yes, it is a natural germ killer. i can have a bad ache or infection and put ten drops in a )) veggie cap and drink with a large glass of water. all gone in a matter of hours. the bacteria killing is what makes it so good to brush with. it is one of the essential emergency kit materials a household should have on hand. to learn to use it, dr christopher wrote a booklet on it and it is available from the barefoot herbalist for 7.95 i think. i dont have it yet, but i have the school of natural healing handbook. cass ingram also has a lot of info on this herb.