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I have never had many dental problems. In fact, overall, I’ve been pretty fortunate as far as my teeth are concerned. I have only had two cavities so only have two fillings.
Over the years my dentists’ have commented how fortunate I was to have so few cavities. That comment is almost always followed by something on the order of “I bet you had fluoride in your water.”
Yes I did.
Until recently I was super happy that I was fortunate enough to live in a town that fluoridated the water. After all, look how wonderful my teeth turned out. They were practically cavity free and, according to every dentist, very strong.
Then a few years ago I started reading about the problem with adding fluoride to the water. I have to say that I was surprised that something I had always thought to be a “good thing” and essential for good dental health wasn’t what I had been led to believe.
Spending a few minutes reading at Fluoride Action Network shows some disturbing risks from swallowing fluoride including bone problems, stomach problems, infertility in men, diabetes, cancer and more.
When my children were young we did not live in place with fluoride added to the water but because of my ‘excellent’ experience with fluoride water (and because I didn’t know any better) they had fluoride drops as infants, fluoride tablets when older, used fluoride toothpaste and had a fluoride treatment twice a year at the dentist. They still had cavities.
When we started learning about the dangers of fluoride we stopped all of it. We had also changed our diet around that same time to a real/whole/traditional foods style of eating. Since that time we have had very few cavities in comparison.
A couple of years ago my ‘perfect’ teeth began having problems. I started having a pain in one of them occasionally when I would bite down on something. My new dentist (we had just moved to Wyoming) said I had a very small crack in my tooth. I was surprised and told him I’d always had excellent teeth. Then he said the same thing I’d always heard in response to my excellent teeth “I bet you had fluoride in your water.”
Apparently the fluoride in the water that helps children have strong teeth can backfire as an adult. My teeth are now brittle. From that first little crack things have went downhill. I’ve ended up with several chipped teeth and now have not one but two teeth with cracks in them. My dentist had been hesitant to do anything so we have been in a ‘wait and see’ mode.
Last month my dentist retired. A new dentist took over his practice. The new dentist says we should no longer wait and see. The crack in one of my teeth has become much worse. The pain when I chew happens much more often and I’ve even been experiencing some sensitivity to cold.
The new dentist would like to put a temporary crown on my tooth. He would leave it there for several weeks and see if the problems stop. If not he wants to do a root canal. Yikes. I do not want a crown. I certainly do not want a root canal since those also carry their own problems. He says that without the crown there is a good chance I will bite down on something and the tooth will completely fall apart. And since I have cracked teeth on both sides of my mouth I can’t avoid chewing in the affected area.
Essentially, my teeth are falling apart.
I am also concerned that if my teeth are so brittle are my bones also as brittle?
My Plan
I do not plan to move forward with the temporary crown at this time.
Instead I’m going to read again a couple of books available from Amazon Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston A. Price again. While I don’t recall anything specific about brittle teeth in there, it is a good reminder of what I should be eating and what I should not. I hate to admit that sometimes the “should not” items happen more than they should.
Also, Cure Tooth Decay by Ramiel Nagel. I had borrowed this book from a friend a couple of years ago but think it is time to get my own copy. This article (from a website about the book) talks about cracks in teeth. In all honesty, it doesn’t sound good for me when reading it. But a crown and root canal doesn’t sound good either!
I’m also trying to be diligent about taking my cod liver oil. I have a jar (cod liver/butter oil) in the fridge but I often forget about taking it. In fact, until the dentist said ‘root canal’ I hadn’t had any for a couple of months. I sure wish it tasted better. I ordered chocolate flavored last time and that was a mistake!
I’m going to focus on drinking more raw milk. Raw milk from cows on grass contains calcium of a higher quality. My goal is a quart of milk each day. Not just for my teeth but also for my bones.
Avoiding non-soaked bread items is also something I am doing. I can’t explain this but biting down on bread causes the most tooth pain for me. The worst pain I’ve had (it lasted for days) was the result of eating a hamburger and I am sure it was from the bun not anything else. Nagel recommends avoiding all flour and grain products (along with several other things).
Hopefully my children did not receive enough fluoride over the years to end up with the problems I now have.
Have you tried repairing or remineralizing teeth? I’d love to for you to share your results.
