Does clove really help toothache?

For a short time, yes. Eugenol numbs the surface of the gum, and dentists have used clove-based pastes for over a century. It relieves pain but does not treat the cause, so it is a bridge to the dentist, not a replacement.

Whole clove or ground clove?

Whole buds keep their oil far longer and are easy to remove from rice and stews. Ground clove fades in a few months and is very easy to overdo.

How much is too much?

In cooking it is hard to overdo, because the flavour stops you first. Clove oil is a different matter and should never be swallowed.

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Clove

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Chapter 1 of 10

Clove

The Essentials

Clove is a flower bud, not a seed or a bark.

Its main compound, eugenol, numbs pain on the surface of the gum. This is the best-supported use.

It is one of the strongest antioxidant spices, gram for gram, though nobody eats it by the gram.

Clove oil is very strong. Never swallow it, and never give it to a small child.

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