Dr. Weston Price had it all figured out
The question that led Dr. Weston A. Price to examine the connection between diet and simple physical degeneration and morbidity: how do tribesmen living in the wild, develop perfect symmetrical straight and white teeth up until old age, without straightening or brushing them daily?
Dr. Weston A. Price was the first to identify the similarities between all tribes of the world.
In Peru, villages in Switzerland, Australian Aborigines, the Indians in Canada, the Maasai in Africa, and the Eskimos of North America; all these different tribes have in common beautiful healthy teeth. Even the elderlies have healthy, full, and white teeth, without brushing them as soon as waking up or right before bed.
Beyond that, Dr. Weston A. Price did not even find a single person suffering from diseases that we encounter more frequently in the Western modern world, such as diabetes 2, obesity, diabetes 1, autoimmune diseases, cancer, Alzheimer’s, or metabolic diseases.
On the other hand, in the Western modern world, teeth do not always develop symmetrically, we often need braces, artificial teeth transplantations, and we even make sure to clean our teeth daily with the most advanced toothpastes and dental floss loaded with toxic ingredients that “guarantee us” healthy, strong and white teeth.
The entire western world suffers from tooth decay, developmental disturbances of the teeth, weak and cracked broken teeth – this is why Dr. Weston A. Price went on his journey to investigate.
The same diseases and health problems mentioned above are common
in the State of Israel as well. What is the logical explanation for such dissonance?
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The relationship between teeth and health always fascinates me. Teeth are a reflection to our health, a key determinant of our nutritional status. A perfect example would be my own teeth, as soon as I balanced my blood sugar, the dental problems I had suffered from for years disappeared.
On the contrary, during the time where I did not know how to balance my blood sugar, I had constantly high blood sugar, which damaged my teeth. I had a root canal at the age of thirteen!
It took only one month for the cavity in my teeth to turn into a root canal. How do I know that it took exactly one month? I had a check-up at the dentist exactly one month before it occurred.
For me, this is an obvious indicator that my body was completely out of balance.
I know some professionals will assume there is no connection but personally, I know which lifestyle is more beneficial to my dental health.
The teeth are one aspect of health that I never thought about back then, but as soon as I decided to follow a healthier lifestyle it immediately reflected on my teeth, only then I was able to understand how accurately oral health is a mirror that reflects your overall health and well-being.
To conclude, there is certainly a direct link between our teeth and our health.
Not only teeth – the important discoveries of Dr. Weston A. Price
Beyond straight and beautiful teeth, free from cavities (cavities = permanently damaged areas in the hard surface of our teeth), Dr. Weston A. Price discovered that those same isolated tribesmen are characterized by a very strong immune system, preventing them from catching any diseases, as well as a fruitful and full life similar to their ancestors since they follow the same traditional diet – rich in essential nutrients for an optimal physical function. In 1930, Dr. Weston A. Price changed his profession from being a dentist to a nutrition researcher, where he published the book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration in 1939, informing his travels in which he studied the traditional diets of different cultures around the world. The main conclusion of the book is that the Western pattern diet, with an emphasis on modern processed food such as pre-packaged foods,
refined grains, sugar, pasteurized milk, foods high in artificial additives and vegetable fats is the main cause of nutritional deficiencies which potentially lead to many other health complications including teeth in particular.
Dr. Weston A. Price was a Canadian dentist in which many refer him as the “Isaac Newton of nutrition”. After he observed daily the processes of tooth decay and physical degeneration of his patients at his dental clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, he set himself a goal: to understand the main cause of tooth decay and physical degeneration is. In 1894 Price began to publicly claim that our diet is the primary cause of tooth decay. Later on, in 1925, he investigated the mechanism of calcium metabolism and enrolled in nutrition studies simultaneously. In the early 1930s, Price’s main research focused on the relationship between the consumption of vitamin B, salts, and minerals and the prevention of cavities.
While Dr. Weston A. Price analyzed the diet of the isolated indigenous people, he discovered that they provide at least four times the amount of calcium and other important minerals that the western modern population eats, and at least ten times the amount of fat-soluble vitamins from animal sources such as butter, fish eggs, shellfish, internal organs, and meat.
Dr. Weston Price also focused on the mental health of the isolated tribes, he noticed that apart from the fact that they enjoy a healthy body and healthy reproduction, they also enjoy a life without any mental illness. Sounds too unreal and yet, Dr. Price has researched enough to understand that there’s a sharp and clear difference in the health of the tribes in contrast to those who consume the modern world diet that is full of processed food.
