Dentures and Dentist

Should You Use Clove Oil on a Toothache?

31 March 2016

Julian Andrews

If you're looking for a natural remedy for a toothache, you may be considering using cloves or clove oil. Traditionally used to treat tooth pain, the essential oils in cloves have some advantages and disadvantages when applied topically to your teeth. Before applying this oil or chewing on a clove or two, you should weigh the pros and cons.

The Advantages of Clove Oil

The essential oil in cloves, eugenol, has painkilling and antibacterial benefits. If you dab a spot of oil on a painful tooth, use a toothache medication containing clove oil or chew a couple of cloves in the area around the toothache, the oil works in two ways to reduce your pain.

First, clove oil will slightly numb the tooth and the affected area around it. This may give you immediate relief from your toothache. Second, the oil's antibacterial properties may work on any areas of bacterial decay that are making your tooth hurt. Again, this may reduce your pain.

As a natural remedy, you may find that clove oil works well on toothache pain in tandem with over-the-counter painkillers or as an alternative if you don't have any painkillers handy.

The Disadvantages of Clove Oil

While clove oil may be a good way of dealing with toothache on a temporary basis, it isn't really a substitute for dental treatment. Clove oil may help you manage your pain and may have some positive effects on minor areas of decay, but it won't necessarily permanently fix the underlying problem that gave you the toothache in the first place.

If you have large areas of decay or holes in your teeth, the oil may help manage your pain but isn't likely to stop it from coming back. Plus, if you have a really bad toothache caused by a more serious dental issue, such as an abscess, clove oil may not be all that effective at tackling your pain.

You also need to be careful how you use clove oil or toothache remedies that contain it. While the oil has some health benefits, it can also be harmful if used incorrectly. For example, according to myDr, you shouldn't swallow anything containing clove oil and should apply it with care. Ideally, you should use a cotton wool swab to dab a little oil or medication on the tooth that hurts, taking care not to get the oil on your gums or the tissues in your mouth. Clove oil can be a skin and membrane irritant and, as such, may damage your gums or tissues if they come into contact with the oil too much or too often.

For more information, contact a dentist in your area.

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