Clove Oil For Toothache: Does It Work? - Healthline

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Can I Use Clove Oil to Ease My Toothache?

Medically reviewed by Olivia Sugimoto, D.M.D. — Written by Kimberly Holland — Updated on October 4, 2024

Preparation
Steps for using
Where to buy
Research
Risks
Other home remedies
Next steps

When you have tooth pain, you want immediate relief. For some people, clove oil may help. Ask your dentist if it’s right for you.

Toothaches are uniquely irritating. They’re painful, and getting to a dentist for immediate attention may be inconvenient. You can use over-the-counter pain medications, but natural treatments are also available to treat pain.

One of these preferred remedies is cloves. For centuries, cloves have been used as a pain relief technique. Historically, treatments called for inserting the clove into an infected tooth or cavity. They contain an active ingredient that numbs the skin they touch, which may provide temporary relief from the toothache.

Today, instead of grinding cloves, we use clove oil. Clove oil is the extracted, concentrated product from the plant. Read on for instructions on using clove oil.

Learn more about how to keep your teeth healthy.

When to call the dentist or doctor

According to the American Dental Association (ADA), call your dentist immediately if you:

Have severe pain: If your mouth pain is severe, getting worse, or won’t stop.
Have a fever: You have a fever that you think is related to a possible infection in a tooth or an area of your gums.
Had a trauma to your teeth: A cracked tooth or dental restoration, or facial bone trauma
Are bleeding in your mouth: Uncontrolled bleeding from your gums or tooth
Have signs of infection: A severe infection, such as an abscess or boil, that could be life-threatening
Have swelling in your mouth: Swollen gums or jaw, or soft tissue swelling that compromises your airway

Learn about more warning signs that you may need to see your dentist.

How do you prepare to use clove oil for a toothache?

If you’re going to try to use clove oil as a pain reliever for dental pain, you’ll need a few things, including:

a bottle of clove oil or powder
cotton swab or cotton ball
carrier oil (such as coconut oil, almond oil, or olive oil)
a small dish

You can also use clove powder meant for baking, but clove oil is more effective.

What are the steps for using clove oil?

You can follow these steps to try clove oil to help relieve a toothache:

Collect the supplies and ingredients you need.
Squeeze a few drops of clove oil with 1 teaspoon of olive oil into your dish.
Soak your swab or cotton ball with the clove oil.
Gently swipe the swab or ball around the area that is bothering you. Or place the cotton ball over the area.
Allow the oil to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before it starts working.
Reapply every 2 to 3 hours for relief.

Other ways to use clove oil

Other methods for using clove oil to help relieve dental pain include:

Oil pulling: To perform oil pulling, you can swirl clove oil mixed with coconut oil in your mouth. Focus on swishing the oil in the affected area to avoid numbing your whole mouth.

Clove paste: You can also make a paste or gel by grinding fresh whole cloves and mixing them with oil. This is less effective than using concentrated oil.

Where can you find clove oil?

Look for clove oil in the medicinal section of your supermarket or the home remedies section of your pharmacy.

Always dilute essential oils with a carrier oil. Carrier oils are neutral oils, such as vegetable or nut oils, that help dilute stronger essential oils to make them easier to use and more palatable.

Stop use if the clove oil is too strong, upsets your stomach, or burns.

What does the research say about clove oil?

Clove oil contains the active ingredient eugenol, a natural anesthetic. Eugenol helps numb and reduce pain to ease a toothache. It also has natural anti-inflammatory properties. It may reduce swelling and irritation in the affected area. Dry Socket Paste, an over-the-counter (OTC) treatment dentists recommend for tooth extraction pain, has eugenol.

A French clinical trial study in an emergency dental unit found that eugenol was more effective than articaine at reducing pain following treatment for Irreversible pulpitis, an extremely painful dental condition. However, both treatment options were effective at reducing pain.

A 2020 review of the literature related to clove oil notes that research suggests it is an effective analgesic for tooth and joint pain and has other potential health benefits.

What are the risks of using clove oil on your teeth?

Clove oil is naturally unpleasant to taste. Avoid swallowing any of it. Ingesting clove oil can lead to several side effects, including:

breathing difficulties
burning in your nose and throat
upset stomach
diarrhea

While clove oil is widely seen as an acceptable alternative treatment for toothaches, mainstream medical doctors do not widely support it. Talk with your dentist if you have any questions about using clove oil for toothache relief.

Infants and children

Never give clove oil to a child to eat or drink. Clove oil is meant to be daubed on an area, not swallowed.

Keep clove oil and other essential oils out of reach of children. If a child swallows clove oil by mistake, it can make them very ill.

Consult with your pediatrician or healthcare professional before using clove oil to treat your child.

Be sure to mix the clove oil with natural carrier oil, if you want to use this treatment as a topic for your child or infant. These oils dilute the strength of the oil. Never use full-strength clove oil on the skin.

Are there other home remedies for toothache at home?

The treatments for a toothache largely depend on what’s causing it. Here are other home remedies that may help relieve toothaches.

Remedy	Why it may work	How to use it
peppermint oil	contains 35-45 percent menthol, which may help reduce pain	Use in the same way as clove oil. Be sure to dilute.
sea salt rinse	reduce inflammation and pain	Dissolve a spoonful of sea salt in a cup of warm water and swish around affected area.
clean your mouth	trapped food particles between teeth may cause pain	floss, brush, rinse with antiseptic mouthwash
OTC pain relievers	may reduce pain and sensitivity caused by toothache	follow the directions on the bottle; try acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil), or aspirin
oral antiseptic	can ease irritation and provide temporary pain relief	look for options that contain benzocaine, which can gently numb your gums

What can you do right now if you have dental pain?

If you’re experiencing a toothache right now, keep these steps in mind for managing your pain:

Look for dental damage: Can you see any damage to your teeth? If so, you may need emergency medical attention. If a tooth is cracked or broken, no amount of pain relief may help.
Weigh your options: Which is more ideal for you? If you prefer something more natural, try one of the home remedies above. Otherwise, take one or two of your preferred over-the-counter pain relievers.
Try clove oil: Try clove oil for a day or two as a soak or paste. Continue this until the pain goes away or you’re able to visit your dentist. Consider OTC pain medication if the relief isn’t strong enough.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

12 Signs You Need to See a Dentist. (n.d.).https://www.mouthhealthy.org/top-reasons-to-visit-dentist
De Grado Gabriel F, et al. (2023). Efficacy of articaine or eugenol for pain relief after emergency coronal pulpotomy in teeth with irreversible pulpitis: A randomized clinical trial.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10377881/
El-Saber Batiha G, et al. (2020). Syzygium aromaticum L. (Myrtaceae): Traditional uses, bioactive chemical constituents, pharmacological and toxicological activities.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7072209/#B114-biomolecules-10-00202
Pandey VK, et al. (2023). Bioactive properties of clove (Syzygium aromaticum) essential oil nanoemulsion: A comprehensive review.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10755278/

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Medically reviewed by Olivia Sugimoto, D.M.D. — Written by Kimberly Holland — Updated on October 4, 2024

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