# I'd forgotten what a toothache was like.....until TODAY.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-forgotten-what-a-toothache-was-like-until-today/172128>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [April 30, 2003, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-forgotten-what-a-toothache-was-like-until-today/172128 "2003-04-30T12:39:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-forgotten-what-a-toothache-was-like-until-today/172128/41 "2003-05-03T20:27:44Z")

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For all of you with toothache, I offer salvation.

Obviously if you have dental problems you need a dentist yaddayadda.

HOWEVER, when the pain is there, and the happy-gas isn’t, I offer you this solution. Take a handful of cloves (yeah, the little spice things that look like nails). Boil water, pour it onto the cloves in a cup. Let it cool enough to have in your mouth. Rinse your mouth out with this, let it sit in your mouth and you swish it around. No more pain.

Yaddayadda this is only treating the symptom not the cause yaddayadda IANAD etc blahblah. Cash thank-yous accepted.

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**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-forgotten-what-a-toothache-was-like-until-today/172128/42 "2003-05-03T20:38:55Z")

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Dental insurance is abysmal in this country. Most insurance policies only cover up to $1000 a year and any type of dental work is ridiculously expensive.

I don’t know what dental insurance coverage is like in Australia as I was only a kid the last time I was at a dentist there. Is it any better than here in the States?

My suggestion to the folks in the States is to go to the dentist for regular check-ups and cleanings, cuz if you ever need any real work, you may aswell bend over and grab yer ankles.

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**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-forgotten-what-a-toothache-was-like-until-today/172128/43 "2003-05-03T21:43:18Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Iteki \*  
> \*\*For all of you with toothache, I offer salvation.
> 
> HOWEVER, when the pain is there, and the happy-gas isn’t, I offer you this solution. Take a handful of cloves (yeah, the little spice things that look like nails). Boil water, pour it onto the cloves in a cup. Let it cool enough to have in your mouth. Rinse your mouth out with this, let it sit in your mouth and you swish it around. No more pain.
> 
> \*\*

You can by ‘Clove Essence’ (Oil of Cloves) in little 25ml bottles here for about $4.00 which does indeed do the trick. Just dab a bit on the end of a cotton-tip and stick it in the gaping hole, and Bob’s yer Uncle…

Most of the time. 😉

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**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2003, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-forgotten-what-a-toothache-was-like-until-today/172128/44 "2003-05-04T04:39:47Z")

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Mention of ‘Oil of Cloves’ brings to mind Dustin Hoffman in ‘Marathon Man’.

_“Is it safe?”_

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**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2003, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-forgotten-what-a-toothache-was-like-until-today/172128/45 "2003-05-04T05:06:16Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by danceswithcats \*  
> \*\*Mention of ‘Oil of Cloves’ brings to mind Dustin Hoffman in ‘Marathon Man’.
> 
> _“Is it safe?”_ \*\*

Thanks HEAPS **dwc**. I really needed that image…but at least I didn’t get it until AFTER my fixin’.

You should’ve put a TMI warning before your post ya know, just to warn those who are booked in to see their ‘dentist’ in the near future…bwahahahahahaha!!

😃

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