A 46-year-old member asked:
grapefruit seed extract for abscessed tooth, does this work?
3 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in

Dr. Sandra Eleczkoanswered
Dentistry 36 years experience
Questionable: Some people use grapefruit seed extract as an antimicrobial, to kill some bacteria and fungi. The only predictable way to treat an abscessed tooth is to see a dentist and have this tooth treated with a root canal or extracted. There can be drug interactions between grapefruit and several commonly used medications so be very careful. The best thing to do is see a dentist for treatment.
4.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Gary Sandleranswered
Dentistry 54 years experience
As much as : Grapefruit seed extract would work as much as a band aid on a leaky water pipe. Infections can spread and cause serious complications. It's not smart to experiment or postpone proper treatment in these cases. See your dentist for an appropriate antibiotic than we know works and definitive treatment to remove the cause of the infection.
4.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Arnold Malermananswered
Orthodontics 53 years experience
No: Don't waste your time or money. If this worked wouldn't dentists have adopted this approach years ago? Wouldn't one of the otc manufacturers have found a way to market this? The only way to cure an abscessed tooth is to physically remove the infected tooth material (root canal rx or extraction), sometimes with ancillary antibiotics to prevent spread to other tissues. Please call your dentist.
4.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
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Last updated Aug 30, 2017
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