...And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good...
-Genesis 1:11-12

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Clove Tea rinse for Toothache

Happy New Year's Eve Everyone! For January at least, I am going to attempt to post regularly, and for now, I think I'm going to try for Tuesdays. If you have any posts you'd like to see, please let me know in the comments.


If you're suffering from the pain of toothache, clove is your best bet for relief. My older brother came out to visit over thanksgiving and was in an agony of pain because of a wisdom tooth.
He is highly skeptical of any kind of alternative medicine, but he finally relented and let me nurse him.
He wouldn't allow me to put any essential oil directly on the gum which I have heard is a great relief,  but let me brew him some clove tea. Clove is slightly numbing to the gums which is just what he needed. After swishing with it and letting it sit against the painful area, he swallowed it, but I would recommend spitting it out afterward as too much can give you a stomach ache. (and who wants to be sick on top of in pain?!). Even my stubborn skeptical brother (who is a wonderful man and whom I love dearly by the way. But he is stubborn and skeptical. Just sayin) said it really did help and and the rinse benefits lasted for about an hour. So my remedy recipe is as following

1 Teaspoon whole dried clove buds slightly crushed to release oil
1/2 cup boiling water

Steep for 5-10 minutes, strain.
Take a healthy swig and swish and/or hold on the side that hurts for as long as you like, spit, and repeat until gums are numb.

Repeat Every 2 hours or as needed.

Toothache tips
A cotton swap dipped in clove essential oil and swabbed onto the affected area is reportedly the best thing for tooth pain
Whiskey is also a good remedy for helping to numb toothache. Whether you drink or not, I recommend keeping whiskey on hand for sickness. Swish/hold the liquor against the affected area. Spit or swallow as desired.
If nothing else, keep a warm compress on the jaw.
Elderberry syrup made with cloves is also according to my lovely mum, a relief. My mom had a toothache that had lasted for quite a while, and before I had thought of making a clove tea, I suggested my elderberry syrup that I had added cloves to. She took it and the next day it was better and did not reappear. I suspect that the immune boosting qualities had something to do with aiding her body in getting rid of whatever was ailing the tooth as well.

I hope this helps. If you've ever used clove for toothache, I'd love to hear about it!


~Elissa






Please do seek help for dental problems - the clove is merely a temporary help relieve the pain, it isn't a remedy for tooth trouble. But also do remember you have a choice. Don't be at the mercy of doctors or dentist, be informed about your choices.

3 comments:

Livia Rachelle said...

I don't usually have toothache problems nor cavities and these are often the focus of natural toothcare. I usually use Burt's Bees or Jason's toothpaste because I haven't found a natural recipe that is not messy. Brushing with baking soda hurts! Do you have any sensitive teeth/gum ideas? And what natural brands of floss and toothpaste do you recommend (mine seem to lose flavor after a while).

Elissa Pickle said...

@Livia Rachelle. I use Nature's Gate Creme de peppermint - it's one of the more natural one's I found and doesn't have Sulfates or fluoride. It isn't the most amazing tasting stuff though, if you aren't used to natural paste. It has quilaia (soap bark) so it has a rather soapy taste.
As for floss - I just use any old floss that my mom buys. I hate the flavored floss though, so I just wash my floss off before I use it. If you have a whole foods store in your area they have a really nice selection of oral care products if you're looking for a specifically natural floss. I have really sensitive gums - so my tip is to brush gently and massage your gums (outside your mouth gently with your finger tips) and also massage with the toothbrush along the gums. It will eventually help sensitive gums.

Sarah M said...

I have read about using cloves for toothache but I did not know that I can use clove teas too. I also experience a toothache before when I cracked my wisdom tooth for something that I ate. It is a good thing that the pain is gone after I visit my dentist.