Need short-term relief from toothache?? Get a Clove

A painful condition which a tendency of occurring in the night thanks to changes in blood flow. This when the dentist’s clinic is closed. Or, you can’t make it to a dentist caught up in a hectic routine.  Either way, this is when we need the presence of mind to resort to our grandmother’s simple inexpensive home remedy.  These remedies are common in different households. One such remedy is the use of cloves; they make for an amazingly easy and effective.

Long before we had the dental care we have today, dentists used cloves for relief from pain because they contain eugenol, which has anesthetic, antimicrobial, germicidal and antiseptic properties that stop pain in its tracks and wipes out germs, confirms DrNeeti Salvi, co-owner, and senior dentist at Stoma Dental Care, Mumbai. It contains the compound eugenol, which has been used in dentistry for many years. This is still used by dentists today in a purified form that separates it from the essential oil.

Cloves are dried buds from a tree in the Myrtaceae family. Primarily harvested in Indonesia, cloves were thought to first originate in Syria, when they were discovered in a ceramic pot by archaeologists who predict the cloves date back to 1721 BC.  The oil extracted from a clove is known as eugenol. Depending on where the oil is extracted from — either the bud, leaf, or stem — the concentration of eugenol generally ranges from 60 to 90%.

In India, traditionally, clove oil was added to a small cotton ball and put at the end of the tooth which has the cavity every day before going to sleep. Clove oil is nowadays added to numerous dental products and medications, including mouthwash and toothpaste. Dentists mix clove oil with zinc oxide to prepare a white filling material as a temporary alternative to a root canal. And also to treat pain from a dry socket, as well as in a number of temporary restorative materials, DrNeeti Salvi. You must have experienced the lingering aromatic presence of the oil in the dental clinic as it is very strong.

Keep in mind that this is just a solution for temporary relief from the pain, not a cure. Your best pain remedy is to see your dentist to treat the main cause of the ache.  Cloves is a handy boon in case the Dentist is unavailable or you are not in a position to immediately visit a dentist, and the toothache is impossible to control. Brushing and flossing regularly and eating less processed sugary/salty foods can help prevent toothaches in the long run.

Remember that clove oil has germicidal properties which make it very effective for relieving dental pain, toothache, sore gums and mouth ulcers.  Gargling with diluted clove oil helps in easing throat pain and irritation. The smell of clove oil also helps to eliminate bad breath. But avoid excessive usage of clove over a short time period as it can do more harm than good when used repeatedly.

Cloves can be used in 3 forms to numb your aching nerve: Ground or powdered, whole cloves, or clove oil. A clove oil compress seems to work the best, especially if it’s very painful to put a whole clove in your mouth.

Ground:  Many people have cloves in power form in their kitchen. First, rinse your mouth with warm salt water and wash your hands. Take a pinch of the ground cloves and apply it between the gum that is sore and your cheek. Your spit does the trick now, just wait while it mixes with the powder. The pain should subside rather quickly.

Whole: Rinse your mouth with warm salt water. Take 2 or 3 cloves and hold them in your mouth as close to the sore area as possible, and wait a few minutes until they start to soften. When they do get softer chew them lightly to release the oils.

Clove Oil Toothache Compress
This is the most effective way to use to cloves.

You will need…
-Clove essential oil
-Cotton balls
-1/2 teaspoon of olive oil
-Cotton swabs (optional)

Directions
Rinse your mouth with warm salt water for cleaning. By doing this you’re there’s nothing to block its action and makes it reach the sore oral tissues.

Mix a few drops of clove essential oil with ½ teaspoon of olive oil. Thoroughly soak a cotton ball in this mixture and then hold it gently but firmly against the sore tooth or gum. A shortcut can be by putting the oil directly on a cotton swab and dabbing it where it hurts.