The toothache plant is a tropical herb whose flowers and leaves produce a strong numbing, tingling sensation when chewed or applied to the skin. Its scientific name is Acmella oleracea, and it earned its common name from centuries of use as a natural remedy for tooth and gum pain. The plant is also known as paracress, jambu, and in culinary circles, its flower buds are called “buzz buttons” or “Szechuan buttons.”
What the Plant Looks and Tastes Like
Toothache plant produces bright yellow and orange, cone-shaped flower heads that bloom throughout summer. The foliage is green and somewhat unremarkable, but those small, bulbous flowers are where the real action happens. Pop one in your mouth and you’ll first notice a grassy, pungent, herbal flavor. Within seconds, a tingling electric sensation spreads across your tongue, lips, and cheeks. Most people describe it as buzzing or vibrating, while others feel a numbing or cooling wave followed by a rush of saliva. One university student in a taste perception study summed it up memorably: it “tasted like a dandelion on fire.”
The Compound Behind the Buzz
The sensation comes from spilanthol, an alkylamide compound concentrated in the plant’s flowers and, to a lesser degree, its leaves. Spilanthol works by activating specific sensory channels on nerve endings, the same types of channels that respond to temperature changes and irritants like wasabi or chili peppers. It also interacts with the body’s own cannabinoid receptors. The combined effect is a localized numbing that reduces pain signals while also relaxing blood vessels in the surrounding tissue, increasing blood flow to the area.
This is why chewing a flower bud genuinely dulls a toothache rather than just creating a distracting sensation. The compound has a measurable pain-blocking (antinociceptive) effect, not just a surface-level tingle.
Traditional and Modern Medicinal Uses
Across South America, Southeast Asia, and parts of Africa, the toothache plant has been used for generations as a go-to remedy for mouth pain. People chew the flower heads directly or make a poultice to press against sore gums. The numbing kicks in within seconds and can last several minutes.
Lab studies have confirmed the plant has genuine antibacterial activity against several common pathogens, including Streptococcus mutans (the primary bacterium responsible for tooth decay), Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. So in addition to numbing pain, applying the plant to oral tissue may help fight the bacteria contributing to the problem in the first place.
Buzz Buttons in Food and Cocktails
Chefs and bartenders discovered the toothache plant in the mid-2000s and quickly turned it into a novelty ingredient. Esquire named it their “Cooking Ingredient of the Year” in 2007. The flower buds, marketed as buzz buttons, started showing up in cocktails at high-end bars, including the Verbena cocktail at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas’ Chandelier Bar. Even TGI Fridays got in on it with a “Blackberry Buzz Rita.” You can now buy buzz buttons from online retailers to experiment with at home.
In Brazilian cuisine, the plant has deeper roots. Known as jambu, it’s a staple ingredient in traditional dishes from the Pará region, where its pungency and tingling quality are valued the same way Sichuan peppercorns are in Chinese cooking. The leaves are cooked into soups and stews, adding both flavor and that signature electric mouthfeel.
Skincare and Anti-Aging Products
Spilanthol’s ability to relax muscles doesn’t stop at the mouth. Cosmetics companies have incorporated toothache plant extract into anti-wrinkle creams, marketing it as a natural alternative to injectable muscle relaxants. The idea is straightforward: applied topically, the extract relaxes the tiny facial muscles that create expression lines over time. Research suggests it also has antioxidant properties and may help stimulate and reorganize collagen networks in the skin. You’ll find it listed as Acmella oleracea extract or spilanthol in ingredient lists of serums and creams aimed at fine lines around the eyes and forehead.
Growing It at Home
Toothache plant is an annual in most climates and reasonably easy to grow from seed. It thrives in full sun to partial shade, though fewer flowers develop without adequate light. The plant prefers well-draining, nutrient-rich soil and consistent moisture. From seed to harvestable flowers, expect a timeline of 90 to 120 days. The flowers bloom continuously through summer and attract pollinators like butterflies, making the plant a useful addition to a garden even beyond its medicinal novelty.
Harvest the flower heads once they’re fully formed and brightly colored. You can use them fresh, dry them for later use, or steep them in alcohol to make a tincture. The tingling potency is strongest in fresh flowers but holds up reasonably well when dried.
Safety Considerations
Toothache plant is generally well tolerated. In clinical studies using topical formulations of Acmella oleracea extract over 12 weeks, participants reported no allergic reactions or systemic side effects. That said, some people experience mild local irritation or a burning sensation when applying concentrated extracts to sensitive skin or mucous membranes. If you’re allergic to plants in the daisy family (Asteraceae), there’s a reasonable chance you could react to toothache plant as well, since it belongs to that same botanical group.
The tingling sensation itself, while intense, is temporary and harmless. If you’re trying a buzz button for the first time, start with a small piece of a single flower rather than popping a whole one in your mouth. The sensation can be startling if you’re not expecting it.