Our Dental Journey - How We Pursued Healing Gum Recession & Tooth Decay Naturally
First - if you’re new here - welcome!
I’m a Certified Nutritional Practitioner and recipe developer who helps women feel empowered in their health journey, learn how to confidently eat well, find healing and support during chronic illness, and gain kitchen confidence through simple, delicious recipes for you and your family!
👉 If you're here because you're trying to support your health (and teeth!) more naturally, especially through food—
I put together a simple starting point:
Download my FREE guide: 5 Simple Real Food Family Dinners
Can You Heal Tooth Decay Naturally?
When I say we have been through the dental ringer, I'm not lying. Let me start with a bit of our story to help put my tips today in perspective:
I started noticing more dental issues in myself and in one of my sons during all the years we were dairy-free, but it was mostly a filling here and there.
When we lived in mold for a season, our dental drama escalated quite rapidly. Out of nowhere, that sweet son of mine had one abscess that sent us to the ER, two teeth pulled, and 8-10 crowns put on. I won't tell you how much that cost or how many tears I shed over it. I was mortified as someone who cares well for my children and cares deeply about our health.
And out of the gate let me say - thank God for modern dental work with trusted practitioners for this kind of scenario.
I've had to move past the desire to fight for perfection in our bodies and accept help when needed. But it's HARD for this perfection-ista over here who wants to control all the health things.
Turns out, mold can do quite a number on dental health, but it led us down a road of dental healing I may not have found otherwise.
I on the other hand, also received reports from multiple holistic dentists that my gums were in bad shape. I had 9mm measurements (read: REALLY BAD). You want to be at about 1-3.
To say that I “froke out” (as one of my kids used to say), would be an understatement.
I got to work researchingand deep diving and was determined to have a different outcome moving forward.
Even in the midst of all the hard work, yes, we've had to have maybe 1 more filling each as we have recovered from our time spent in a toxic environment, but I can also happily say that today my gum pockets are back to a healthy measurement (my hygienist was SHOCKED and thought the charts got mixed up somehow) and one of my son's recent x-rays showed that two of his cavities are literally healing.
If a biologist dentist asks, “what are you doing? Whatever it is, keep it up!", you know something is working.
So today I'm here to share all the links, details, practices, and products!
What Helped Our Gum Recession and Dental Health
Dental Probiotics - I can’t tell you how happy I am to have found these for my family! These chewable tablets have incredible ingredients to help balance the oral microbiome. They have also whitened the HECK out of all of our teeth, and my mouth has seriously never felt cleaner! You can use the code FALLON to save 15% both on one-time orders and subscriptions!
Whole food Vitamin D, A, & K - these fat soluble vitamins are a big part of Weston A. Price’s (a renowned anthropological dentist) work to study the healthiest cultures and how their teeth are SO straight and beautiful.
Vitamin K2 is exclusively found in animal products and helps get calcium to the RIGHT places in our bodies, which is so important for dental health!
In whole food form, K2 can also be found in beef liver, pasture-raised eggs, dairy products like whole fat milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese, butter, ghee, and fermented cheese like parmigiana reggiano.
My cookbooks can be a HUGE help here - my recipes are all ancestral-based in a very attainable way and offer delicious nutrient density!
My two favorite vitamin K2 supplements can be found here and here (this one is more expensive than it used to be - I think you guys collectively sold it out haha!).
My favorite combination whole food Vitamin D and A here!
Keeping very regular eating and snacking times
Grazing can be very detrimental to our dental health and enamel - to include drinks! We have shifted to a MUCH more consistent eating rhythm (3 square meals, 2 snacks in-between, with non-water drinks only being with a meal or snack) and that has made a tremendous difference. We also rinse and spit after every single time we eat (okay you caught me, we’re not perfect but we sure TRY).And of course it matters A LOT what we’re eating. Real food matters!
