★★★★★
This system builds, nourishes, and cleanses—or potentially contaminates—the tooth on a daily basis. The correct interaction and chemistry of nutrients and elements through an appropriate diet and herbs → health. Incorrect diet, smoking, etc. → bacteria and decay.
All living tissues, whether healthy or diseased, change daily, growing or deteriorating under the influence of favorable and unfavorable foods, herbs, etc. This includes bacteria.
- Essential fatty acids: Omega-3s (EPA and DHA) reduce systemic and gum inflammation, protect gum tissue, reduce bleeding, and protect against gum disease (periodontitis).
- Fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, and seeds: essential nutrients and natural plaque scrubbers. They leave less residue and are generally easier to clean from the teeth.
- Processed, sugary, oily, and animal-based foods leave greater residue, create toxins, and produce acids: enamel demineralization → decay (cavities); plaque → bacterial growth and infection → periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease and related dental concerns:
- Gum sensitivity to hot and cold foods and drinks.
- Gingivitis: red, swollen, bleeding gums.
- Pyorrhea: inflammation of the gums → pockets, abscesses, bleeding, pus, persistent bad breath (halitosis), and loose, distended teeth.
- Coffee (acidic) → enamel erosion and irritation of the tooth nerves → sensitivity and pain.
- Vitamin C deficiency → bleeding gums. Smoking depletes vitamin C, poisons oral tissues, and dries the mouth → gum infection and recession.
Best prevention and care:
- A good diet.
- Regular flossing and brushing with a soft-bristled toothbrush.
- Ayurvedic or naturopathic toothpaste and mouthwash.
- A water flosser after meals.
- Saltwater gargling (antiseptic) for cuts on the tongue or in the mouth.
- Oil pulling: gargle 1 tablespoon of coconut oil (antibacterial and anti-inflammatory) with a few drops of neem oil (antibiotic, antiseptic, and antibacterial) for 15–20 minutes. This reduces bacteria, plaque, and pain and helps prevent decay, bleeding gums, infections, pyorrhea, and gingivitis. Do not swallow.
- Clove oil (antibiotic and numbs the nerves): gargle 3–5 drops mixed with 1 teaspoon of a carrier oil, such as coconut or olive oil.
- Licorice root extract (antimicrobial) and triphala: reduce dental plaque and harmful oral bacteria.
- Dentist: regular visits, cleanings, and treatment have advantages and disadvantages.
- Fillings often lead to a cycle of more fillings, crowns, root canals, extractions, and implants.
- Root canals can fail within 5–20 years → persistent infection and bone loss around the tooth.
- Posts in cracked teeth: a temporary fix.
- Implants: generally the best, most practical choice, but they require diligent care, regular cleaning, a good diet, etc., to avoid bacterial infection.
- Hard, crunchy foods, such as nuts, candy, cookies, and chips, increase chewing and grinding, potentially weakening repaired teeth or harming low-density bone.
Theory and practice. The proof is in the pudding.
Case History #45 — 2014. I had not seen a dentist in five years. For the previous two years, I had profuse bleeding and seriously bad breath. Additionally, two old crowns on root canals broke off, and there appeared to be severe decay in my front teeth. I went to a dentist, who extracted five teeth and diagnosed severe periodontal disease. He stated that I needed gum surgery ($1,600) before he could treat the decay because of the excessive bleeding. He also said that my front teeth were loose and I would likely lose all of them—he was right. All of this freaked me out. I did not trust him and decided against surgery.
What to do? Implants were a possibility, but they were highly expensive ($3,000–$6,000 per tooth). I did nothing, became seriously depressed and withdrawn, and did not smile for a year. After researching dentists and dental implants online, I found Dr. Marco Munoz Cavallini International Dental Clinic in Costa Rica. I went there and received excellent treatment, care, and state-of-the-art technology at a substantially lower price. They provided free airport pickup, arranged a stay at their hotel, and included breakfast at their restaurant.
- Two teeth extracted: no charge with an implant.
- Three bone grafts: $900.
- One root canal: $450.
- Five implants: $600 per implant screw.