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Photo Credits: Tough Teeth, Tooth
Your plan sounds great. Keep us posted on your results. Here’s hoping you’ll be a testimonial for curing tooth decay!
Hi Eileen,
I hope I will be a testimonial also! I was pretty discouraged after leaving the dentist when he said the crown was my only option. I hope to prove him wrong!
I’m so sorry, Millie! I think I’ve told you that I’ve remineralized my son B’s teeth as well as my own, even filling in chips. I’ve noticed lately some sensitivity and I’m thinking that’s because I’ve been out of good-quality, pastured butter for a while.
Hi Laurie,
I didn’t realize that you had fixed chips. I thought cavities. You were actually my inspiration when I told Joe that I was trying other things. 🙂
B had cavities. One of my front teeth had kind of split horizontally on the back side and chipped off.
That is wonderful to hear. You give me hope Laurie!
Hey Millie…I this will encourage you to really stick with your plan. And I know FCLO/BO blend isn’t very good…washing it down with a little coffee is the best route for me, but it works. I have a tooth that had a hole in the side of it, right next to my front tooth. We used to joke that since we live in Arkansas I fit right in! 🙂 When it got so big that people started pointing out that I had something in my teeth, I went to the dentist. He wanted to fill it, but since I wanted to have a mercury amalgam out, he said he’d like to do that first. So I went home and more than doubled up on the FCLO/BO blend and began taking a heaping teaspoon (I had taken 1/2 teaspoon for years). I also increased my consumption of bone broth, making sure I got a good serving every day, and raw milk. I also read that calcium uptake is dependent on saturated fat, so I started adding coconut oil to literally everything, spooning it into all my food. After about a year the hole filled! It’s not totally gone, but I can’t feel it from the inside anymore, and it doesn’t show as a black speck between my teeth anymore either. My teeth have been healthier, and they even feel stronger. My dentist said with a wink, “Teeth don’t remineralize. At least that’s what they told us in dental school.” But he was clearly pleased to see the smaller hole!
Wonderful NancyO!
I hope to repeat your results. I thought about bone broth. During the winter we do have lots of broth but this time of year… argh. Thank you for the info on the saturated fat.
what is that you mention fclo/bo?
Hi Sharri,
FCLO is Fermented Cod Liver Oil
BO is Butter Oil
The two work together. I wanted to link you to an article on the Weston A. Price Foundation site but I can’t access their site. Go to westonaprice.org and search for cod liver oil to read more.
For the FCO/BO blend, I stick a knife in, and use my front teeth to scrape it off the knife. With the lump behind my teeth, I quickly drink something to swallow it. I treat it like a pill, sort of. I don’t taste it at all, other than a faint cinnamon after taste.
Good luck remineralizing.
Thanks Michelle! I’ve been trying it with a knife also. Next time I will order the Cinnamon Tingle. I’ve had that before it really wasn’t bad. The chocolate is another story. 🙂
Would the capsules work as well? And do you use the Green Pasture’s brand? It sure is expensive!!
Hi Judy,
I haven’t tried the capsules. I suspect they would as long as combined with a good amount of high quality butter. I do use Green Pasture. Yes! It is expensive. We were fortunate to do a group buy which did drop the cost but it is still a chunk of money.
Yikes. I have teeth issues too, but mostly gums. I think I have dairy issues. I am going to make a tooth powder this coming week – maybe we can compare notes :). Hang in there. Big hug!
Hi Adrienne,
You hang in there also! I’d love to hear about your tooth powder.
I’m 50 now but when I was younger and getting my second teeth, they crumbled. I was told it was because of the combination of well water and the medication Bactrim(?spell) given to me to treat ear infection. But I do
remember being given fluoride a lot.I have a partial plate and lots of fillings and have had several root canals. My teeth are stable now but I’ve spent my life in the dentist chair it seems. I’m lucky tho that I haven’t had to have false teeth.
Hi Sarah,
I’m glad to hear that your tooth are doing okay now. I know that up until now I’ve been very fortunate not to have any dental problems. False teeth is a not a road I want to go down!
