DEAR DR. GOTT:
I’m a big fan of the home remedies you print and would like to contribute one that you might not be aware of.
I recently had a molar surgically removed. This was the first tooth I had extracted and I had no idea what to expect. I had a lot of pain the first two days, which is normal, but by the 6th day the pain had not subsided at all. I was miserable. I went back to my dentist who informed me I had a dry socket. He packed it with a paste, which gave me immediate relief. The next night the pain was back and I was miserable again.
My father told me of a dry socket he had about 30 years ago and at that time the dentist packed it with cloves. I had a friend pick me up a bottle of clove oil immediately. I used it and in about 15 minutes the pain completely subsided! I must admit clove oil doesn’t taste very good, but the way I minimized the taste was by dipping the end of a Q-tip in the bottle and then gently put it in the hole and let it rest there for about 30 seconds, being careful not to touch the rest of my mouth with it. Also, I didn’t eat or drink for an hour after use.
The clove oil was less than $4 a bottle, it worked nearly immediately, and I didn’t have to make a trip to the dentist. I did consult him and he advised me it was perfectly safe and that clove oil is the main ingredient in the paste he used to pack the area when I was in his office. After he found out how well it worked for me, he indicated he would share the advice with his patients.
I hope you share this with your readers as well, because the dry socket was one of the most painful experiences I ever had.
DEAR READER:
Clove oil with its bacterial fighting properties has traditionally been used by dentists for countless years during dental procedures.
As you have discovered, treatment with clove oil brings almost immediate relief from an aching tooth or dry socket. In fact, if you don’t have clove oil in your medicine chest, reach for the box of whole cloves in your kitchen cabinet. Yes, I’m talking about the cloves used to flavor a ham prior to baking. Wrap one or two whole cloves in a small gauze pad and place the pad on or as close to the painful area as possible. Allow it to remain in place so the clove can do its work and bring relief.
I assume your dentist advised you against smoking (if you do) following the extraction, since the habit could certainly lead to a dry socket. The clove oil remedy is effective, safe, and reasonable.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Dr. Gott’s Compelling Home Remedies”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped, number 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.
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