Soumya Subhashree Satapathy
1 
, Ruchi Bhuyan
2 , Arun Kumar Pradhan
1 , Nihar Ranjan Panda
2 , Sanat Kumar Bhuyan
3* 1 Centre for Biotechnology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Siksha O Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
2 Department of Medical Research, IMS and SUM Hospital, Siksha O Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
3 Institute of Dental Science, Siksha O Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
Abstract
The contemporary era showcases a growing emphasis on alternative medicine, specifically the utilization of ethnomedicine, which has gained significant attraction in recent times. This review explores the curative properties and ethnomedicinal utilization of the “Toothache plant” belonging to the Asteraceae family, the most common weed in crop fields. “Toothache plant” has added noteworthy attention in dentistry due to its unique properties. The toothache plant is well-known for providing numbing and analgesic effects by simply chewing the flowers due to the presence of active compounds such as Spilanthol. The analgesic property makes the plant a potential candidate for natural pain relievers, particularly in dentistry. Besides its dental application, this plant is used as an antidote for snake bites. This review summarises the ethnomedicinal values and clinical applications of the toothache plant, with a particular focus on oral health care, and the findings presented herein are anticipated to help in future research.
Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education:
The toothache plant has local anesthetic properties and exhibits efficacy in treating several oral ailments, including oral ulcers, oral cancer, and periodontitis. Its analgesic property makes the plant a potential candidate for natural pain relievers, particularly in dentistry.
Please cite this paper as: Satapathy S, Bhuyan R, Pradhan A, Panda NR, Bhuyan SK . Toothache plant: A comprehensive review focusing on its applications in dental health. J Herbmed Pharmacol. 2025;14(1):1-10. doi: 10.34172/jhp.2025.51533.