Since turning 40 my teeth have begun cracking. I also had very few cavities growing up. My water was not fluoridated when I was a child, but I moved to another city at 19. I lived there 30 years and I believe the water there had fluoride in it. 4 of my molars have now cracked. 2 have root canals (which I now regret getting), all in all I now have 4 spaces in my mouth. I am interested to see your journey regarding your cracked teeth. I am trying to save the teeth I have left from cracking.
Hi Linda,
My molars are the problem also. When it was just one I would chew hard things on the other side. But now with the other side affected it is not easy! One thing that I need to also do that I didn’t mention in the post is to remember to wear my night guard. I grind at night. It used to be worse and I would have jaw pain. Now it isn’t as bad but I do think it might help. I hope that you can save your teeth also!
Thanks for sharing! Have you also heard about oil pulling? It is spose to be great for healing gums and detoxifying. Also I have heard about swishing wheat grass. Also has some healing properties.
Hi Sarah,
I have heard of oil pulling. I was considering trying that. I haven’t heard about swishing wheat grass. I’ll check that out. Thank you!
Vitamin K is the X-factor Weston Price found in butter, it along with magnesium and saturated fats are necessary to deposit calcium into bones and teeth. Raw cheese is a good source for vitamin K, magnesium gel or Epsom salt soaks help raise magnesium levels.
Excellent information Nancy. Thank you!
Over the past few months my sister has suffered rapid tooth decay issues. Yellowing, cracked teeth, holes, chipped enamel, sensitivity to most tooth paste and mouth washes (even organic ones). Can’t use a regular toothbrush, must floss and use a rag. Before this she had no problem brushing her teeth and used to rinse everyday with peroxide to whiten. She eats very healthy.Do you have any advice I can pass on to her. It’s so bad she’s becoming insecure about smiling or talking to people. Thanks
Nelle, that is horrible. I’m sorry but I really don’t know much. You might want to take a look at this website that goes with the book by Rami Nagel. I hope your sister can find a solution.
Peroxide is not a good thing to use daily for brushing teeth, rinsing, whitening, etc. according to my Bio-logical Dentist. Yes, it’s in the whitening gels, but it’s not to be used on a daily basis! Equal parts salt, baking soda, and xylitol with a few drops of peppermint essential oil makes an excellent teeth cleaner and oral rinse. Toothpastes with glycerine contribute to plaque formation, also. Making your own is the way to go. Sometimes I add an equal amount of coconut oil for more of a paste like product, either way is fine, just don’t use the peroxide daily!
Oh Millie! I hate teeth problems. I am sure you will be able to heal that tooth! It sounds like you have the right books and you’re on the right path so I’m crossing my fingers for you!
Thanks Starlene.
I will be following your progress as I too have 2 molars, one on each side that are missing big chucks that have exposed amalgam fillings. I don’t have dental insurance so going to a dentist at this point is out of the question. However I am reading “Cure Tooth Decay” and want to start the protocol that you are on. Am praying that it works as I too don’t agree with root canals or crowns. Thank you for your post.
Hi Susette,
Ugh. I hope you can find help with the protocol also!
We found that just adding fermented cod liver oil and butter and eating less sugar and starch wasn’t enough for us. It stopped the degradation, but didn’t heal it. Now we’re making sure to have enough servings of raw dairy and bone broth and fermented food, as well. Time will tell.
Thanks for sharing your experience so far. Are you focusing on any specific fermented food?
HI, boy I sure wish I had found this 8 months ago, I had so many cracks and alot of pain , I figured I should get it taken care of before we move back to PA from humid lovin florida. 6,000.00 later . so now I need to find out how to keep safe from all the root canal and crowns I have on now. looking forward to reading more of these replys , and exploring your site, thank you sharri
Good luck! I’ve had a receding gum line for the past few years (blamed on years of braces). A dentist told me my only option for repair was graphing tissue from the roof of my mouth over the receding areas and that may or may not permanently fix the problem. No thank you. After researching, I started oil pulling with organic unrefined coconut oil. A few weeks later, my gums seemed not so red. Further into it, the receding stopped. I’ve only been doing this for about 8 months, but *hopefully* we’ll reach a stage of regrowth one day.
