In June 2017, I received the bad news that I had once again another cavity. My second one in fact. My teeth used to be perfect, flawless even – and now I’m getting lectures from dentists even though my lifestyle hadn’t changed at all. If anything, I was healthier than I was years ago. Saddened, I left the dentists office in tears. I’m terrified of needles to the point where I stress myself out just thinking about them. I didn’t think I could go through this again and I kept wondering why this was even happening at all. I set out in search of answers.
Days and days of searching online and in books I came to the realization that you can in fact remineralize teeth. It’s possible. Nails grow, bones heal, so why can’t teeth? During my research, I discovered many other people had thought the same thing and there were actual reports from people claiming they had remineralized their teeth and their cavities were healed. A change in diet and added supplements seemed to be the biggest successor in healing cavities. Many health problems, not just cavities, arise because of diets high in grains and sugar – even though grains are on the food pyramid! I figured, why not give this diet a try! I had nothing to lose. I made a pact to myself that if in 6 months I would return to the dentist for my next teeth cleaning, if the cavity wasn’t healed by then – I would have it filled.
A look into the diet and supplements…
My new lifestyle consisted mainly of the paleo diet – a grain free, sugar free, raw dairy, grass-fed product – diet. In other words, eat like a caveman. I tried the paleo diet a few years ago briefly and found it very expensive and hard to find the right products, so I basically gave up. Now, the paleo diet has become more popular, although the products are not any less expensive, they are certainly easier to obtain.
The supplement I began taking was a Fermented Cod Liver and Butter Oil Blend. This unique supplement claims to have all the vitamins I needed – A, D, and K. Gelatin and phosphorous rich foods are also encouraged. Bone Broth is a good source for gelatin instead of taking additional supplements for it and when I say phosphorous rich foods, I mean pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds. I also read that fluoride and glycerin containing toothpaste wasn’t ideal for healing cavities. So I bought Redmond Toothpaste – no fluoride and NO glycerin! Each day I would make sure to stick to the paleo diet the best I could. Then at the end the day I would take a 1/2 tablespoon – tablespoon of the Oil Blend.
Mornings were tough at first, as I loved my high sugar cereals. I knew that had to change, so I switched to eggs or paleo breakfast products such as Birch Benders and fruit or meat. I would try to put bone broth in my daily eggs to try and get some of that gelatin I needed. Raw dairy was more hard to come by, but I learned that Kefir and full fat dairy products were just as good as raw. I made sure to stay away from low-fat with a lot of preservatives and ingredients I couldn’t pronounce. Grass-fed meat products are recommended with the paleo diet as well. You don’t want to be eating grains on this diet, ergo you probably don’t want meat that has eaten grains in their previous life to go into your system unintentionally.
Foods not allowed: Grains (obviously), dairy, soy, peanuts, legumes, sugar, potatoes, vegetable oils, flour…
Some tricks and substitutes I discovered along the way…
Up above, I gave you a little insight into the small changes I made to get the vitamins and proteins I needed. Many adjustments weren’t as easy, but I made a point to find a substitute for everything. I ordered the majority of my ingredients and snacks from Thrive Market. Thrive Market made it so easy and not as expensive as going to a physical grocery store for many paleo related foods. I also went to farmers markets every week to get fresh produce and veggies. They say grass-fed meat is recommended, but I really couldn’t afford it – so I scratched that rule out. If you crave pasta, make zucchini noodles. If you love rice, try cauliflower rice. Sugar addicted? Use raw honey or pure maple syrup. Cooking oil, use coconut oil. And lastly, for flour you may use almond or coconut flour. Baking and cooking your favorite foods doesn’t have to change that much, there are so many alternatives to still make your favorite dishes. You just need to find the patience and the time to try.
The Paleo diet doesn’t mean you can’t go out to eat or drink with your friends. It is possible to ask for substitutes. I love burgers, so order then on lettuce or without the bun completely – they are still just as good! I love fries, too – but I love sweet potato fries now even more. As far as alcohol, don’t have anything that is made with potatoes or high in sugar (yes that means vodka!). My go to drink now is a “No-Cal Margarita”. Tequila, lime juice, and club soda – it tastes just like a skinny margarita.
So, now that I have exhausted just a tid bit of information about the diet and supplements, let’s hear the results!
It didn’t work. I went to the dentist – I told them everything I was doing to heal it. They said there was no change. It didn’t look worse, but it didn’t look better either. For over 6 months, I had been battling myself and this cavity. I thought I could heal it, but what I did wasn’t enough. Maybe I wasn’t strict enough (I know I wasn’t!), or maybe I wasn’t lucky enough. Either way, I can honestly say I don’t regret any of it. I would do the same thing over again if I could. Changing my lifestyle didn’t heal my cavity, but I healed myself in other ways. I haven’t felt this good in my whole life. I feel more energized, more confident in my body. Oh, and I lost 10 pounds doing it! My perspective on food and way of life has completely changed. I will never go back to the way I was. Paleo is who I am now and I am proud of it.
For anyone considering to heal a cavity, lose weight, or just change their lifestyle – try the Paleo diet. What do you have to lose?
Update: I had my cavity filled this week. No Novocain = No Needles. It didn’t even hurt. And now I can stop stressing about it!
With Love & Gratitude **
Crystal
Ive been struggling with my teeth too.. my gums bleed when I brush.. I had a toothache a few weeks ago, and for a bit I switched to homemade tooth powder, brushed several times a day, and rinsed with salt water.. it helped the toothache, but my gums stopped bleeding! Then I got the source of the toothache repaired, went back to my regular toothpaste, and my gums started bleeding again.. guess what I don’t use anymore?
That’s very interesting. I forgot to mention in my post (I should fix that), I rinse with coconut oil every morning. The method is called “oil pulling” and it’s known to help sensitivity and gingivitis. That could be something you could try, too. Some people, such as yourself, can’t use regular store bought toothpaste with fluoride. Another option is finding toothpaste with calcium carbonate. I hope this helps and good luck in your journey!
Interesting! I never even considered the health of my teeth to be related to my diet! Great suggestions!
I had a couple of small cavities that healed. My dentist is very conservative, and she just watches them when they are small to see if your body will heal them. I make bone broth weekly (through the winter, haven’t been lately because it’s hot) and also use a lot of coconut oil. I also make my own yogurt that I eat daily for some extra probiotics. I’m not sure if any of those are what helped, but I’ve not had to get any fillings on the cavities that were on watch. I have a couple of spots that are still on watch but looking better. I wish I had been with this dentist years ago.
That dentist sounds amazing. I’ve never been to one that says I don’t need them filled. I know cavities can heal on their own, but traditional doctors and dentists don’t believe it – or want to admit it. I do have bone broth in anything I can put it in. Usually, I mix the bone broth in my scrambled eggs in the morning. I take probiotics for other health reasons and rinse with coconut oil everyday. I also take Fermented Cod Liver Oil mixed with Butter Oil 3 times a day! I just need to stay away from sugar.