- Six zirconium crowns: $450 each.
- Super cleaning: $50. No decay or gum surgery.
In 2019 and 2021, I returned to Costa Rica, with the same dentistry and hotel prices. Five teeth with root canals → extractions → implants.
Case History #46 — 2023. I returned to Costa Rica. After having six teeth extracted and five implants placed due to failing root canals, I was in severe pain for two weeks, requiring 800 mg of ibuprofen every four hours. Surprisingly, the pain finally disappeared when I changed my diet from vegan to lacto-vegetarian, incorporating Swiss cheese.
Just about every root canal I had after 2014 failed within a year.
Case History #47 — 2026. At age 74, I experienced severe pain in my bottom front teeth and a rear implant two to three times per day. The pain was triggered by hot or cold foods or drinks. The eighth night was the most severe, with pain lasting two hours. I tried various remedies, including ibuprofen and herbs, but none provided relief. I then gargled 1 tablespoon of coconut oil mixed with 6 drops of neem oil for 15 minutes, which eliminated all pain.
Since then, I have had occasional inflammation, pain, and sensitivity, ranging from mild to extreme, due to poor diet. “It tastes so good yet hurts so bad.” I easily correct these flare-ups by gargling with the mixture described above and then adjusting my diet to include more nuts and seeds, which are high in essential fatty acids, for a week or more, depending on the severity. Now, two months later, I have no pain or inflammation. My gums have also grown significantly stronger, with fewer pockets where bacteria can gather.
While I do not know how long this relief will last, I am acting on my own beliefs. If my symptoms worsen, I will consult a dentist. Meanwhile, I will continue these practices and maintain a healthy diet, as other conventional remedies haven't worked for me. This is how I am learning to be my own expert.
The vast majority of tooth, gum, and root infections are caused by harmful oral bacteria that accumulate in pockets around the teeth. These bacteria continuously feed on dietary sugars to survive and multiply. While a healthy diet and targeted herbs can eliminate the bacteria and relieve pain, reinfection can occur if poor dietary habits resume.
My name is Richard Heft. I was a licensed Acupuncture Physician in Florida (1992–2002), a nutritionist, herbalist, and cooking teacher, also skilled in Ayurveda and Western Naturopathy. I was also the owner and operator of Food and Thought health food store in Florida (1984–2001). I questioned and counseled many people over the years, always asking, “What did you eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the last two days?” This resulted in the majority of the 50-plus case histories cited in my book, The Complete Guide to Natural Healing, East and West, Western Naturopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda.
Dental Implant
In ur eyes on awakening..
go to washroom dab water on a cloth or paper towel
Rub eyes gently..
it works for me..
good luck!
Dental Health Reader Feedback
General Feedback
Teeth Straighteners
★★★★★
As we get older our smile changes because our teeth change. Our gumline naturally starts to recede due to advanced aging. I've never had a perfect smile like many people even though I've had braces and retainers when I was young and even when I was over 40yrs to correct this but they went back to what they were. I've had an overbite with gaps in my teeth. When I mentioned this to my dentist in Key West he told me the truth, it's going to get worse. So I had to decide what to do. Now I kept one of my retainers that one of my dentists used to correct my problem which I wore at night, however he retired and none of my other dentists wanted to be bothered with is. They wanted me to buy Invisalign, very expensive and painful from what I hear. Besides I couldn't afford the Invisalign and all the appointments. So I decided to go to Amazon to see what was there. For two years not much but then I hit the jackpot.
It's a product sold by Yumilux Store. These are sold under "Mouthguards for teeth straightening and grinding. Teeth brace/Home use. The costs right now is $22.99 and it comes in a pack of three which you do at different stages. This product is AMAZING!! It's just what I was looking for with NO DENTIST VISTS and VERY low cost! It's worth a look if you know someone who needs braces. It's probably not for extreme overcrowding but people with slight overcrowding have used it and are happy with it. It's going up in price as higher demand means higher price. I just ordered a second set because they're also the best mouth guards you can get. When I'm ready to move onto the next guard, I wear it during the day so my mouth can get used to it but I've never had any pain. It also moves your bottom teeth to correct your bite which my other devices never did. My dentists only concentrated on my front 6 teeth and not the others, so I ended up with headaches due to wrong bite and bottom teeth pushing my front teeth right back out. This mouth brace takes care of that. I gave it an excellent review on Amazon ending with "I will never have a perfect smile but I will have a better one" Good luck to anyone who uses this technique, it's been great for me.