The discoveries and conclusions of Dr. Weston A. Price are presented in his excellent book: Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. The book contains impressive photographs of natives with remarkably symmetrical facial features and accurately illustrates the physical degeneration that occurs in the body when a human group abandons its traditional diet in favor of convenience foods. The discoveries and conclusions of Dr. Weston A. Price are presented in his excellent book: Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. The book contains impressive photographs of natives with remarkably symmetrical facial features and accurately illustrates the physical degeneration that occurs in the body when a human group abandons its traditional diet in favor of convenience foods.
Principles of Dr. Weston A. Price for maintaining dental health
In addition to the nutritional studies, Dr. Weston A. Price did extensive research on the potential dangers of root canal treatment. The full research is mentioned in his book: Dental infections, oral and systemic.
The book is a practical guide to dentistry and dealing with infections and degenerative diseases. The book also contains a variety of original studies on infectious processes in the teeth and a case story of a patient dealing with arthritis for 22 years. He also suggests ways to remove dental implants that were installed incorrectly, which is not sure still relevant nowadays, a lot has changed since the 20s of the last century until our days with the advanced technological revolution and modern materials used by dentists.
Today there are quite a few believers in the “principles of holistic dentistry” based on the research of Dr. Weston Price and Francis Pottenger and thanks to the daily work of the foundation named after Weston A. Price, Dr. Price’s life’s work continues to be distributed to the general public.
Most of Dr. Weston Price’s principles are based on a very important principle and in order to get a clearer picture on why it’s best to avoid root canal procedures you must first understand the principle. A principle that most dentists today tend to miss: a tooth is a living organ, an organ with its lymphatic system, its nerve cells, and its own blood supply. The teeth should be treated just like any other organ.
Now that you understand that the tooth is an organ, you have to imagine a situation where they decide to cut off your heart, liver, or kidney and simply leave the organ in place. Your heart stops beating but it’s there meaning it doesn’t contribute to life.
The same thing happens in root canal treatment according to Dr. Weston A. Price. Dentists are taught how to remove the entire root of the tooth and sterilize it. I recommend reading this excellent article by Dr. Devon Ewing from the website of the Foundation named after Dr. Weston Price.
The main principles of holistic dentistry and Weston Price root canals recommendations are: you should eat whole foods rich in nutrients that are grown properly and cooked properly, and you should avoid root canals as much as possible.
Another principle is to avoid refilling mercury at any cost. If you already have mercury fillings, they should be removed by a dentist who advocates holistic dentistry and has experience in replacing mercury fillings.
Orthodontics should include measures to expand the palate and teeth should be extracted only, when necessary, in a way that will not leave the jawbone with dents that could be foci of infection.
Dr. Weston A. Price took these pictures of two girls from the same Seminole tribe (indigenous tribes in the North of the USA). The girl photographed by Dr. Weston A. Price on the left has a wide and beautiful face with a lot of space for dental arch compared to the girl examined by Dr. Weston A. Price on the right who was born by parents who abandoned the traditional diet of the tribe, has a narrow face, crowded teeth and poor immunity to diseases.
The importance of eating nutritious foods during pregnancy is known to most of us, but the research of Dr. Weston A. Price showed that the tribes understood the importance of nutrition before pregnancy not only for the mother but for both parents. In some tribes, there are rituals according to which the couple should consume a particularly rich diet in the period before the marriage ceremony and sometimes the other children are separated from the mother just to ensure health and strength for the pregnant mother, and to guarantee a safe delivery while protecting the life of the new offspring during the critical period of the beginning of life. There are some specific foods given to pregnant and lactating women, as well as boys and girls in preparation for future parenthood. These foods are particularly rich in fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins D and A, which are only found in animal foods. According to Dr. Weston Price, vitamin A is one of the most critical vitamins during pregnancy, which many in the western world suffer from its deficiency.
Today in the State of Israel, especially the elderly– dental treatments are very common and keep on increasing. Most doctors will probably claim that “there is no connection between lifestyle and dental health” or would cite the famous saying “it’s all about genetics”. I wonder what Dr. Weston A. Price would say about that.
“We can now imagine our universe, its light, gravity and heat, its seasons, tides and harvests, preparing a home for a universe of vital forms, microscopic and majestic, filling the oceans and forests. We have a common denominator of this universe in and around each other, our world, our food, and our lives have so much potential that we can only observe trends, not goals. We sense human achievement or self-destruction. Every modern faith seeks a utopia; All without exception envisioned a ruling power or shared deity as the most powerful force in all things related to man. Indeed, man’s place is expressed at its highest level when he obeys the laws of Mother Earth.” – Dr. Weston A. Price
*The information on this website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The said information is intended for informational purposes only and stems from personal experience. The text is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any specific disease or medical condition. Reviews and testimonials about nutrition, training and various health approaches represent individual experiences and what is stated on the site does not guarantee any results for your specific situation. Any choice of a specific way of eating or medical treatment according to a given situation should be made under the guidance of professionals qualified to do so.
