Study Confirms Clove Oil Works Just As Well As Orajel For Dental Pain Relief

Most people use conventional OTC meds such as Anbesol and Orajel when they have toothache. These conventional products’ active ingredient is benzocaine, an anesthetic – however, this is known to cause allergic reactions and other side effects.

A 2006 human trial published in the Journal of Dentistry discovered that homemade clove essential oil gel works as effectively as benzocaine 20% gel for helping toothache and chronic tooth pain. ^[1]

The maximum strength OTC products on the market, such as Anbesol and Orajel, use 20% benzocaine as the active ingredient.

Clove Oil’s “Double Action”

Clove essential oil has a “double action”: First it is strongly antibacterial (as well as antifungal) and the secret to its potent antibacterial effect lies on its phenolic compound content, principally eugenol.

Clove oil also acts as a painkiller and it’s interesting to note that it has a history of centuries of use for tooth and gum pain. Whole cloves were an old folk-remedy for toothache, being applied to or stuffed into the painful area of the tooth, or even chewed with the affected tooth if this is possible. Whole clove is a further option if you have neither the EO nor any other medications available. Some dentists and toothache kits still use pure eugenol for emergency treatment of toothaches and clove oil was once standard in this application!

Clove Oil Safety

Important safety notes on using clove essential oil:

1) Use clove oil only as a temporarily pain relief and not a permanent solution.You should make an appointment with a dental professional as soon as possible – however if toothache strikes “after hours” (or if you happen to find yourself “Off the Grid” / in a survival situation) clove oil may help.

2) Pure clove oil is very powerful and it could burn your skin or cause nausea if you use it full strength. Dilute with olive oil (one part clove, 2 parts olive oil). Then, do a skin test to find out if you are allergic to cloves – apply a small amount to your skin i.e. inside of the forearm and wait. If any rash appears, it would be advisable to seek an alternative.

3) Be sure to use a high quality pure essential oil.

Further reading: Read our full essential oil report to learn more about Clove Essential Oil

Reference:

[1] The effect of clove and benzocaine versus placebo as topical anesthetics. J. Dent. (2006).http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16530911

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