Acclean Chlorhexidine Gluconate
This is recommended by my dentist but it is expensive. Is there some over the counter product that would serve the same purpose.
Thank you!
Borax
Cracked Tooth Remedies
Borax
★★★★★
Re-Mineralize
Borax
★★★★★
I have several dental issues, broken and cracked teeth and cavities and receding gums
I tried baking soda and bentonite clay powder and nothing seemed to help it it just got worse
I started to put some borax on my tooth brush and started brushing my teeth and gums
It seems to be working my teeth feel so clean and my gums don't hurt and my receding gums seem to be better
I plan to continue using borax brush my teeth and I think in 30 days I should have some very positive results
★★★★★
I'm not sure if this counts as cheating because I'm using a big-brand toothpaste that contains charcoal. Mostly because it's marked as "Enamel safe" and it's a reputable brand, so I figure it probably won't harm my teeth.
But yeah, honestly it's great. I used to have to use alcohol and tea tree oil mouthwash but I don't even need to anymore because this toothpaste not only removes as much or more plaque than any other toothpaste I've used, but also seems to remove bacteria too.
I don't think there's anything super special about this particular toothpaste other than it's high quality, "enamel safe" and by a good brand. It's also pretty dark so I think there's a fair bit of charcoal in there.
All the best, everyone! :)
Edit -- Even baking soda toothpaste seems to work great for me. So yah. I guess the abrasion alone is enough.
General Feedback
https://archive.org/details/good-teeth-from-birth-to-death-judd/mode/2up
make sure you don't use Google to look for this book. I used Duck Duck Go.
Re-Mineralize
Cracked Tooth Remedies
★★★★★
I'm a long time earthclinic user and I am suffering from a cracked molar tooth, but no longer! I'm currently out of town and needed some natural remedy to get buy, well thank You Lord that I found it. After using peroxide and baking soda mixed with sensodyne for a few weeks I needed something more powerful. I think I have found it.
I soak the side of my mouth and jaw with a spoon of olive oil and a drop or two of oregano oil. I understand that it is somewhat like oil pulling. Please be advised cracked teeth can easily lead to infections in other parts of Your body.
I do this after every mean after brushing my teeth with sensodyne. Sometime I also take some colloidal silver orally and also in the adjacent ear. I'm also using Ibuprofen 400mg at least twice a day. You can also make an oregano oil rub for Your jaw outside, and also put it on the bottom of Your feet, the other location where the blood turns around in the circulation.
As long as I stay away from sugar, especially sweet drinks, I am pleased to report that I am living relatively pain free. I do plan to have the tooth extracted, but I'm praying for a miracle, and maybe the tooth can die safely and at that point my body would push the tooth out itself.
★★★★★
Vitamin D3, Vitamin K2
★★★★★
TAKE VITAMIN D3 (5,000iu) PLUS vitamin k2 (mk-7) (50mcg). These 2 vitamins will remove calcium from the blood and deposit it into the body and teethbones. That way your teethbones will, at least, be strengthen against acid.
Bone Loss
Diatomaceous Earth
★★★★★
DE has a negative charge and all the bad stuff (plaque, tartar, and bad bacteria) has a positive charge. The bad stuff is attracted to the DE and gets whisked right off the teeth and tongue.
Also my teeth are as white or maybe more than the commercial teeth bleach gets them. Same principle--the DE just pulls the stains right off. I have also filled a bleaching tray or tooth guard with mud made with DE and water and worn it while I showered. It pulls the bacteria from under the gum line and leaves your gums so healthy without the abrasive brushing.