That’s why I took my decade plus of education and experience to create my e-book, Nourish! And Y’ALL. It is SO GOOD.It has over 40 staple recipes that are crucial for every nourished kitchen, meal plan examples, a seasonal produce guide, a good-better-best sourcing guide, plus helpful info on how to build balanced breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks! (Don’t tell my other books, but this may be my favorite one ever).
4. Xylitol gum after eating
This is a great trick I learned from Dr. Mark Burhenne at Ask the Dentist who is an amazing resource! We love brands like Pur and Xylichew.
5. Homeopathic dental rebuilding
It’s amazing that two small, very affordable remedies can offer such big impact on our dental health. When used in combination, the cell salts Calc Phos 6x and Calc Fluor 12x can strengthen dental enamel incredibly well. We use them two times a day, 15 minutes away from food, drink, and dental care. It can helpful to do this as a protocol for 3 months!
6. Ozonated coconut oil - this is great as an oil pull or directly on trouble spots!
7. Organic Dairy-inclusive diet
For the 5 years I was dairy-free, my teeth suffered a LOT.
Here’s a before and after picture of when I was NOT including dairy for so long, and after starting to include organic dairy again. This is not edited to whiten teeth and both are in natural lighting. I did get some deep staining removed and THEN focusing on mineral-rich foods like quality dairy!
8. Eating a variety of fresh, whole foods - no surprise here! I can't understate the importance of the foundations, even with the supplemental and topical add-ins! We eat the way I outline in my cookbooks!
How Nutrition Impacts Teeth and Gums
What I didn’t fully understand when I began this journey, but see much more clearly now, is that this wasn’t just about dental care.
It was about supporting the body as a whole.
Because your body doesn’t separate your teeth from the rest of your health.
The same things that support:
metabolism
nutrient status
and overall resilience
👉 also support your teeth and gums.
Why This Matters Beyond Dental Health
For many women, health advice becomes very compartmentalized.
Fix your gut.
Fix your hormones.
Fix your teeth.But the body doesn’t work that way. It’s connected as a whole.
When we consistently nourish it, with enough food, real food, and balanced meals…
👉 we often see improvements across the board.
A few notes:
Most people may not need to do all of these dental bullet points. We went all in because I was just so sick and tired of the dental roller coaster.
Remineralization can only happen to a certain extent. Please work with a qualified, preferably holistic dentist, to talk through your needs - this should not serve as medical advice.
These links may earn me a slight commission with no increase cost to you. I only share links for things I really believe in - every product on here is something we reuse and reorder time and time again!
I believe our bodies can heal with the right tools. I LOVED this DM I got in regard to this convo:
Over time, I realized that trying to piece these food pursuits together on your own can feel overwhelming.
That’s exactly why I created my Nourish Cookbook & Nutrition Guide -
to help you:
build balanced meals
support your body consistently
and take the guesswork out of nourishment
You don’t have to overhaul everything overnight.
Often, it starts with simply eating in a way that actually supports your body, consistently.
FAQs
Can teeth heal naturally?
Early stages of tooth decay may be supported and reversed through proper nutrition and oral care habits. We have seen this happen first-hand! There are also times when the decay is into the second layer of the tooth, and intervention is needed, and that’s okay, there’s grace!
What causes gum recession?
Multiple factors, including oral hygiene, general inflammation stress, and overall health, can play a role. Airway health, bite alignment, over-brushing, harsh dental products, and more can also contribute.
Does diet affect dental health?
Yes! Nutrient intake and overall nourishment can influence tooth and gum health. Diets rich in K2, Vitamin D, minerals, and fat soluble vitamins have historically been linked to a reduction in dental health issues.
RELATED POST: Healing My Son’s Food Allergies
RELATED POST: Healing My Dairy Intolerance (How To Reintroduce Dairy into Your Diet, too!)
RELATED POST: Why Does Real Food For Kids Matter?
Note - some links included may be affiliate links, which earn me a small commission at no increased cost to you. I ONLY share products I have vetted and use regularly with my own family!
