Overview
What this book is about
Cure Tooth Decay is a practical guide to halting and reversing dental cavities through nutritional intervention, without drilling, filling, or fluoride. It originated as one father's urgent research project after his young daughter developed rapidly progressing tooth decay, and grew into a synthesis of the nutritional science of Weston A. Price, Melvin Page, Ralph Steinman, and traditional food practices applied specifically to oral health.
The book's central argument is that teeth are living organs capable of self-repair, and that cavities are not caused by bacteria on tooth surfaces but by systemic nutritional deficiency — specifically the absence of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, K2) and the presence of dietary inputs (sugar, phytic acid, refined grains) that deplete minerals and reverse the outward flow of dentinal fluid that normally protects teeth. When the body's internal chemistry is corrected through diet, cavities stop progressing and can begin to remineralise.
Nagel synthesises Price's landmark research on traditional populations, Steinman's 40-year study of dentinal fluid flow in rats, Melvin Page's blood chemistry research (the Ca:P 10:4 ratio), and his own extensive clinical observation and trial-and-error, validated by the Holistic Dental Association. The book is highly practical: it provides specific dietary protocols, recipes, food sourcing guidance, and a chapter on how to navigate the dental system on your own terms.
Key Ideas
The core frameworks and findings
1
Teeth are alive and can remineralise
Enamel, dentine, and pulp are living tissues with their own stem cells (odontoblasts). Early-stage and even moderate cavities can arrest and begin to reverse when the nutritional environment is corrected. This is documented by X-ray evidence throughout the book.
2
The real cause of cavities is internal, not external
Bacteria on tooth surfaces are a secondary actor. The primary mechanism is reversed dentinal fluid flow — caused by sugar intake, mineral depletion, and fat-soluble vitamin deficiency — which draws acid and bacteria inward through the dentinal tubules instead of flushing them outward.
3
Weston Price's protocol is the foundation
Price demonstrated 90–95% effectiveness in halting cavity progression through nutrition alone: cod liver oil (natural D3+A), high-vitamin butter oil (K2/Activator X), elimination of refined flour and sugar, and a diet rich in mineral-dense traditional foods.
4
Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and K2 are the governing nutrients
They activate the enzymes that build and maintain tooth structure, regulate the hypothalamic-parotid endocrine axis controlling dentinal fluid flow, and determine how minerals are utilised. Without them, no amount of calcium supplementation produces healthy teeth.
5
Sugar causes tooth decay internally, not topically
The mechanism is endocrine disruption — sugar spikes insulin, depletes phosphorus, disrupts the Ca:P blood ratio, and reverses dentinal fluid flow. Brushing after sugar consumption does not address this systemic mechanism.
6
Phytic acid in grains, beans, and nuts is a major hidden cause
Phytic acid binds calcium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc in the gut, preventing their absorption. Unsoaked, unfermented grains eaten regularly create a sustained mineral deficiency that drives tooth decay. Soaking, sprouting, or fermenting neutralises phytic acid.
7
Raw dairy is the most complete dental food
Full-fat raw milk from pasture-fed cows provides the ideal Ca:P ratio, activator X (K2), vitamins A and D, and enzymes in a bioavailable form. Pasteurisation denatures the enzymes and reduces mineral bioavailability.
8
Blood sugar regulation is a dental issue
Maintaining blood sugar at approximately 85 mg/dL (Melvin Page's optimal value) is essential for correct Ca:P ratio and dentinal fluid flow. Blood sugar spikes from any source — not just sugar — disrupt this balance.
9
Toxic dentistry creates cascading damage
Mercury amalgam fillings release vapour continuously (up to 15,000% more during chewing), disrupting the endocrine system and immune function. Root canals harbour anaerobic bacteria producing toxins linked to heart disease. Dental sealants leach BPA. The book provides specific guidance on navigating these issues.
10
Children's cavities are a nutritional problem, always preventable
The bonus chapter demonstrates that childhood cavities are not inevitable — they result from inadequate fat-soluble vitamins during pregnancy and early childhood. They can be halted and often reversed without drilling through dietary correction.