Toothpaste Soak
Soap, Baking Soda, Eucalyptus Oil
Re-Mineralize
Re-Mineralize
Re-Mineralize
Natural Disinfection
I have my own Ozone medial system that is the same that you will find in any hospital. To do joint things, I have go to Georgia because Tn will not allow any doctor to use Ozone. A few years ago, there was a Dentist in Franklin that used Ozone as you describe. Now she is gone. Our country has become totally corrupt. We are in the last stages of Rome. Our worthless money tells us that. I just happen too have a toe sack full of pre '64 silver coins........ a dime is worth $1.64, a quarter is worth $4.11. A 2020 dime is worth $.10 and a 2020 quarter is worth $.25. How did that happen? One is money and the other is currency. There is a difference.
====ORH====
Natural Disinfection
He uses Ozone to sterilize any tooth or cavity before filling or crowning. It also helps relieve sensitivity, as he's applied it to the exterior of a couple of other teeth.
Not sure whether you'd need to contact him for a source, but you can search Indianapolis + dentistry and probably find the clinic...south side of Indy, close to Southport Rd.
Resources
★★★★★
Bone Loss
http://www.rexresearch.com/judd/goodteeth.pdf
Bone Loss
Mama's Tooth Experiment
Coconut oil should be good and is probably the most common one to use for most health issues. I feel like I have read about sesame oil being specifically helpful for teeth issues, but it doesn't mean that coconut oil would not be good.
Yes, I will pray that you can save your teeth!
Keep us posted...
~Mama to Many~
Mama's Tooth Experiment
Thanks for your prompt reply. I am taking cal, mag, vit k d3 and c. I have not taken Baron. I will try though. I also started baking soda salt pepper mint oil brushing, also rince my mouth with Hydrogen peroxide. And oil pulling. But I am using organic coconut oil. Is that ok. Also please pray for me that I can save my teeth.
General Feedback
Baking Soda, Kosher Salt, Peroxide
Try oil pulling to tighten your loose gum issue. Look up the instructions on this site. It might be worth a try. Good luck to you!
Mama's Tooth Experiment
I think I would try gently oil pulling with organic sesame oil for 5 minutes a couple of times a day.
Cod liver oil supplements are also popular for building up the teeth, but I have no experience with it, but would look in to it if it seemed necessary.
Are you getting plenty of nutrients, especially a good balance of calcium, magnesium, boron, vitamin k, d and c?
I am sorry you are having this trouble! I have taken my teeth rather for granted for a long time and now that I am 50 I am seeing that they need some extra TLC, too.
Let me know how it goes!
~Mama to Many~
Mercury Fillings
Baking Soda, Kosher Salt, Peroxide
Mama's Tooth Experiment
God bless you.
Dental Health Reader Feedback
Dental Implant
Also dental implants create a dead zone in the mouth for bacteria to form. Like a root canal does. I had those. Anyways you might try some baking soda and coconut oil 50/50 past in the mouth all over coating during the night and see if it helps. One reason it would help is coconut oil kills bacteria, fungus, microbes, and virus and baking soda changes ph and neutralizes histamine reactions. During the day you could try some raw ginger 1/2 dime sized slice chewed up and leave residue on teeth.
Still learning. Hope you find some answers before symptoms become new health problems. Dry mouth ruins teeth.
Dental Implant
Mama's Tooth Experiment
I had saved all our daughter's baby teeth as my mother saved mine. Mine stayed whole over the decades but every one of our daughter's split. That leads me to the conclusion sun screen prevented her from absorbing what was needed to harden her teeth from the sun.
I now regret not saving all of our daughter's teeth for studies that might prove how harmful sun screen really is for bone and tooth development/hardening. Maybe that would have been a "Nobel" thing for me to do. We only have a few just for a visual lesson.
I think the advertising insistence of sun screen use is not wise. Limiting ones exposure to the sun is wiser.
Mama's Tooth Experiment
Mama's Tooth Experiment
=====ORH=====
Mama's Tooth Experiment
Hmmm can one soak ivory in h2o2 to clean it?!
