Spilanthes, aka tooth ache cress, does not survive the winter in Canada but the summer is more
than long enough to grow it from seeds and harvest the flowers in fall. Spilanthes comes originally form
Africa and South America and has long been used to support oral health.
Spilanthes has a slightly numbing effect but it has as well antibiotic and healing properties.
It's very good to treat aching teeth or irritated gums. It is in my opinion one of the best
ways to get your gums to heal after a dental procedure.
Both flowers and leaves of the spilanthes plant can be used but the flowers are especially potent.
Here is what the spilanthes plant looks like.
The spilanthes plant
Spilanthes grows well on rich moist soil and it prefers a sunny spot.
To make a tincture you collect the flowers and put them in a jar with 40% alcohol. The first flowers will
be ready by the and of July but news ones will continue to come until September.
The flowers (and some leaves) need to stay in the alcohol for a couple of month. The solution will have
a deep brown golden color when the tincture is ready. I run everything thought a cheese cloth to separate the
tincture flowers from the now brown alcohol solution. The solution goes into a small bottle and I keep the
flowers in a jar because they are still usable and they are more potent than the tincture. They will not catch mold as long as there is some amount of alcohol still on them. They get a bit mushy over time.
It is possible to use fresh spilanthes leaves or flowers but the problem is that you have to chew them to have an effect and that
means your tong will touch them. The result will be a totally numb sensation on your tong. This is normally not what you want. You want to treat specific spots on your gums or teeth. The tincture is therefore
more easy to use because you can apply it to a specific area without chewing. The same is true for the flowers after they have been sitting in the alcohol for a while. You don't need to chew them anymore they will have an immediate effect once they touch your gums.
