If you have an achy tooth and your dentist’s first opening is in a week or two, a dab of clove oil can offer some temporary relief while you’re waiting to get it looked at by a professional. Just a dab on a cotton swab on the tooth or area that hurts and after a few minutes, it will be good and numb.
Picture: Sea Wave/Shutterstock
Clove oil isn’t for everyone though, as The New York Times’ Well blog notes. It has an extremely strong smell and taste, and while it’s been used as a topical analgesic for generations (you have have heard this tip from your grandmother), it can have unpleasant side effects in large quantities. That’s why most people who suggest it note that you should only use a dab, and you should avoid using it for prolonged periods — in other words, it’s no substitute for seeing a dentist.
Hit the article below for more detail on why this works, and to read about a 2006 study published in The Journal of Dentistry where researchers conducted a blind study with a clove gel, topical benzocaine and a placebo. Long story short, the researchers found participants who got the clove gel fared just as well as those who used benzocaine.
If you’re curious, clove oil is easily available at most health food stores. You can also try using it elsewhere around the house.
Remedies: Clove Oil for Tooth Pain [The New York Times]
Comments
7 responses to “Use Clove Oil To Soothe A Toothache”
One caveat: does not work for an exposed nerve.
Worst weekend of my life.
Aye I was just about to post this. My tooth broke on a Friday evening just before a long weekend.
The pain was excruciating, also knowing I could only see the dentist on Tuesday.
Cloves helped slightly but when your nerve is exposed the pain is too great. It just resonates
to your other teeth and gums.
Another temporary patch would be chopped garlic mixed with salt to make a paste then
stuff that on/in your tooth.
omg yes!!!!!
Had a chipped tooth and eventually the nerve was exposed on a Friday night…. you can’t sleep, clove oil doesn’t work, pain killers do nothing. When you finally get to sleep you wake up and it feels fine… for an hour then bam it’s back again.
I was swishing cold water in my mouth every 2 minutes as it gave some relief. Go out and exercise if you want to take pain away for a while. Adrenaline seems to give it a rest but the moment you stop it comes back
Is it safe?
yes. Just don’t drink it lol
Edit: You can actually buy “Emergency Toothache Relief” from chemist. It’s just clove oil. It mainly only works for surface stuff. No point trying if it’s something to do with the nerves!
I’m guessing you haven’t seen the 1976 movie “Marathon Man” or read the novel since you replied to my comment seriously.
Lol I was about to say the same exact thing! I hope its safe, is it?
Is it safe…..?
I broke a tooth recently and whilst at first it didn’t hurt, soon after it did, and it hurt like hell. To get me through it till my appointment to extract the tooth, I have been doing the following. Several times a day I swish salt with Luke warm water. It hurts at first, but by the time you get through the glass of Luke warm water with salt, the pain is gone! It also helps to clean out the area. Then I apply pure oregano oil into the broken tooth. Oregano is good for anti inflammatory and anti bacterial. I also crush up a clove of Australian garlic (cheap Chinese stuff is useless!), and pack the exposed root. It gives you instance pain relief as well as helps fight off infections. Pain killers don’t work for this type of pain. Honestly, garlic is by far the easiest solution, but a proper treatment is as I wrote above. This will help to reduce pain, inflammation, and infection till you can see the Dr and have the tooth removed.
Is it safe?