Goodlettsville Dental Services

Oil of Cloves

Oil of cloves can be purchased over the counter at pharmacies

Oil of cloves, also known as Clove oil, is an essential oil from the clove plant, Syzygium aromaticum.

• CAS number: 8015-98-2  

It is a natural analgaesic and antiseptic used primarily in dentistry for its main ingredient eugenol. It can also be purchased in pharmacies over the counter, as a home remedy for dental pain relief, mainly toothache; it is also often found in the aromatherapy section of health food stores. The oil produced by cloves can be used in many things from flavouring medicine to remedies for bronchitis, the common cold, a cough, fever, sore throat and tending to infections. The main oil-producing countries are Madagascar and Indonesia.

There are three types of clove oil:

• Bud oil is derived form the flower-buds of S.aromaticum. It consists of 60-90% eugenol, eugenyl acetate, caryophyllene and other minor constituents.  
• Leaf oil is derived from the leaves of S.aromaticum. It consists of 82-88% eugenol with little or no eugenyl acetate, and minor constituents.  
• Stem oil is derived from the twigs of S.aromaticum. It consists of 90-95% eugenol, with other minor constituents.  

Oral use

Oil of cloves is known best for its anaesthetic properties. It is widely reported to be effective, and prior to the availability of anaesthetic drugs, was used by some dentists.

Clove oil is often used to relieve pain caused by dry socket, a possible complication of tooth extraction.

Clove oil has an unpleasant taste, so it is advised to prevent the oil from touching the tongue.

Toxicity

It is considered safe in very small quantities (<1500 p.p.m.) as a food additive. However, clove oil is toxic to human cells. If ingested in sufficient quantity or injected, it has been shown to cause life-threatening complications, including acute respiratory distress syndrome, fulminant hepatic (liver) failure, and central nervous system depression; the lethal oral dose is 3.752 g per kg body weight.

Topical use

When applied to stop a toothache, a cotton swab – applied directly to the infection site – or a very small piece of oil-soaked tissue paper is placed directly on or in the tooth, to allow for the oil to absorb into the affected area.

Clove oil has antimicrobial and antifungal uses. It can be used for acne, warts, scars and parasites. Laboratory research published in 2009 demonstrated that it exhibits significant activity against Propionibacterium acnes, the major skin bacterium causing acne.

Other uses

It is also used for anaesthetizing and, in higher doses, euthanizing fish. Caution is warranted as clove oil is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, although it is a GRAS (Generally recognized as safe) product.

Clove oil is also the active ingredient in a weed and grass killing herbicide. It is effective in killing many types of plants.

Research has shown that clove oil is an effective mosquito repellent.

Clove oil is also used in oil painting. The anti-oxidant effects of the eugenol delays the drying (oxidation) of the drying oils (linseed, safflower, poppy, walnut) in the paint on the palette. A drop per paint ‘nut’ is usually added. The artist Lance Richlin utilizes a mixture of 50 percent clove oil to 50 percent safflower oil in this way. Alternatively, the palette can be covered, with a small amount of clove oil applied to the inside of the cover to allow the clove oil to disperse, preventing the paint from reacting with the oxygen within the cover. This method has the advantage of not slowing the drying of the paints once they are applied to the painting, as the clove oil isn’t on the painting.

Clove oil is also used in the polishing, cleaning, and maintenance of Japanese swords. In this role it is referred to as Choji oil. Choji oil is about 99% fine mineral oil with a very small amount of clove oil; pure clove oil should not be applied directly to a sword