Ailment: Toothache

Remedy: Cloves / clove oil

You can buy whole cloves in a supermarket or Asian store. Clove oil is available in some health food shops, but is sold more widely as an essential oil. If buying the essential oil, make sure it is made from real cloves and is pure.

Clove oil is one of the richest sources of antioxidants. Place a single drop under the tongue once per day.

Clove oil is an anaesthetic and antiseptic, making it particularly suitable for toothache and infections.

Comment posted by Eric of Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa on 4 June 2010 at 14:2       255

YES
My grandma told me about clove oil for tooth pain. Dentists used it long ago, and it really works. First it is an anaesthetic, it numbs the tooth and surrounding area. It is also an antiseptic, killing the bacteria in the mouth and helping prevent plaque. I just dab it on with a cotton wool bud and it works in a minute or two.
I also use hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash. I am prone to cavities, so I make sure there is no food remaining between teeth after each meal. I have been using h2o2 for a couple of years now, and haven't needed to see the dentist since starting to use it.

Comment posted by JohnM of Sydney, NSW, Australia on 25 May 2010 at 16:55       218

YES
Garlic for gum abscess. I am in awe of the potency of garlic as a natural antibiotic. I have known for a long time about the use of garlic, but have never really used it in a serious situation. The inside of a gum against a wisdom tooth was infected according to my dentist, and the only way to clear it was using antibiotics. The next day I could hardly open my mouth, and could feel the infection spreading deep into the muscles that hinge my jaw. I knew it was a deep abscess but I was determined not to use pharmaceutical antibiotics as I am very much aware of how they harm your digestion and immune system for many months. I was doing salt water rinses a couple of times a day, and they helped, but I was not getting on top of the situation. The following day the pain was increasing, so I went out and bought some clove oil, and applied that with a cotton wool tip to the gum. Instant relief! But over the next couple of days the pain in my jaw muscles did not go away, and though the clove oil was obviously helping, the main infection was still there. The abscess also burst which relieved the pressure and some of the pain. The "aha!" moment was when I started using garlic. This is not for the feint-hearted. I mashed up a large clove of garlic in my mortar and pestle and placed some of the mash on my abscess and drank the rest with a glass of water. The pain was incredible and my mouth was dribbling. For ten minutes I just walked around while the pain reduced. Within 12 hours the abscess reduced by half, and the next morning the swelling was virtually gone, the abscess had stopped oozing pus, and there was hardly any pain.

Comment posted by KeithDom of Sydney, NSW, Australia on 25 May 2010 at 16:14       217

YES
I had really bad toothache from a cavity. Got some clove oil from my health food store, and applied it directly to the tooth with a cotton wool tip. There was an immediate reduction in pain, and it remained soothed for hours. I feel the infection was also healing. I did this three times a day for a couple of days, and the toothache was gone. The other thing I did was rinse my mouth with hydrogen peroxide (6 drops 3% in half a glass of water) after each meal, and then spat it out. And I chewed on raw garlic, which I feel reduced the infection. Thank you - these remedies really work

Remedy (new) posted by David Niven Miller of Perth, WA, Australia on 14 May 2010 at 18:21       197

YES
Put 2-4 drops of clove oil in a quarter glass of water and use as a mouthwash. Hold it in your mouth as long as possible. Alternatively, put a drop of clove oil on a cotton bud, and apply it directly to the sore tooth