Dental Health Reader Feedback
Mama's Tooth Experiment
Then I realized that I could soak a bunch of teeth in different things to see what happened. So I offered him $10 for his tooth collection of 11 teeth. It was worth it for the sake of pure science.
I put one tooth in each of seven jars and filled with 7 liquids and labeled them. I kept them on a table for about a month. Tonight I inspected the teeth and had some pretty interesting results!!
Here is what I soaked the teeth in:
- Coke
- Apple cider vinegar plus water tonic
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Distilled water
- Colloidal Silver
- Apple Cider Vinegar, baking soda, water tonic
- Baking soda tonic
The tooth soaked in coke was nearly black. Ugh! It looked the worst. My 16 year old son was passing through and I showed him the tooth. He said, “That is why I don't keep coke sitting in my mouth.” Hmmm…)
The tooth soaked in hydrogen peroxide looked amazing. It was pure white.
The other teeth had varying amounts of color. The ones in vinegar solutions looked somewhat stained.
The tooth that was in the Apple Cider Vinegar tonic broke in half when I took it out of the solution!
I took a wooden spoon and tried to crush each tooth, to no avail (even the broken tooth).
So I got a hammer and hit each tooth until it smashed. J The colloidal silver tooth and the distilled water tooth were easiest to crush. The coke tooth and the peroxide tooth were equally hard to crush.
Some limitations of my experiment:
These teeth were dead teeth. So this experiment did not replicate “real life.”
Additionally, these teeth did not have the benefit of body functions that would affect teeth. I am thinking in particular of saliva, which has a benefit to the teeth, I believe.
Each tooth came out of my son's mouth at different times over the course of 5 years. They would not all have been of identical quality, which could have affected the outcome.
Some conclusions and observations:
I think the most striking thing was how white the hydrogen peroxide tooth was, and with no appearance of being worse for the wear. I think hydrogen peroxide is likely among the best ways to safely whiten your teeth. Now, you can't soak your teeth in them, but you can use hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash after you brush, or whenever you like.
I had used some distilled water in one because Robert Henry and others say that distilled water will leach minerals out of your body. It did seem to weaken the tooth that was soaking in it!
I have to admit that I was surprised that the coke tooth was not compromised in its strength, though the color was quite dreadful.
Of course, none of this takes into account the bodily processed affected by each liquid and how that would affect your teeth.
At the end of the day, what is my take away from this?
I need to be using hydrogen peroxide to try and whiten my teeth.
I don't need to get too excited about my children having an occasional soda.
I will stick to using distilled water only for particular things, like making colloidal silver. I don't think it is a good idea to drink it unless you add back in the minerals.
The pictures below:
1. Before
2. After
3. Before (again, by mistake.)
4. Close up which shows the coke tooth and cracked ACV tooth and H2O2 tooth.
If you have an observations or conclusions, let me know!
Hydrogen Peroxide
★★★★★
Soap, Baking Soda, Eucalyptus Oil
Soap, Baking Soda, Eucalyptus Oil
★★★★★
All I did was:
- Brush my teeth twice a day with an extra soft toothbrush to go easy on my gums and instead of toothpaste using plain bar soap (I get the simplest one I can find at the supermarket).
- Rinse my mouth twice a day with a combination of baking soda and eucalyptus oil in water.
And that's literally it.
I'm quite sloppy about it so I don't know exact amounts, but I don't use particularly low amounts of any of them. The eucalyptus oil I use 3-4 drops per rinse but I don't know what the best amount is.
I would say "I hope it works for you", but frankly I would be staggered if it didn't :)
Hope your problem goes away soon!
P.S The soap is an important component in this remedy. I stopped the soap once and continued with the baking soda and eucalyptus and the plaque started to come right back!
November 13, 2020 update:
Yeah it was the soap, but eventually it stopped working. These days I've been using a deep clean toothpaste that fights tartar, plus floss and interdental brushes. Also I've been putting drops of tea tree oil in mouthwashes that contain alcohol. This approach seems to work better.
I probably can't say the name of the toothpaste here, and I know it's not natural, sorry. I think those toothpastes are just abrasive enough to remove tartar build-up. Similar to baking soda but not as aggressive, as I think that can damage tooth enamel.
