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: 8000-34-8

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.

Efficacity

According to the FDA:

Clove oil and eugenol, one of the chemicals it contains, have long been used topically for toothache, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reclassified eugenol, downgrading its effectiveness rating. The FDA now believes there isn’t enough evidence to rate eugenol as effective for toothache pain.