Tooth Decay and Germ Theory

I mentioned back when I reviewed that vaccine book that I am interested in alternatives to Louis Pasteur’s germ theory. Someday, perhaps I’ll read a book on the subject. For now, I’m noticing alternatives being mentioned in books that I’m reading about nutrition–possibly because nutrition is all about making the terrain immune to germs in the first place, rather than fighting germs as a primary solution to health problems.

Last night, Si and I started reading Ramiel Nagel’s Cure Tooth Decay. I found mention of the issue throughout the Introduction and First Chapter, and I thought I’d share some of it here. Dentistry, like most modern medicine, is based upon the idea that Bacteria is Our Enemy and Must be Destroyed. The idea is that bacteria cause cavities, and that if we could just get rid of them, we’d get rid of dental caries. So we brush our teeth, rinse our teeth, floss our teeth, all in an effort to get rid of bacteria that cause cavities and the food that it might thrive on if it survives the brushing and rinsing.

I thought this was a good point:

Bacteria exist everywhere and are nearly impossible to get rid of completely. More than 400 different bacteria are now associated with dental disease, and many more have yet to be discovered. Since bacteria are a part of life, with some good ones and some bad ones and trillions of them everywhere, dentistry’s approach to eliminate bacteria seems helpless.

So far, the most interesting thing I’ve learned from the first chapter is concerning the theory of dental cavities–where do they come from? Why do we get them in the first place?

From what I understand from the book, what is accepted dental theory today is based loosely upon the work of a Dr. W. D. Miller in the late 1800s. He performed some experiments upon extracted teeth that caused him to believe that bacteria form acids that “dissolve” teeth–in other words, cause tooth decay. What is overlooked in today’s dental theory is what else Miller learned:

In simple terms, Dr. Miller believed a dense strong tooth would “resist indefinitely” an attack from acid, whether it be from bacteria or from food. Meanwhile, a non-dense tooth would succumb quickly to any sort of acid, from bacteria or otherwise. Dr. Miller also wrote that, “The invasion of the micro-organisms is always preceded by the extraction of lime salts.” In plain terms, the tooth loses its mineral density first (lime salts), and then microorganisms can cause trouble.

If I understand the first chapter correctly, what will follow in the remainder of the book will deal not so much with bacteria, but with mineralization. Dr. Miller himself said that a strong, firmly mineralized tooth would be immune to the effects of bacteria, so let’s learn to be immune, right?

I’m looking forward to reading more, and I’m having trouble waiting until my husband gets home.

Last year, Daughter A. went to the dentist and had seven cavities. Instead of treating them (and it was debatable whether or not she needed treatment), we looked at the information Ramiel Nagel offers over at the Cure Tooth Decay site. We acted on that information, and three of the cavities have since healed. There is still concern about the other four, of course, but I figure we were working from an incomplete picture, having read the website and not the book. I look forward to attacking the other four using Nagel’s full protocol.

Whatever that is.

If my husband would just come home from work early so I could read this book…