In the 1930s, dentist Dr. Weston A. Price traveled to remote communities around the world, including Indigenous populations in Africa, the Pacific, and the Americas.

What caught his attention was striking.

Many people living on traditional diets appeared to have broad dental arches, relatively straight teeth, and lower rates of tooth decay despite having little or no access to modern dentistry.

Price began asking a question that still interests researchers today:

How much does nutrition influence the way our jaws, teeth, and facial structures develop?

Modern dentistry makes one thing clear: brushing, flossing, fluoride exposure, genetics, oral bacteria, saliva, and dental care all matter.

But nutrition matters too.

And when we look at crooked teeth, crowded jaws, tooth decay, and poor mineralization, the story may be more complicated than simply whether someone brushes twice a day.

Crooked Teeth, Cavities, and Nutrition

Price became particularly interested in communities that had little exposure to refined sugar, white flour, and heavily processed foods.

He reported that many people eating traditional diets had:

• Wider dental arches
• Less crowding
• Fewer cavities
• Stronger-looking teeth

When some of these populations transitioned toward Western-style diets higher in refined carbohydrates and sugar, Price reported seeing more dental decay and changes in facial and jaw development among younger generations.

His observations were largely descriptive rather than the kind of controlled research scientists would expect today, so they should not be treated as proof.

Still, one of his central ideas remains relevant:

Nutrition during childhood can influence bone growth, tooth development, and oral health.

Why Are Crowded Teeth So Common Today?

Crowded teeth happen when there is not enough space in the jaw for all the permanent teeth to erupt normally.

Several factors can contribute, including:

• Genetics
• Jaw size
• Tooth size
• Childhood nutrition
• Breathing patterns
• Oral habits
• Early loss of baby teeth
• Developmental factors

Modern diets may also indirectly influence jaw development because softer foods require less chewing than the tougher, fibrous foods traditionally eaten by humans.

Researchers continue to investigate how diet consistency, chewing forces, and childhood development may affect facial structure.

So crooked teeth are not caused by one vitamin deficiency—but nutrition can be one piece of a much larger developmental puzzle.

Vitamins A, D, and K2 and Oral Health

Certain nutrients play important roles in maintaining bones and teeth.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus, two minerals that are essential for healthy bones and teeth.

Low vitamin D levels can interfere with normal mineralization.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A plays a role in normal tissue growth, immune function, and bone development.

It is important during childhood, when the teeth, jaws, and facial structures are still developing.

Vitamin K2

Vitamin K participates in proteins involved in bone metabolism.

Vitamin K2 has attracted particular interest because it helps activate proteins involved in directing calcium into bone and other mineralized tissues.

However, claims that K2 alone can prevent cavities or straighten crowded teeth go beyond current evidence.

The best approach is to obtain a broad range of nutrients from a varied diet rather than relying on a single “miracle” vitamin.

Teeth Are Living Structures

Teeth may look like pieces of stone, but they are biologically active structures.

Enamel itself does not regenerate in the same way that skin heals, but the outer surface of enamel can remineralize under the right conditions.

This becomes especially important during the earliest stages of tooth decay.

Before You Get a Filling, Ask This Question

If your dentist tells you that you have a very early cavity, one useful question is:

“Is this an incipient lesion?”

An incipient carious lesion is the earliest stage of tooth decay.

At this point, minerals have begun leaving the enamel, but the surface may still be intact.

There is no large hole.

There may be no pain.

And importantly, the process may still be reversible.

Why Does This Matter?

Once decay progresses far enough to create a physical cavity in the tooth, the missing structure generally cannot simply grow back.

At that stage, a filling or another dental treatment may be necessary.

But an early, non-cavitated lesion can sometimes be arrested or remineralized.

That is why identifying the stage of decay matters.

Some early lesions can be monitored rather than drilled immediately, depending on their location, activity, and risk of progression.

How Early Tooth Decay Can Be Remineralized

Modern dentistry recognizes that early enamel demineralization can sometimes be reversed.

Helpful strategies may include:

• Reducing frequent sugar exposure
• Improving plaque control
• Using fluoride toothpaste
• Using professional fluoride treatments when appropriate
• Maintaining good saliva production
• Treating dry mouth
• Eating adequate calcium and phosphorus
• Getting enough vitamin D
• Limiting frequent acidic drinks
• Improving overall diet quality

The goal is to shift the balance away from demineralization and toward remineralization.

Sugar Frequency Matters More Than Many People Realize

Dental bacteria use fermentable carbohydrates—especially sugars—to produce acids.

Those acids temporarily lower the pH around the tooth and pull minerals from the enamel.

This means constantly sipping sugary drinks or snacking on sweets throughout the day can be particularly damaging.

The problem is not only the total amount of sugar.

It is also how frequently the teeth are exposed to it.

Giving the mouth longer periods without sugar allows saliva to neutralize acids and return minerals to the enamel.

What Weston Price Got People Thinking About

Weston Price believed that traditional diets contained nutrients that supported strong bones, broad dental arches, and resistance to tooth decay.

Many of his interpretations remain debated.

But his work helped draw attention to an idea that modern nutrition science continues to support:

Oral health is connected to whole-body nutrition.

Healthy teeth require more than just cleaning the surface.

They also depend on:

• Adequate minerals
• Healthy saliva
• Normal childhood development
• Sufficient protein
• Vitamins and micronutrients
• Low frequency of sugar exposure
• Good oral hygiene

Brushing and flossing still matter greatly because they reduce plaque and help prevent both cavities and gum disease.

Nutrition and oral hygiene work together—they are not competing explanations.

Can Wheatgrass Help Your Teeth?

Wheatgrass contains chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals, and other plant compounds, which is why it is often promoted in natural-health communities.

Some people use diluted wheatgrass juice as a mouth rinse because they find it refreshing.

However, there is currently no strong clinical evidence that wheatgrass can reverse established cavities or replace professional dental treatment.

Once a true hole has developed in a tooth, wheatgrass cannot rebuild the missing enamel.

An early non-cavitated lesion, however, may remineralize—but that happens through established biological processes involving saliva, minerals, plaque control, diet, and treatments such as fluoride.

If you enjoy wheatgrass juice, it can be part of your diet or oral-care routine, but it should be viewed as an addition rather than a substitute for:

• Brushing
• Flossing
• Fluoride toothpaste
• Regular dental examinations
• Professional treatment when needed

The Better Way to Protect Your Teeth

Strong teeth are not created by one food, vitamin, toothpaste, or dental treatment.

They are the result of several factors working together.

For long-term oral health:

• Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste
• Clean between the teeth regularly
• Limit frequent sugar consumption
• Eat a nutrient-dense diet
• Get adequate calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D
• Stay hydrated
• Address persistent dry mouth
• Visit your dentist regularly
• Ask whether very early decay can be monitored or remineralized before drilling