Appalled by the state of the mouths he was seeing in his early 20th century practice in Cleveland, OH, he traveled the world in search of populations with healthy teeth into old age. What he found, on every inhabited continent, was that population groups who were eating the diet of their ancestors (local, seasonal, natural and home-processed) had the healthiest teeth and bodies. Those from the very same populations who had changed over to foods from the newfangled supermarkets or missions, started to have caries in short order, and their children were born with narrower faces, crowded teeth and a tendency to decay.

When he analyzed their diets, he found that the traditional diets, rich in animal products, but especially the organs and fats (often much preferred over the muscle meats) were far richer in the vitamins and minerals necessary for good teeth and overall health than our modern diets. He found that good teeth were built from the inside; that brushing and flossing were completely unnecessary when the needed nutrients were present in the diet. To his disappointment, there were no populations who maintained good health and sound teeth on a diet of solely plant-based foods.