Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

Effective remedies for toothaches include allspice, butternut, calendula, clove, plantain, slippery elm, tarragon, and yarrow.

Relieving pain cause by toothache can be accomplished in many ways.

Most common ‘effective’ practices include the use of allspice, butternut, calendula, clove, plantain, slippery elm, tarragon, and yarrow.

Allspice - Allspice - Dentists use eugenol as a local anesthetic for teeth and gums, and the chemical is an ingredient in the overthe-counter toothache remedies Numzident and Benzodent. Allspice oil may be applied directly to painful teeth and gums as first aid until professional care can be obtained. Take care not to swallow it.

Butternet - Native American Indians applied the inner bark of the butternut tree arround the affect tooth & gums to get relief.

The butternut tree, (Juglans Cinerea), is native to North America and thrives along rivers in well drained soil. The butternut tree may stand in some rural or suburban yards and can reach a height of 40 to 60 feet. Its bark is light gray, and both the leaves and its fruit resembles black walnuts.

The medicinal part of the butternut tree is the inner rind separated from the outer bark or the inner part of its roots.

After being dried the bark can be ground into a powder, and is considered a gentle, effective laxative. Native Americans applied the bark to the gums to alleviate tooth aches, and it is said that it works quite well for this.

Calendula - Calendula officinalis, or Pot Marigold, is a hardy annual with bright green leaves and stems tinged with yellow. The petals are delicate and are what is used in herbal medicine.

Flowers, picked when they’re newly opened, are spread out to dry, and then the petals are picked off. It is a safe and gentle herb, and is used in ointments and dressings for wounds and sores. An infusion of calendula blossoms eases toothaches and ulcers in the mouth.

Clove - Caryophyllus aromaticus, is an evergreen tree, native to the Spice Islands and the Philippines, but also grows in other tropical areas.

The medicinal part of the clove is the dried flower bud. Clove oil will stop the pain of toothache most effectively but if you don’t have the oil you can also place two whole cloves between the offending tooth and your cheek after you chewed them slightly to release their juices.

Plantain - Raw plantain leaves, crushed with salt rubbed on to them will, also help stop a toothache. Plantain is an extremely common “weed” found most anywhere. You can usually see it growing in the cracks of sidewalks and hedge rows.

In Oriental medicine, a concoction of roasted eggplant and salt, called Dentie, is widely used for toothaches.

Slippery Elm - A paste of slippery elm powder and water put into a tooth where the filling has come out, will be very helpful until one gets to the dentist.

Native to North America, particularly throughout the Applalachians, the slippery elm much like the butternut tree has its medicinal part is the inner rind separated from the outer bark. Best time to collect is in the spring while the trees are full of water. And a mouthwash made with sage or marigold and a pinch of salt, is beneficial to bleeding gums.

Tarragon - Artemisia dracunculus is a member of the same family as daisies, with small yellow flowers. From the two types of tarragon, French and Russian, and the more aromatic French variety is preferred for both cooking and medicine. An infusion of the leaves stimulates the appetite, relieves gas and colic, helps alleviate the pain of arthritis, and expels worms for the body. The fresh leaf or root, when applied to aching teeth, acts as an anesthetic until one can get to the dentist.

Yarrow - Achillea millefolium, originated in Europe and Asia, but is now naturalized throughout North America. Yarrow grows wild in fields, meadows, roadsides and open woodlands. Yarrow has the ability to stop bleeding, aids in healing wounds, and yarrow tea is also beneficial to rashes, skin ulcers and hemorrhoids. But the root of the yarrow is also an anesthetic. To relieve toothaches, apply the fresh root or leaves to the gums or teeth.

These are just a few helpful herbs one can use on aching teeth until one can get professional help.