Contents
Chapter by chapter — click to expand
§
Introduction and Testimonials
▾
- Author's personal journey: daughter's rapidly progressing decay sparked the research
- Testimonials from readers who reversed cavities nutritionally
- Foreword by Timothy Gallagher DDS, president of the Holistic Dental Association
§
Chapter 1 — Dentistry's Inability to Cure Cavities
▾
- How conventional dentistry works: drill, fill, repeat
- Why the bacterial theory of cavities is incomplete
- The real cause of cavities: systemic nutritional deficiency
- Why conventional dentistry cannot cure cavities — only manage them
§
Chapter 2 — Dentist Weston Price Discovers the Cure
▾
- Price's global field study: 14 traditional populations with near-zero cavities
- Key findings: fat-soluble vitamins 4–10× higher in traditional diets
- Price's protocol: cod liver oil + high-vitamin butter oil + elimination of refined foods
- 90–95% effectiveness in arresting cavities nutritionally
§
Chapter 3 — Make Your Teeth Strong with Fat-Soluble Vitamins
▾
- How teeth remineralise: the dentinal fluid flow mechanism (Steinman)
- The hypothalamic-parotid gland endocrine axis
- Vitamin D: the master regulator of calcium and phosphorus metabolism
- Vitamin A (retinol — not beta-carotene): critical for odontoblast function
- Activator X (Vitamin K2): catalyses mineral utilisation; found in pasture butter, organ meats, fermented foods
- Cod liver oil as the most complete dental supplement
§
Chapter 4 — Remineralise Your Teeth with Wise Food Choices
▾
- Raw dairy: the most complete dental food
- Blood sugar and the Ca:P ratio: the Melvin Page framework
- Phytic acid in grains, legumes, nuts: how it blocks mineral absorption; how to neutralise it
- Proteins for tooth structure: quality matters
- Fermented foods and enzyme activity
- Foods to eliminate: sugar, refined grains, pasteurised milk, soy, processed foods
§
Chapter 5 — Nutrition Protocols That Remineralise and Repair Cavities
▾
- Four dietary programmes at different levels of intensity
- The "One Amazing Meal a Day" protocol
- Advanced tooth decay healing protocol
- Vegetarian dental healing diet
- Six-week intensive remineralisation plan
§
Chapter 6 — Stop Cavities with Your Next Meal
▾
- Recipes: bone broth, fish head soup, eggnog tooth-strengthening formula, steak tartare for tooth infections
- Grain preparation to neutralise phytic acid: sourdough, soaked oats, sprouted grains
§
Chapter 7 — Healthy Gums Lead to Healthy Teeth
▾
- Gum disease mechanism: same nutritional root as cavities
- The blotting technique for gum health
- Oil pulling, salt rinse, herbal gum treatments
§
Chapter 8 — Dentistry and Its High Price
▾
- Mercury amalgam: the toxicity evidence; Huggins safe removal protocol
- Root canals: the bacterial infection and systemic disease link
- How to find a minimally invasive biological dentist
- Monitoring tooth decay at home; understanding remineralisation
- Fluoride: mechanism, toxicity, the deception
- Taking charge at the dental appointment
§
Chapter 9 — Your Bite: A Hidden Cause of Cavities
▾
- Malocclusion: not genetic but nutritional (Price's cross-cultural evidence)
- TMJ dysfunction and tooth decay
- Functional orthodontics vs. conventional braces
- Jaw expansion without extraction
§
Chapter 10 — Your Teeth Can Heal Naturally
▾
- X-ray evidence that cavities remineralise
- Parting guidance: healthy teeth are a birthright
§
Bonus Chapter — Remineralise and Repair Your Child's Tooth Cavities Naturally
▾
- Why children have cavities: prenatal fat-soluble vitamin deficiency
- Dietary keys for childhood remineralisation
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding: the prenatal dental connection
- The case against routine dental surgery on baby teeth
Practical Takeaways
What to actually do with this
Cod liver oil daily — 1 tsp high-vitamin (Green Pasture or equivalent); provides natural D3+A in correct ratio
High-vitamin butter oil (K2-rich) — from spring/summer pasture cattle; or natto, aged Gouda, organ meats
Bone broth daily — provides mineral broth for teeth and gums
Raw full-fat dairy — raw milk, kefir, aged raw cheese if available
Organ meats weekly — especially liver (the natural multivitamin)
Seafood 2–3× per week — provides DHA, iodine, zinc, phosphorus
All refined sugar and sweeteners
White flour and unfermented grain products
Pasteurised low-fat dairy
Industrial seed oils (sunflower, canola, soybean)
Soy products
Breakfast cereals and processed snacks
Soak overnight in acidic medium (yogurt whey, lemon juice) or ferment as sourdough
Quinoa: rinse and soak 8+ hours
Better: reduce grain consumption significantly during healing phase
Cod liver oil: 1–2 tsp daily (children: 1 tsp; adults: 1–2 tsp)
High-vitamin butter oil: 1/2 tsp daily with cod liver oil
Trace minerals: in water daily
Magnesium: supports Ca:P balance, widely deficient
Salt rinse (1 oz sea salt in 16 oz hot water) — morning and night
Dry brush gums toward teeth with soft brush
Oil pulling 10–15 min on empty stomach
No fluoride toothpaste; use baking soda + sea salt or botanical oral care
Start cod liver oil and butter oil 3–6 months before conception
The baby's teeth form in utero — prenatal nutrition determines lifelong dental structure
Eliminate all refined carbohydrates and sugar completely during pregnancy
See Also
Related books in the library
books/weston-price/nutrition-and-physical-degeneration.md — the foundational research this book is built onbooks/nadine-artemis/holistic-dental-care.md — complementary botanical oral care protocols; same nutritional frameworkbooks/ramiel-nagel/cure-gum-disease-naturally.md — Nagel's follow-up book specifically on periodontal diseasebooks/ramiel-nagel/healing-our-children.md — Nagel's prenatal and childhood application of the same nutritional principlesbooks/catherine-shanahan/deep-nutrition.md — Shanahan's broader nutritional framework that overlaps with Price's findings