Here’s how to make your own homemade clove oil to ease toothache when you just can’t get to a dentist.
Toothache is hell, it’s a pain we have all been familiar with at one time or another in our lives. There are all sorts of old wives’ tales and remedies for toothache. One that really works is clove oil.
Clove oil for toothache. We’ve all heard of that one, this wondrous substance acts as an anesthetic and soothes the pain when toothache gets the better of you and you can’t get to a dentist right away.
I always remember there being a tiny bottle of clove oil in the bathroom cabinet, the smell of it comes clearly to mind when I think of it right now. Actually, the thought of toothache comes to mind too and that’s not a good image.
Why does clove oil work for toothache?
This is because cloves contain a substance called eugenol. This is a natural anesthetic that helps to both numb the area and reduce the pain of toothache. Eugenol is also antibacterial so helps clear any nasty bugs that may be lurking. It can also help reduce swelling and irritation of the gums.
Okay, so we have established that clove oil for toothache is a good thing. But what if you don’t just happen to have one of those natty little bottles in the house?
Why not make your own clove oil.
Here’s how to make your own clove oil for toothache
Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Method
- Using a mortar and pestle simply crush half a teaspoon of whole cloves with a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add the rest of the olive oil and pour this into a small jar
- Leave for a week then strain out the solids and pour the resulting homemade clove oil into a small sterilised bottle or jar
How long will this keep?
It will keep for up to 4 months if it is in a dark glass bottle or stored in a cupboard where it isn’t in the light.
How to use clove oil for toothache
Use a cotton bud or Q tip to dip into the oil and press on to the sore gum/tooth area. Cloves are a great natural painkiller.
Don’t use this on babies who are teething or young children as it is too strong. If you do have to use it on older children in a toothache emergency then dilute the oil to make it weaker.
Emergency clove oil
Just crush a few cloves with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and dip the cotton bud/Q tip into that. Bear in mind that this is much stronger than the homemade clove oil I have shown above.
Disclaimer – like all my recipes and home hints use your own judgment and common sense. I am not responsible for your reactions to this. It is an old recipe and has worked for me.
Please read this post; I have clearly said this is not for babies.
Looking for more quick and easy natural home hints? Then check out my Home Hints section for more inspiration.
Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.
How to make clove oil for toothache
Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp whole cloves
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
- crush the cloves in 1 tbsp of the olive oil then add the remaining oil
- pour mixture into a small jar and set aside for a week in a cool dark place
- strain through muslin and pour the oil into a small sterilised jar/bottle
Just wondering if you can use this for babies who are teething or is it too strong?
I have lock jaw. Can this help? I don’t have tetanus, and I’ve been on antibiotics for a week. I’m desperate for relief and I can’t open my mouth enough to place a cotton ball. Right off the bat… This tincture needs to sit for awhile…. After 5 hours… The oil is still just oil. There’s not even a scent of cloves. I’ve seen other recipes that require the oil to sit for weeks before it’s done.
I’m not a doctor, this is just for toothache.
K x
I’ve found that peppermint oil helps really well.. but since I have to crush these cloves up, and my tooth is hurting due to the crown coming out and exposing the nerves, I’m reluctant to give the clove oil a try in case bite accidentally gets stuck up there!?!
Hope you get to a dentist soon
She did say This is not for babies multiple times.
Alright Karen’s, she already said don’t use on babies. I don’t know what I would have done without the cloves way back when I literally could not afford to just “go to the dentist $”.
Hi Lorie
Glad cloves helped with toothache.
K
Just wondering if you can use it for babies who are teething or if it would be too strong?
Hi Betty
If using on babies for teething I’d use just 1 drop of the clove oil mixed with 1 tablespoon of almond oil. Mix well and use this on cotton bud.
Frozen carrots are great for teething.
Hope this helps.
Kx
Dude nooo way to strong
I am not a dentist or a doctor. This is just something I posted that works for some people
I would not use clove oil on a baby. Clove oil can cause nerve damage in the gums, cheeks, lips, tongue, and throat.
