who were older and developed cavities in their baby teeth were less likely to experience pain from the carious teeth” (203).
“A good dentist should confirm his diagnoses with a second perspective. this means that an x-ray image should not be exclusively relied upon to make the decision to drill. Other testing methods include probing with an examiner, visual inspection, or using electrical or ultrasound tools to test the strength and health of the tooth” (139).
“A high percentage of chronic degenerative disease can originate from root filled teeth. The most frequent were heart and circulatory diseases. The next most common diseases were those of the joints, arthritis and rheumatism” (140, quote from Dr. Meinig). “Not all root canals become infected and not all root canals cause health problems. the most recent studies of root canal success rates over five-and ten-year periods reveal a dismal 30-40%. During the time of Dr. Price, the rate of root canals that definitely had no observable side effects was 25%” (140). “A root canal is not usually needed with cracked teeth that can be bonded together or in the case of inflamed areas near a tooth that could be a gum infection, not a tooth infection. . . . If you have been told that you need a root canal but you do not feel any sort of pain, swelling, or inflammation, then you more than likely do not need this dental treatment” (143).
“Microwave ovens are the only cooking source that needs a shield. Yes, regular ovens have a heat shield, but you can still open them when they are operating and you will be fine. Studies show that microwaved food can pose a greater health risk than foods cooked by other conventional means” (118).
Instead of seeing an orthodontist, see an orthopedic orthodontist or functional orthodontist. Instead of forcing teeth to appear to be in alignment using braces, they focus “on the structure and alignment of the cranial bones, with the intent to align the jaw towards its normal developmental state” (177). “The wires in orthodontic appliances contain nickel and can cause personality changes such as a lack of affection and lowered intelligence. Homeopathic remedies for nickel poisoning can resolve this situation” (181).
Science:
“Pasteur’s ‘science’ has remained the status quo despite a large body of evidence showing that bacteria don’t invade people, but rather that they evolve and change based upon their environment” (5). “That bacteria are the cause of tooth cavities was adopted from Dr. Miller’s research but was never proven. In the 1940s at an International Association of Dental Research meeting the debate about the cause of cavities was put to an end. By the power of vote dr. Miller’s acid/bacterial theory was adopted as fact despite contradictory evidence and theories” (8). “Dr. Steinman’s rat studies showed that while bacteria produce acid, there is no correlation between acid produced by bacteria and the presence of tooth decay” (8).
“The tooth loses its mineral density first (lime salts), and then microorganisms can cause trouble” (7).
“There are different forms of fluoride, and the one put in drinking water is usually hydrofluosilicic acid. In 1986-1987, a study involving 39,207 children aged 5-17 showed no statistical difference in tooth decay from using non-fluoridated or fluoridated water. Several large scale studies worldwide show the same results. According to data published in the July 2009 Journal of the American Dental Association children’s cavity rates are similar whether the water is fluoridated or not. . . . Most of the fluoride used in water supplies is toxic waste from the fertilizer industry. . . . Fluoride is the major cause of brittle bones and teeth, and is responsible for causing mottled enamel, producing white, light gray or brown spots on teeth. . . . Fluoride may cause brain and kidney damage, a decrease in I.Q., and may cross the placental barrier in pregnant women. Water fluoridation has also been linked to cancer” (165). “A majority of Europe does not use water fluoridation and neither should we. . . . Fluoride has never been proven safe and effective” (166).
December 21, 2017
The protocols for supposedly demineralize tooth decay suggest a person should consume large amounts of meat, dairy and fat (grass fed), but to avoid plant foods, since they contain toxins. Grains, beans, seeds, nuts, even vegetables are downgraded. Mr. Nagel tells the reader not to worry if he can't eat too many vegetables, they are not important, and will only cause stomach discomfort.
This doesn't only sound ridiculous, but the evidence and references he provides lack credibility and are being chery picked. Or they simply aren't there.
For example, to prove that whole grain is bad for teeth, Mr. Nagel refers to a study where guinea pigs are fed whole wheat grains exclusively and after the 24th day they developed scurvy. Therefore, no one should consume whole grain, as they'll get scurvy. I feel I don't need to comment that obviously grain doesn't contain vit C and ANYONE who EXCLUSIVELY consumes ONE type of food for so long will get not only scurvy, but many other problems as well.
The studies of Dr. Price that are being summarized are credible, however they were done long ago and in an environment that does not correspond to today.
I am sure that changing ones diet from junk food of French fries, hamburgers and hot dogs to grass fed meat and dairy will definitely improve one's health and teeth. However consuming low fiber, high protein and high-fat will contribute to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. There are numerous human clinical studies, lasting 10, 20, even 50 years that support this.
I will not be taking the risk to try this protocol, and I do not recommend this book.
This doesn't only sound ridiculous, but the evidence and references he provides lack credibility and are being chery picked. Or they simply aren't there.
For example, to prove that whole grain is bad for teeth, Mr. Nagel refers to a study where guinea pigs are fed whole wheat grains exclusively and after the 24th day they developed scurvy. Therefore, no one should consume whole grain, as they'll get scurvy. I feel I don't need to comment that obviously grain doesn't contain vit C and ANYONE who EXCLUSIVELY consumes ONE type of food for so long will get not only scurvy, but many other problems as well.
The studies of Dr. Price that are being summarized are credible, however they were done long ago and in an environment that does not correspond to today.
I am sure that changing ones diet from junk food of French fries, hamburgers and hot dogs to grass fed meat and dairy will definitely improve one's health and teeth. However consuming low fiber, high protein and high-fat will contribute to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. There are numerous human clinical studies, lasting 10, 20, even 50 years that support this.
I will not be taking the risk to try this protocol, and I do not recommend this book.
October 15, 2019
"The first modern researcher to take a careful look at the health and eating habits of isolated traditional societies was a dentist, Dr. Weston Price. During the 1930's, Dr. Price traveled the world over to observe population groups untouched by civilization, living entirely on local foods. While the diets of these peoples differed in many particulars, they contained several factors in common. Almost without exception, the groups he studied ate liberally of seafood or other animal proteins and fats in the form of organ meats and dairy products; they valued animal fats as absolutely necessary to good health; and they ate fats, meats, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains in their whole, unrefined state. All primitive diets contained some raw foods, of both animal and vegetable origin. Dr. Price found fourteen groups—from isolated Irish and Swiss, from Eskimos to Africans—in which almost every member of the tribe or village enjoyed superb health. They were free of chronic disease, dental decay and mental illness; they were strong, sturdy and attractive; and they produced healthy children with ease, generation after generation."
February 8, 2013
Good information in a not-so-great writing style. Reviews the biochemistry involved with food nutrients, and goes in to the dubious history of the American Dental world which was really irreputable. Glosses over (but does mention) some other useful techniques like oil-pulling. A really good reference to keep around - especially for parents with children who have cavities.
March 18, 2016
Absolutely amazing book. It gives all the foods you need to eat to heal your tooth naturally. It demystifies all the myths about tooth Decay. And trust me, most of the stuff you know about tooth is wrong.
I recommend all the people (with or without tooth decay) to read this book.
"Prevention is better than cure"!!
I recommend all the people (with or without tooth decay) to read this book.
"Prevention is better than cure"!!
February 1, 2010
It was interesting; I think he is on the right track. I plan to share this book with my nephew who is studying to be a dentist. If some traditional dentists were interested in reviewing this book, I would be most interested in what they had to say.
February 9, 2017
A lot of interesting information but the regime seems very complicated, extreme, expensive, and hard to implement. I tried it for over a month and then finally quit because it was giving me increasingly bad TMJ pain.
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