Healing Teeth Naturally (and How to Take Vitamin D and vitamin K2 Safely)
This is a guest post by Joanie Blaxter, founder of Follow Your Gut, but first a disclaimer: neither Joanie nor I are health professionals, use what you read here as part of your own research and then consult with a natural doc or health professional you trust to find what is best and right for YOU. Read my entire disclaimer here, and also note that there may be affiliate links in this post.
- First, read my comprehensive post here about remineralizing teeth: How to save $2600 on dental bills!
- Also check out my newest K2/vitamin D post: Are you Taking Vitamin D or Calcium? What You MUST Do First (Scary: My doc didn’t even know.
Miracles Happen! It's official, it's taken me YEARS OF TRYING but I'm 60 years old and just gave birth!
Okay, well, so it's not a human baby, noooo, it's not an alien either, but keep reading to find out about the new life I've given birth to, which traditional doctors would say is impossible.
All my life dental hygienists have said things to me like, “You have the hardest tartar I've ever seen!” These comments are spoken with a cross between amazement and irritation, like somehow I planned it that way to make their job more difficult.
As a result of a lifelong history of extremely difficult-to-remove tartar, my gums have progressively and relentlessly receded over the years. Two years ago I finally found a holistic dentist I liked, so after way too long a hiatus from teeth cleanings, I scheduled a dental exam.
The report wasn't pretty.
The very sweet hygienist told me that there are three stages of gum deterioration; one being the mildest, and I was well into stage two, heading for three. Stage three is like “get all your teeth pulled” stage.
So, knowing the work HAD to be done, I agreed to the process of getting my teeth scaled, which basically means they get out the chisel and “big girl” tools to scrape up by the gum line to remove hidden plaque.
Somewhere in the middle of this grueling series of appointments, I attended the Weston A. Price national conference in Santa Clara, CA and was lucky enough, as part of my work exchange, to be assigned as the room monitor for Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's day long talk.
Campbell-McBride, or Dr. Natasha as she prefers to be called, is an international probiotics expert. She has written a book called The Gut & Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) in which she describes how an imbalance of gut microflora leads to “a river of toxicity from the gut into the bloodstream” that causes systemic inflammatory reactions all over the body, but most troublingly, the brain.
Unfortunately, imbalances in the gut microflora due to modern diet, lifestyle, and medical care have become the norm.
This new “norm” has resulted in an epidemic of disastrous psychological and autoimmune conditions. Dr. Natasha came to this understanding through the process of curing her own son of autism.
Somewhat on a fluke, I asked Dr. Natasha if she knew anything about unusually hard tooth tartar and the sheer force of her immediate answer rocked me back!
“You have a vitamin K deficiency,” she announced authoritatively to the room.
She went on to explain that specific strains of microflora normally found in a healthy gut will make vitamin K. When those strains are missing, and particularly when the diet does not also include enough vitamin-K-rich animal fat, the body becomes deficient.
Vitamin K is the “calcium police,” meaning K directs the body to use calcium appropriately, which, for the most part, is to build sturdy bones and teeth.
When K is “missing at work,” the body starts putting calcium in all kinds of bizarre places it shouldn't be like:
- Plaque in the arteries of the heart
- Bone spurs
- Kidney or liver stones OR
- Tartar in the teeth!
About ten years ago there started to be a shift in the natural foods industry to encourage customers to replace calcium with more magnesium.
At the time the medical mainstream was figuring out that while we have an epidemic of weak bones in this culture, simply taking calcium did not seem to be helping. In fact, consuming supplementary calcium appeared to be making heart disease worse (see #1 above “plaque in the arteries)!
The piece the medical model totally missed at the time, and still hasn't really understood, is the role of vitamin K in this process.
Just to clarify – I learned that what most doctors are familiar with is actually K1, which is found primarily in plants and functions to clot the blood.
What Dr. Natasha was referring to (and Dr. Price studied) was K2, which is found almost exclusively in animal food and is associated with strengthening bones.
The study of vitamin K2 is, in fact, the critical piece to Dr. Weston Price's seminal research on how to heal cavities.
Unfortunately, he died having never identified the mystery nutrient found abundantly in spring grass-fed butter that helped make cod liver oil so much more effective in the cure of various diseases, and which he dubbed “Activator X.”
So, back when Dr. Natasha stated I had a vitamin K2 deficiency, I jumped right into action taking high levels of vitamin K2. (Here is my K2 favorite – it has high potency, theraeutic levels of K2 in combination with nutrients to make it more absorbable. Also, turns out K-2 is extremely difficult to manufacture and degrades very quickly. According to testing most brands lose a majority of their potency, often before purchase. But this one is pharmaceutical grade, extremely stable and has been tested at 100% potency two years post manufacture. )
Knowing I had been extremely deficient for years, I assumed I would need a therapeutic dose, quite possibly for a long time. I also incorporated the GAPS approach into my traditional foods diet and regularly ate both fermented foods as well as probiotic capsules.
