Yeah, ibuprofen's pretty hit-or-miss for me too. Clove oil, though...that stuff is magic. I remember once having a toothache flare up at like 2 am (because of course it had to be in the middle of the night, right?), and I was digging through my cabinets half-asleep looking for anything to help. Found a tiny bottle of clove oil I'd bought months earlier—total lifesaver. Plus, it's cheap enough that my wallet doesn't hate me afterward, unlike some meds out there.
Yeah, clove oil's been a staple in our medicine cabinet for years now. My kid had a toothache flare-up last summer, and ibuprofen barely touched it. I remembered my grandma swearing by clove oil, so I figured why not give it a shot. Dabbed a tiny bit on a cotton swab and within minutes he was finally able to sleep. It's definitely one of those old-school remedies that actually works—plus, like you said, it's budget-friendly. Just gotta be careful not to overdo it, though...too much can irritate the gums a bit. Still, beats waiting hours for painkillers to kick in.
"Just gotta be careful not to overdo it, though...too much can irritate the gums a bit."
That's a great point—clove oil is fantastic in moderation, but I've seen a few patients who've gone a little heavy-handed and ended up with irritated gums. Usually nothing serious, but definitely uncomfortable. Have you tried diluting it with a bit of olive or coconut oil? It tends to soften the intensity without losing effectiveness. Also curious if anyone's noticed differences between brands or types of clove oil? I've heard some people swear by organic or pure essential oils, while others seem fine with whatever's cheapest at the pharmacy. Personally, I've found quality does make a slight difference, but maybe that's just me being picky...
I've actually never noticed a big difference between organic and regular brands myself...maybe my gums just aren't picky, haha. But yeah, diluting definitely helps—learned that the hard way after a weekend of overenthusiastic application left me feeling pretty tender.
