Cavities Are Not an Infectious Disease

An Essay on The Questions the Dental Model Can't Answer

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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This article challenges the conventional dental model that cavities are caused by bacteria feeding on sugar and producing acid that dissolves tooth enamel. The author presents evidence from decades of research showing that tooth decay is actually a systemic disease driven by diet and regulated by the endocrine system, with bacteria being a consequence rather than the cause. The article explores the work of researchers like Ralph Steinman and Weston Price, who demonstrated that populations with traditional diets had virtually no tooth decay, while the introduction of refined carbohydrates and sugar led to rampant cavities within a single generation.

Why it matters

The current dental model, which focuses on treating the visible damage of cavities through procedures like fillings and crowns, fails to address the underlying systemic causes. This leads to an endless cycle of dental interventions that weaken teeth over time. Understanding tooth decay as a systemic disease could revolutionize prevention and treatment, moving the focus away from surface-level hygiene and toward dietary and hormonal factors.

The details

The article explains Steinman's research showing that teeth are not inert objects, but rather living organs with an internal fluid circulation system that regulates mineral balance and protects against decay. When this system is disrupted by a diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates, it leads to the breakdown of tooth structure from the inside out, before any bacteria are involved. Steinman demonstrated that sugar can cause cavities even when it never touches the tooth surface, by disrupting the hypothalamic-parotid endocrine axis that controls the protective dentinal fluid flow.

  • Steinman began his research at Loma Linda University in 1954 and continued his collaboration with endocrinologist John Leonora for four decades.
  • In the 1940s, the acidogenic theory that bacteria and acid cause cavities was adopted as orthodoxy by a vote at the International Association of Dental Research, despite competing theories being presented.

The players

Ralph Steinman

A dentist at Loma Linda University who spent four decades researching the internal, systemic mechanisms of tooth decay, in collaboration with endocrinologist John Leonora.

John Leonora

An endocrinologist who collaborated with Ralph Steinman on research into the hormonal regulation of dentinal fluid flow and its role in tooth decay.

Weston Price

The chairman of the Research Section of the American Dental Association, who spent nine years in the 1930s studying the dental health of isolated indigenous populations around the world.

Albert Schatz

A dentist who proposed the proteolysis-chelation theory of tooth decay, which was sidelined in favor of the acidogenic bacterial theory that was adopted by a vote in the 1940s.

Percy Howe

A dentist who demonstrated to the American Dental Association in 1922 that he could not reproduce tooth decay by feeding or inoculating guinea pigs with bacteria, but could produce decay by removing vitamin C from their diet.

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What’s next

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The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.