CAN I REVERSE TOOTH DECAY?

Do you regularly brush and still get cavities?
You barely eat sugar and still can’t seem to avoid tooth decay?
Are your children showing signs of tooth decay?

You are not alone!

I suffered from teeth issues from my early teens into my twenties. No matter how much I brushed, whether I flossed or not, what toothpaste or mouthwash I used, there was no avoiding cavities, fillings, root canals and eventually extraction. It was devastating. And confusing. What was I doing wrong?

And more than anything else, how could I stop it?

Reversing the tooth decay didn’t even occur to me at that time.

I asked every dentist I visited—and there were quite a few—about how to put a stop to it but never really received a satisfactory answer. I was told to maintain ‘proper oral hygiene’ and that was it. It was as if there couldn’t be another reason. But there was! And boy, was I relieved to find it. Alhamdulillah!

The root of the problem is simpler than you think.

WHAT REALLY CAUSES TOOTH DECAY?

Have you ever looked at the pictures of people from remote cultures and wondered about their brilliant smiles and perfect teeth despite having no access to modern dentistry?

Well, there is a reason. Their diet!

There is plenty of evidence showing that diet has a direct impact on oral health, and in some cases, it has shown to reverse cavities.

Looking back at my own situation, this makes perfect sense. Once I became more health conscious and started maintaining a healthier lifestyle, my oral concerns automatically disappeared.

Dr. Weston A. Price, a dentist, found examples of cultures with similar genetic backgrounds with some eating primitive type diets and others a modernized diet. He found that many primitive cultures were able to avoid tooth decay and many modern oral health concerns, which was not the case with those eating modern diet.

The bottom line is this…

Nutrition plays a direct, and major role in oral health, especially these three factors:

1. Diet rich in minerals.
2. Diet rich in fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K).
3. Are the nutrients that the person is consuming bio-available; and how well is the body absorbing them.

THE SECRET DESTROYER – PHYTIC ACID

Phytic acid is the principal storage form of phosphorus in many plant tissues, especially bran and seeds. It is not easily absorbed by humans and animals with one stomach. Not only does phytic acid block the availability of phosphorus, it binds with other minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc, making them unavailable for the body as well.

Those who consume high amounts of phytic acid will lose calcium and absorb other minerals at lower rates.

Modern farming uses phosphorus fertilizer, which results in high phytic acid content in many foods. Seeds, nuts, bran, oatmeal, and soybeans are especially high in phytic acid, and these foods are present in abundance in modern diet.

What do you think this would do to the bone and teeth health?

Over a long time, high levels of phytates and lack of minerals in the diet wreak havoc on the body. It causes the metabolism to go down and the body goes into mineral-starvation mode. Adults may get by for years on a high-phytate diet, but growing children can really suffer. Their bodies are malnourished and this results in poor bone growth, rickets, abnormal jaw structure, tooth decay, anemia and even neurodevelopmental disorders.

THE GOOD NEWS

The good news is that teeth and even bones, can be re-mineralized and healed. Specialized cells in the center of the tooth are able to regenerate the layer of tooth (dentin) just under the enamel, and the enamel can then properly remineralize from outside. The same happens to the bones when phytic acid is removed from the diet and minerals/fat soluble vitamins are added.

To prove this theory, a study was conducted on children with existing cavities and its findings published in the British Medical Journal. The children were put into three groups:

1. Regular diet plus oatmeal (which is high in phytic acid)
2. Regular diet plus vitamin D
3. Diet low in phytic acid plus vitamin D

The findings were interesting to say the least:

The group consuming low phytic acid diet and supplementing Vitamin D showed very few new cavities and even had many existing cavities heal!

THIS IS HOW YOU CAN REVERSE TOOTH DECAY

1. Have enough minerals in the diet (plenty of raw vegetables & fruits).
2. Have enough fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) in the diet.
3. How bio-available these nutrients are and how well the body is absorbing them.
   This is largely influenced by the presence of Phytic Acid in the diet.

Does that mean you cannot have ANY foods containing Phytic Acid?

No. There are ways of reducing Phytic Acid content from foods such as soaking and fermenting. Nuts have a high Phytic Acid content which can be greatly reduced by soaking the nuts in salt or lemon water overnight before use. Grains are less harmful when used soaked, sprouted, and fermented.

DIET TO HELP HEAL CAVITIES

1. Drastically remove, or better yet, completely eliminate phytic acid from your diet. This includes grains, beans, and nuts.
2. Limit intake of sugar, even natural starches. This includes fruits and starchy vegetables like potatoes.
3. Increase mineral-rich foods in your diet such as colorful vegetables, bone broth, meats, and healthy fats. Eat a lot of healthy fats such as olive oil, flax seed oil, coconut oil, pure butter.

Eating well alone won’t suffice. You still healthy oral hygiene habits.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?

• Use remineralizing toothpastes or toothpowder. (See REMINERALIZING TOOTHPASTE RECIPES)
• Use homemade mineral-rich mouthwash
  Dissolve a tablespoon each of calcium and magnesium powders in 1 cup of water. Use daily to help provide minerals and keep the mouth alkaline. Make a new batch every few days.
• Brush your teeth with activated charcoal every few days, or use activated charcoal toothpaste.
• Use natural toothbrush / toothstick / miswak. It is a growing trend in the Western world but has been in use in the Arab & African world for centuries. (See NATURAL TOOTHBRUSH; WHAT’S ALL THE HYPE ABOUT?)
• Use high quality toothbrush with a shape and bristle strength best suited for you. It is best to consult a Naturopath or Holistic Dentist.
• Many people have used oil pulling to help support tooth and gum health. (See OIL PULLING; DOES IT REALLY WORK?)

What do you think?

Would you try re-mineralizing your teeth?

Have you healed a cavity before?