Continuing my research on the subject, I then chose to stay at that high dose after reading an interview by Dr. Mercola with a vitamin K expert named Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue in which she says, “The good news is that vitamin K2 has no toxicity. No toxic effects have ever been demonstrated in the medical literature.”
(Side note from Kelly: Read the interview synopsis, it's very interesting and is LOADED with good info on calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K2! I also want to read this author's book, “Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little Known Vitamin Can Save Your Life”.)
According to Rheaume-Bleue, although K2 is put in the same classification as oil-soluble A and D, which can be toxic if taken in too high doses for too long, K2 has no designated toxicity because “… all vitamin K2 does is activate K2 proteins… And if they're all activated and you take extra K2, it simply won't do that.”
This means the body uses what vitamin K2 it needs and simply discards the extra.
The reason K2 is designated as an oil-soluble vitamin is that it won't work without the presence of an oil in the system. So, when I take my vitamin K2, I also take my dose of cod liver oil.
Knowing that I have considerable bone loss in my jaw (and therefore, I assume, elsewhere in my body), I've continued on that program for the past year and half: high K2 and lots of good probiotics, particularly the bifido family.
And it's official. I've had two checkups by the dentist where she has said the same thing each time:
You're a dental anomaly!
According to my dental history, my dentist should see gum redness, swelling, bleeding, signs of infection and most likely, sore, loose teeth.
Instead, my gums are pink, strong and healthy, my teeth stable and pain-free.
And here's the best part: I now produce virtually no dental plaque! Each visit there has been next-to-no plaque on my teeth, despite the fact that my previous visit was nine months ago and not the usual six (my dentist moved her office which delayed scheduling).
Unfortunately, my gums have not grown back… yet! My own practitioner, Theresa Vernon, told me that her receding gums did not start to grow back until she removed a copper toxicity from her system (very common for those with fatigued adrenals).
So that's next on my agenda. I'll let you know how that goes!
I know it will take a long, long time, but my goal is to provide enough nutrients and healthy gut flora that my body will begin to reverse the bone loss. And I have no doubt that I am well on my way down that path.
I fully expect my bones to strengthen with age, not weaken.
Vitamin K2, by the way, is a profound “activator” for cod liver oil. K2 is necessary for the cod liver oil to work its miracle healing cavities (see How to Save $2600 in Dental Bills).
I must also admit that I simply adore my sonic toothbrush (click here for the one I have). It was sold to me by a dental hygienist (who owns the company that makes them) who said that sonic toothbrushes removed plaque better than electric toothbrushes. I use my electric toothbrush in the morning and my sonic one at night, and my teeth do feel cleaner after the sonic brushing.
And, no, using the sonic toothbrush doesn't explain my clean dental bill of health since I wasn't using the sonic brush nine months ago when I got my first check up. In my mind, it's due to the lack of plaque on my teeth which has allowed my gums to stop harboring bacteria.
Do you take vitamin D?
Sally Fallon Morell, President of the Weston Price Foundation, has long warned that taking vitamins D or A in isolation, will increase the need for its complementary oil-soluble vitamin.
For example, when Sweden put isolated A in their milk, they saw an increase in bone fractures.
This is because increasing A in the diet increases the need for D. Without enough D, people's bones softened and broke more easily.
Most unfortunately, Sweden misinterpreted this and began warning against the addition of vitamin A in the diet. Big mistake!
Similarly, many people, at the suggestion of their health professionals, are now taking anywhere from 5,000-10,000 iu of isolated vitamin D.
Also potentially a big mistake if done without concurrently increasing vitamins A and K.
See 10 Important Facts about Vitamin K You Need to Know for the latest information on the correct, therapeutic dosing of and proportion between the critically important, interconnected oil-soluble nutrients, A, D and K.
(Another note from Kelly: so this is the only vitamin D I take, and this is the vitamin K2 supplement Joanie and I both take — if you order 3 or more at that link with the code KOP, it's an even better deal than their auto-ship option + you'll get free shipping!)
Do you have stories of healing your teeth too? Please share!
Related/More Information:
- How often should you get your teeth cleaned?
- Get probiotics here
- More on the GAPS Diet for healing (And here's the GAPS Intro Kit.)
- Fermented cod liver oil and High vitamin butter oil here or Extra virgin cod liver oil here
- The sonic toothbrush mentioned above
- These are the special toothbrushes and tooth drops I use (Kelly)
- How to save $2600 in dental bills with real food
- It's SCARY how much your dentist doesn't know
- Have you seen this book by Rami Nagel: How to Heal Tooth Decay?