Hi, I just had to comment since I just started using magnesium oil and did tons of research on magnesium chloride. Magnesium is what we need for our teeth. We also brush with a homemade toothpaste which has clay in it, said to remineralize your teeth. Do a search on these things and best wishes to you.
Hi Maryjo,
I didn’t realize the mag oil would help my teeth. I’ve been using it for other reasons so that is good to know that it might help. What kind of clay is in the toothpaste?
Hi Millie,
This is the clay we use. We use it internally and orally for detoxing and as a mineral supplement too. I love it for headaches!!
http://www.buttercuppuppies.com/info-natural-wonders-ionic-colloidal-clay.html
We have remineralized using FCLO (cinnamon tingle is our favorite) and skate oil which has the same factor as the butter oil for getting the work done. Low, grain consumption, lots of good fats, and bone broth was all really helpful. I really liked the cells salts Calc Phos and Silicea for getting certain nutrients as well. We also consume a large cup of raw milk kefir every day which seems to help greatly. Good luck, I hope your grow on you!
Hi Katherine,
I haven’t heard about the cells salts. I’ll have to look into that. Thank you for the info!
Millie,
Were you able to remineralize the broken tooth? Please post your updates.
I think that my cracked teeth in the back are doing better. I don’t have pain as often when biting down. But it’s not yet fixed. I haven’t been as focused as I intended to be with the cod liver oil and the milk. I do think the new toothpaste I’m using is helping. I’m using Earthpaste from Redmond’s. I hope to have a better update in the next month or two.
Ive been dealing with teeth cracking and going bad for awhile. Recently had an abscess turn to bad infection, went and got antibiotics, they didnt work, but messed up my stomach really bad, so bad I had to stop it. Stopping it made the infection grow again. The pain was unimaginable! I literally wanted to die. I tried hmany things. Saltwater good, peroxide good, but then I found dmso. its a miracle! I used a gel, not even pharmaceutical grade, opened the amoxicillin and mixed well with 50 percent dmso/distilled water. It worked right away with no bad reaction. I find dmso alone works fpr pain, but mixing with antibiotic killed the infection in a matter of few days. Diet is most important. Everything said above is soooo important about how you eat. But for pain and infection, dmso.
Just wanted to add, dmso itself is not dangerous, but anything in the dmso or on you where you apply it will enter your blood stream immediately. You have to be overly clean, and you should research it before using.
HI there, I am late in learning all this stuff, am just ordering the fclo,I use coconut oil now , I eat real butter , drink raw milk. I am not sure I understand,, root canals are bad, which sorry to say I have had 4,what else can you do ??? thanks ahead for any and all advise, trying to learn and stay away from drs. and dentists.
That’s interesting.
I was given fluoride as a child because it was the recommended thing to do in the 80’s, and i also always had great teeth as a child.
My problems with my teeth started when i was 22 and pregnant with my son, i thought the baby was taking all my calcium and that was the problem, but after reading this i wonder if it didn’t have to do with the fluoride all the time.
I have now had 5 root canals in the past 5 years, two of them were teeth that “fell appart” while eating very soft foods which i subsequently had root canalled. I have one tooth right now that i knew i was supposed to get a root canal for, but due to restrictions on my dental plan was trying to wait until January. Apparently i should not have put it off as it fell apart the other day leaving an exposed nerve and I am now in a lot of pain with two accounting exams coming up this week which really sucks… Dentist has perscribed pain killers and antibiotics, but after 2 full days i still don’t have much relief.
to top it all off, my second last tooth on the other side chipped (ON THE SAME DAY) and is also causing pain when i eat, so both sides are sore and I have been cursing my teeth more and more as the year’s go by, tooth pain is seriously frustrating and comes with major dental bills. I am trying to increase my calcium intake to prevent further decay, but i feel that i will be in full dentures by the time i’m 50 (if that). Very upsetting. Is there anyone we can sue over the whole fluoride thing? lol
My grandmothers teeth were the same way. While we were on vacation she chipped her tooth and had to see the dentist immediately. However her bones are healthy it is just her teeth that are bad. Thanks for sharing .
I will be sure too keep brushing and flossing.
do you have an update on this? I am just now seeing it and wondered how it worked?
I wish there was a way to make fish oil more tolerable. I take the capsules but the taste in my mouth is horrible.