Oil of clove, or eugenol, is a mild anesthetic. In fact, clove oil is just as powerful as benzocaine in numbing oral tissues at the dentist, reported a team of researchers in Journal of Dentistry. And it can boost circulation: When it’s rubbed around a painful tooth, blood vessels near the gum dilate, bringing blood to the surface with a warm, soothing sensation. And it’s an analgesic, reducing pain. And it’s anti-inflammatory, reducing redness and swelling around an injury. And it’s antibacterial, killing germs. All those therapeutic powers help explain why cloves are a formidable medicine against many forms of oral disease, such as gingivitis and periodontitis.
Nutritional Rx: It only takes a few cloves to add aroma to a pot of savory soup. But remember to remove them; unknowingly biting into a whole cloves can spoil the taste, not to mention chip a tooth. Try studding a small onion with cloves and adding it to a broth. When the dish is finished, retrieve the onion and throw it out.