This was a guest post by my sweet friend, Joanie Blaxter, who is now a regular writer around here! She’s been the Ventura County, California chapter leader of the Weston A. Price Foundation since 2010. Also, find her past guest posts here.
Alma says
Shouldn’t we also be taking magnesium? I’ve read that taking Vitamin D increases our need for magnesium.
KitchenKop says
This vitamin K2 actually has Magnesium in it too! I do take extra as well though, just because most of us are deficient.
Kelly
Renee Denlinger says
Great article!
Liz Mannion says
I’ve been using Vit D3 and K2 for tghe past 3 years but nothin would get rid of the gun disease or keep it at bay. I stopped using flouride toothpaste and use forever living toothpaste which has bee proplis in it and AloDent with Q10 in…. My most recent discovery is OrgaWash with Wild Oregano oil I dip my flosser in the solution and floss ten brush my teeth. It has helped but the one thing which knocks the bacteria out for a few days is Pure Gum Sprit of Terps, again I dip my flossing harp in the solution and clean the pockets, I have found it has stopped the bacteria and killed it dead but I do have to use it a few times a week, it smells of Pine and is slightly sweet. Regarding the bone loss I have been researching this an hav fund as well as Vit D3 and K2 and Magnesium but we also need to take boron 3 mg. Boron is essential for helping to build bone loss back up and in tests on rats who were deficient in boron their jaw bones, legs and spines were deteroriating but when the rats were given boron their bones recovered and their jaw bone density went up. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4712861/
Tony Powell says
Hi, great site. I’m 6ft and weigh 13.5 stone. Can you please tell me doses I need for vitd and vitk2. Also is vitk2 mk4 better than mk7…which is best? I suffer from IBS-C and sensitive teeth. I’ve read that k2 can help both issues? Any help greatly appreciated. Thank you
KitchenKop says
Tony, I’m not a health professional so can’t direct you on specifics, but here is more info that may help: https://kellythekitchenkop.com/are-you-taking-vitamin-d-or-calcium/ — that has more specifics about the type of K2 and how much. Also check out these posts for help with digestive issues: https://kellythekitchenkop.com/category/remedies-and-recoveries/digestive-issues/.
Good luck!
Kelly
Katie Duncan Saunders says
So the best way to heal/prevent cavities is to take vitamin k2, cod liver oil, and butter oil? What brands work best for the best price? There are so many links with different stories and brands – I would like to find something that my kids can take to prevent cavities as well as heal mine.
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
I love Just Thrive K2 and am confident in all of the brands of cod liver oil carried by Perfect Supplements (which is where I get most of my own supplements). There is an awesome deal going on through tomorrow (15% off site wide, plus always free shipping on orders over $99). You can read about that and get the coupon code here: https://kellythekitchenkop.com/healthy-new-year/
Rachel says
Before embarking on my K2 journey I did some research on several brands. The Thrive brand you recommend uses K2 manufactured in India. Indian manufacturing plants do not have the same health guidelines as US based manufacturers. In my research I read some horror stories of things that were found in those plants. I found a USA pharmaceutical manufacturer that makes a K2 D3 combination. I recently switched and are very happy with the results.
KitchenKop says
Hi Rachel,
I asked Kiran Krishnan, the microbiologist behind the K2, and here’s what he said:
“There are things called cGMP, ISO, HACCP, etc. etc…these are all International Quality Certifications that create an international standard for companies. These are THE HIGHEST standards of quality worldwide. If you are cGMP, ISO and HACCP certified, it doesn’t matter if your plant is in Norway, Wisconsin or Timbaktu, the quality is the same. These certifications require extensive audits, significant oversight and tons and tons of documentation. When a company achieves these certifications, if they should ever lose it due to quality issues, it becomes 5 times harder to achieve them again.
The plant in India that makes our K2 is ULcGMP, ISO9001 and HACCP certified. They are also drugGMP certified and licensed to produce K2 as a active pharmaceutical ingredient. It is naive to assume that a place in the US is “high quality”, I can assure you that the place in the US has virtually no certifications or oversight, I have been to numerous US plants that should not be allowed to operate. Remember that in the US, regulations on supplement manufacturing are VERY light, many make products in their garage essentially.
You won’t find a vitamin K2 that is made with higher quality standards than our K2 from India. We sell it as a prescription drug in over 12 different countries and have huge multinational corporations like Abbott Laboratories as customers. Abbott for example did not qualify any other supplier of K2 in the World, as their standards were not met, we were the only ones who qualified.
The K2 she is buying is likely a synthetic K2 from China that is repurposed in the US.”
Hope that helps to clarify,
Kelly
Katie Duncan Saunders says
is it safe to take while nursing?
