Former UFC bantamweight champion Miesha Tate recently shared a surprising claim: she says she cured a tooth infection without antibiotics—by packing her gums with raw garlic.
Speaking on the Jaxxon podcast, Tate explained that instead of filling a prescription from her dentist, she chopped fresh garlic, pressed it into the infected area, rinsed with salt water and repeated the process daily for about a week. The result, according to her, was simple: “Gone. Swear to God.”
Tate credited Dr. Rhonda Patrick‘s discussion on The Joe Rogan Experience for the inspiration, noting that chopping garlic activates its antimicrobial compounds. Her reasoning echoes a growing trend of athletes and influencers leaning toward natural remedies rather than conventional medicine.
But can garlic really cure a dental infection—or is this a case of a short-lived symptom relief mistaken for a complete fix?
Garlic does have some impressive credentials. When garlic is chopped or crushed, an enzyme reaction converts a compound called alliin into allicin, a sulfur-containing molecule with strong antimicrobial properties. In laboratory studies, allicin has been shown to inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi and even certain viruses.
Traditional medicine has long regarded garlic as a natural antibiotic and modern research partially validates that reputation. Applied topically, garlic can indeed create a hostile environment for microbes. Chewing raw garlic or pressing it against the gum introduces allicin directly where bacteria thrive. This might help reduce the bacterial load around the infected site, temporarily relieving pain and swelling.
The salt water rinse Tate mentioned also plays a role, as it helps flush out debris and reduce inflammation.
Where the skepticism comes in
But here’s the catch: tooth infections are not just surface-level bacterial irritations. When an infection reaches the root or pulp of a tooth, it can spread into the jaw, bloodstream and even the brain if untreated. Antibiotics and, in many cases, dental procedures are the only proven safeguards against those risks.
Garlic might knock back some bacteria locally, but it has not been clinically proven to penetrate and sterilize deep dental tissue. It’s also possible that Tate‘s infection wasn’t severe to begin with. Many dental aches and gum irritations feel like infections but resolve on their own with proper hygiene. Garlic may have sped up that process—or it may have coincided with natural healing.
Without medical imaging or lab confirmation, we can’t know for sure whether she eliminated a true infection or just soothed inflammation until her body recovered.
Natural remedies vs. medical oversight
Tate framed her choice as part of a broader distrust of pharmaceuticals, noting that
“all these pills and medications come from plants anyways”
and that synthetic versions are pushed for profit. While there’s truth in the idea that many medications have natural origins, it doesn’t follow that raw plants can always substitute for refined medicines.
Pharmaceuticals exist because active compounds need to be standardized, tested and dosed precisely—something you don’t get when chopping up garlic cloves in the kitchen.
That said, her experience taps into a valid conversation. Antibiotic overuse is a real problem and people are right to be cautious about unnecessary prescriptions. But dental infections aren’t the place to experiment. A lucky anecdote should not be mistaken for evidence.
Bottom line
Garlic is antimicrobial and Miesha Tate may well have found relief through her pungent home remedy. But calling it a cure for a tooth infection stretches the science. At best, garlic can reduce bacterial load and support the body’s natural defenses. At worst, relying on it alone could allow a dangerous infection to spread unchecked.
