After I had step 1 done for some crowns a couple months ago - and again today, after having a root canal yesterday - I taste something like sweet spice. As in, cinnamon, clove, allspice, or something like that (it reminds me of the smell of the stuff I brine our thanksgiving turkey in).
Do dentists actually use some clove derivatives or something? if so, what’s it for? Dangit, I’m craving some orange-spice tea now 
My dentist uses a gel to numb the gum area where he is going to inject anesthetic. It has a sort of spicy taste to it that lingers for a while.
A packing/dressing containing clove oil is often used to prevent dry socket.
Clove oil is a natural topical anesthetic. I had a tooth removed and the packing was soaked in it.
It played a role in the movie “Marathon Man” where Dustin Hoffman played a guy who through a case of mistaken identity was tortured by a crazed Nazi dentist looking for a diamond stash. Hoffman kept dabbing it into his mouth to mitigate the pain after he escaped.
Is it safe? :eek:
Clove oil (essential oil) is safe for first aid use tooth pain relief up to three days - after that it can begin to irritate the gum and you really ought to see a dentist. And, yes, it’s still in at least two dental formulations that I’ve been lucky enough to taste. I asked my dentist and he confirmed that it’s still the real stuff - there’s nothing synthetic that’s cheaper or better for its role. (I’m always interested when Western medicine still uses herbals.)
WhyNot,
herbalist
Thanks, Dopers! I haven’t been able to find a specific description of clove oil being used during root canals (vague references such as “temporary” etc. are all) but it makes sense that this is why I’m tasting the stuff still. And yes, cloves are one of the ingredients in my turkey brine recipe (along with cinnamon and allspice).
Share please! (The recipe, not the root canal. Just got my first one o’ those, don’t need more!)
Heee - Well, as much as I enjoyed this root canal (semi-seriously; first one was a nightmare but thanks to Modern Pharmaceuticals and a dentist who has experience in handling severe dental anxiety this one was a breeze in comparison) I won’t share it with you. The recipe, on the other hand… As requested - I got this one from the Washington Post years ago. The pan drippings make very dark gravy that might be a tad on the saltier side but is really deelish. Turns out I misremembered - there is no cinnamon in this recipe. Also I don’t stuff the turkey when I brine it, just roast it “empty” (afraid the stuffing would make things too salty).
Apple Cider Brine
(Makes enough for a 10- to 25-pound turkey)
Brines can sometimes be a lot of hassle for very little flavor. Not
this one. The apple cider permeates and moistens the turkey meat, and the
bird emerges from the oven with a burnished gold skin.
From "The Thanksgiving Table" by Diane Morgan (Chronicle, 2001).
In Advance: The turkey must be brined for 12 to 24 hours in advance of
roasting.
8 cups unsweetened apple cider or juice
2/3 cup kosher salt
2/3 cup sugar
6 quarter-size slices unpeeled fresh ginger root
2 bay leaves
6 whole cloves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
2 teaspoons whole allspice berries, crushed
6 cups ice-cold water
1 thawed turkey (10 to 25 pounds)
2 oranges, quartered
2 turkey-size plastic oven bags
In a 3- to 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cider
or juice, salt, sugar, ginger, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns and allspice
and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the salt and sugar have
dissolved. Boil for 3 minutes then remove from the heat. Add 4 cups of the
cold water and stir. Cool to room temperature. {I cool in fridge, not just to room temp - MZ}
Have ready a heavy roasting pan large enough to hold the turkey. Place
1 plastic oven bag inside a second bag to create a double thickness. Place
the double bags, open side up, in the roasting pan.
Remove the giblets and neck from the body and neck cavities of the
turkey. Rinse the turkey in cold water, drain it and pat it dry with paper
towels. Stuff the orange quarters into the main cavity of the turkey.
Fold back the top third of the double bags, making a collar to help
keep the top of the bag open. Place the turkey inside the bags, stand it
upright and pour the cool brine mixture into the inner bag and over the
bird. Add the remaining 2 cups cold water and draw up the opening of the
inner bag, squeezing out as much air as possible, then secure it closed with
a twist tie. Repeat with the outer bag. Position the turkey on its breast in
the roasting pan and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours, turning the turkey 3 or
4 times while it is brining. {I often go 24-36 hours - MZ}
Just prior to roasting, remove the turkey from the brine. Discard the
brine, bags, the oranges from inside the bird and any cured herbs or spices
remaining outside the bird. Rinse the turkey with cold water and pat dry
with paper towels. The turkey is now ready to be roasted.
Oil of clove has been used in dentistry for a very long time. IIRC, a bottle of it was found in the ship’s surgeon’s kit of the Mary Rose. It sank in 1535.
YUM! Thanks. I’ve done Alton Brown’s brine a couple of years now. Can’t wait to try this one!
I thought I remembered the dentist giving it to him during the torture to show that he could make the pain stop at once if Dustin would just tell him if it was safe.