Thanx Karon. My hustband has a monster toothache and the dentist isnt there until tomorrow then we’ll have to wait.
This combined with his pain killers might keep him and ME sane till he gets something done. 🙂
Cheers
Cathie
hope you have both survived the ordeal Cathie.
K x
Well my 50 year old husband is crying like a baby with a toothache I hope it works I even gave him Norfolk and antibiotics nothings working
Hope it works for him
K x
Can it help receeding gums?
of course not. This is for toothache
Can you use ground cloves
I really don’t know. I have only ever done this using whole cloves.
Can this oil be used internally or swallow awhole.What are the dangers.
No, this is just to put on tooth. Please read the post, there is a disclaimer, you use this sort of thing at your own risk. At no point do I say that you swallow it. I am not a doctor, hence the disclaimer.
Would it work as well if I were to crush the cloves in the oil and then strain using cheese cloth? Or would this weaken?
Sorry I have no idea. This is just a recipe from many many years ago that I tried and it worked as it was. i don’t know about doing different things with it.
Wow talk about some potent stuff! Tooth broke in half and nerve is exposed! I put some ground cloves in a medicine cup and dropped a little EVOO in it and mix it into a paste and applied to gums with finger and to the broke open area and within seconds it instantly started numbing and granted relieve.
Hi Diego
Glad it was of help to you.
K
Is there a way to accelerate making this? Who can wait a week?
Hi Jaz
I say in the post that in emergency you can just crush a few cloves in a little olive oil and use that, watch out it is strong. hope this helps.
K
could the olive oil and crushed cloves be heated on the stove on low heat to activate the cloves to infuse the oil faster let cool an then strain it..i think that would be way faster an affective method ..
Hi Brandy
You may be right, I just share how I make my recipes. Feel free to adapt to suit yourself
K
Thank you so much, Karon. I had this toothache in midnight 3AM and then I’d checked everywhere, but nothing was helpful as compared with your article.
Hi Samad
Glad this was useful to you. Hope you feel better soon.
K
Hi Karon
I have always used store bought clove oil and it didn’t always work but this works way better and faster.
Thanks
Hi Sally
Glad to hear this was of use to you.
K
I woke up in the middle of the night in with horrible pain on my upper right side teeth and head. I had been battling sinus congestion. I tried using a Neti pot and homeopathic nose spray and pills first. They did nothing to help besides the neti pot gave me temporary relief from the worst symptoms. However, the pain would return within half and hour. I then added some OTC pain relievers such as Advil. The recommended dose was not even putting a dent in my pain. I finally gave in and purchased Advil Sinus and allergy meds. I took them ASAP yesterday afternoon and noticed a mild relief. My boyfriend woke me up in the middle of the night because he didn’t hear me breathing (I was.) have been awake ever since trying my OTC meds and any home remedy I had the ingredients for. I was desperate! I gargled with salt water, drank hot water with honey and apple cider vinegar, rubber CBD drops on the sore area, rubbed peppermint oil and coconut oil all over my face to massage the pain away, etc. Some things helped for a bit, yet quickly returned. To read that clove oil was a great option and thankfully had a bag of cloves. I ground down two cloves and added coconut oil! Even though it was the middle of the night and I did a bad job grinding the cloves fine enough, it still helped relieve the pain on my upper mouth and teeth and fell asleep hours or so excruciating pain! Making the first version in article above the name today and will be grinding cloves until then! I felt like a miracle after all that pain!
Hi Tatiana
Glad the clove oil helped you a bit and hope you get your toothache sorted out soon.
K
Thank you for making this available!!!! It’s the only thing that has worked for my husband’s toothache
Hi Amber
Glad to hear that it helped your husband.
K
Omg, thank you! I thought my husband was crazy when he said use cloves, so I Googled it and found your site =) I did not have whole cloves, so I used 1 Tbsp Ground Cloves with 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil. Soaked a gauze pad and put it in my mouth. Pain went away almost instantly and thank you!
Hi Ashley
Glad this was of help to you.
K