Anyway, just wanted to update!
I am a dentist and looking for a natural solution to disinfect bacteria in root canal area. I am working on inventing a solution for it made from distilled water, sodium bicarbonate, sea salt. Do you think it will work to remove the bacteria? Do you know any other natural ingredients that are even stronger than salt and sodium bicarbonate that are not listed here? Can you please help me to find out if additional items will be helpful to add, for example, vinegar, borax or other?
Thank you so much for your time and I really appreciate your help.
★★★★☆
So I started my online research. The one thing I came upon time and again (that wasn't very expensive and that I already have in the house) was Dr. Bronner's liquid soap. Those who reported using it said it would SLOWLY wear the tartar away. I've brushed with it before in a pinch so the taste wasn't unknown to me. I was willing to try again. I'm happy to say that so far it's been working, and yes, slowly like everyone said. It really just depends on how much tartar is involved and (I guess) how old the tartar is.
It's been about 2 weeks now, brushing with one drop of the peppermint liquid soap at least twice a day. It makes a LOT of suds. My teeth feel silky and clean. I have also ordered a food grade peroxide to rinse with. I wish I could have taken pictures before I started up to now. But how in the world would I have gotten the camera into my mouth???
I am so thankful because I don't want another bloody dental cleaning, caused by the girl having to scrape sections where the ultrasonic didn't work well enough. Will post more in another week or two.
Oil Pulling
Oil Pulling
Oil Pulling
★★★★★
Bump on Roof of Mouth
Hope this helps!
Baking Soda, Kosher Salt, Peroxide
Dental Implant
Apple Cider Vinegar
Very good observation on urinary track infection as inflammatory to prostate. In fact, I think often the prostate itself suffers from a low grade infection. One urologist I read about gave his patients a few tablespoons of colloidal silver daily and in a month all 30 had improved conditions (varying problems) from flow to urgency issues. His conclusion was that a low grade infection was at work.
Moral of the story: Never overlook the possibility of infection re medical issues.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar
I started using ACV for other health complaints. Worked brilliantly for my prostate issues! Sadly it is certainly bad for my teeth. My teeth become sensitive after using ACV, and I have noticed cavities forming. Be careful!!
I still need the ACV as it is the best remedy for my prostate issues out there. Right now I am using a straw, but that only really saves the front teeth as the wisdom teeth and molars still get attacked by the acidity. I have to do more testing but I don't think the ACV helps my prostate when mixed with Bicarb to reduce acidity (although I found it could act as a laxative, in this case that would be due to osmotic pressure I think)
I'm wondering what else I can do ..
Making ACV gel capsules would be ideal but beyond my capabilities.
Rinse with bicarb before and after?
Take calcium supplements
Sally's Homemade Toothpaste Recipe
★★★★★
I have not had recurring gum inflammation. The dentist said my teeth are very clean, gums look great, and no cavities!
My toothpaste recipe:
* Virgin Coconut Oil (3-4 tablespoons)
* Baking Soda (3-4 tablespoons - same amount as coconut oil)
* Myrrh Oil (good for the gums - I use 1 full pipette - that's equal to 10 - 15 drops I imagine?)
* Sea salt (About 1 tablespoon - I use pink Himalayan Sea Salt because I have a lot at home, any sea salt will do. Just remember, do not use table salt)
* Grapefruit Seed Extract (I use about 10 drops - this adds a nice flavor and it helps protects gums because it's a natural antibacterial.)
Mix all of this up with a spoon.
Note: In winter this home made toothpaste concotion will be solid, but in warmer months it will be a liquid.
PS: This is my first comment after reading the site since 2008! I love earthclinic!
Dental Health Reader Feedback
Getting a filter to filter out flouride is expensive. A much cheaper method would be to ask/pressure your city council/county council to discontinue adding floride to the water supply. Get them to hold a public referendum on this.
Baking Soda, Kosher Salt, Peroxide
Baking Soda, Kosher Salt, Peroxide
Dental Root Resorption
Baking Soda, Olive Oil