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Katie Duncan Saunders I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t be. It’s a vitamin found in food (dairy fat and organ meats of grass-fed animals, some cheeses like gouda, and natto), but we tend to not eat enough of those foods so most people could definitely use more vitamin K2. I will have a special post coming up about it soon on my blog.
Katie Duncan Saunders says
ok thanks!
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Here’s more on which CLO to take: https://kellythekitchenkop.com/which-cod-liver-oil-should-you-take/
Jennifer Nelson DeMarcos says
I was very annoyed to find my kids had cavities at the last checkup. 6 between the two of them!! A month later 4 were healed and we’re working on the last 2. This post was a huge help!
Jennifer Nelson DeMarcos says
I put them on the GAPS diet for a few weeks. Plus we used MI paste and ozonated olive oil topically as a leave on post brushing. We alternated the two, one morning, one evening. And of course K2 every day. Which I’ve been slipping on so have to re-exert my efforts.
Joanie Blaxter says
Hi Dorina,
I’ve experimented with different forms, potencies and prices over the last couple years in large part because I’ve read different recommendations from different experts on which K2 is best to take. Recently I’ve discovered the Just Thrive K2-7 formula which is the only one I’ll use now. Turns out K-2 is very hard to manufacture and degrades very quickly. According to testing most brands lose a majority of their potency, often before purchase. Just Thrive’s K2-7 is pharmaceutical grade, extremely stable and has been tested at 100% potency two years post manufacture.
You may also want to check out this article by Denise Minger:
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/nutritional-cures-for-damaged-teeth/#axzz44atSh55w
tvandeweghe says
My husband, four kids and I all take cod liver oil and butter oil. We all eat 80% or more real food. Our hygienists and dentists (from three different offices) have all remarked on how plaque-free our teeth are and how well our children must brush. I am sure they brush no better than any other children ages 5-13.
Plus, our youngest was the only one born after I had begun taking cod liver oil. While all her siblings are in need of orthodontia, her dentist just told me this week that she has plenty of good space around her teeth. My first three were born at the end of my 20+ years of eating non-fat.
Inez says
Am well into my thirties now and still not suffering of caries or cavities… in fact I didn’t even see a dentist in the past 18 years… my teeth are nice and white and straight… (as a child I even straightened my own teeth by pushing them backwards with my fingers over several months cause I didn’t want to have brackets and succeeded !) In the past I’ve had sore teeth and beginning to develop caries but healed them by drinking real strong GREEN TEA rich of organic fluoride that the body is actually able to use properly in contrary to most of the added anorganic fluoride in water and toothpaste… I use different sizes dental floss to clean between teeth, I brush either with KURKUMA (to whiten the teeth and cure starting infection), SODA BICARBONATE (without aluminium) , or a mild herbal toothpaste… and of course organic butter !… but lest me not forget telling you I quit eating white sugar at the age of fifteen , when I do eat sugar and that is rare I use BROWN CANE SUGAR… also rich in organic fluoride (yet remained unnoticed in American vitamin index’s but not in Latin America) and loads of other minerals and trace elements ! Yes I am a happy camper 🙂 https://www.livestrong.com/article/253466-brown-sugar-nutrition-facts/
Mary Marston says
Have you ever had the hygienist measure the pockets in your gums? Have you heard of oil pulling? Instead of swishing coconut oil, I swish Sacred Clay (google for it) in water for 20 minutes before breakfast and my pockets are improving.
Melisa Land says
I am a retired dental assistant. Please check out…https://drdanenberg.com/whats-up-with-gums-gut-and-paleo/
Laura says
Question, the 10 Facts article u linked 2 says Vitamin K2 or menaquinone and the link to what Joanie took is K-2, Menatetrenone. Why K-2, Menatetrenone?
KitchenKop says
Hi Laura, I’m actually working on a post to clarify the differences between the two main types of K2. 🙂
Kelly
Dorina says
I was wondering if you could specify what would you consider a therapeutical dosage of vitK2? How much did you personally use to start seeing progress? Additionally could you state the same as for FCLO dosages? Thank you! Love your posts! 🙂
KitchenKop says
Dorina, K2 bottle calls for 2 caps/day. CLO is usually 1/2 tsp/day, but it’ll say specifically on the bottle. 🙂
Kelly
Elizabeth says
The brand you recommend does not show their label on their website. No one should buy a product without seeing the label and it should be provided. All the supplements I purchase at all the different sites I purchase from have clear, easy to read label links or ingredient lists. ESPECIALLY since this is so expensive. This is a bad sign for a company, and immediatly turns me away. I doubt they have any sort of special product.
KitchenKop says
Elizabeth, which product are you referring to? Because if you click “supplement facts” on the site, you’ll see the label with the ingredients of the K2.
Kelly