Your dentist can perform tests on your gums and your teeth, to determine if you have it. If you do have periodontal disease, your dentist can tell you how to stop the progression and prevent things from getting any worse than they already are. To be on the safe side and protect your teeth and your gums, you should always go to the dentist for your regular checkups and cleaning. Root canals are a very common procedure these days, as they help to save the tooth by removing the dead or dying pulp. The pulp exists inside of the tooth, and can spread to abscess if it isn t taken care of. The tissue in the pulp is kept alive by the blood vessels that come from the tip of the root and travel along the root canal into the tooth. During the consultation, you ll take a few x-rays that will let the surgeon know how bad your wisdom teeth are. He will go over the results with you, take a look in your mouth, then tell you what options you have. If he is going to pull or cut out your teeth, you ll have the option of using local anaesthesia or going with an IV sedation. If you visit your dentist on a regular basis, he will check for cavities. Without visiting the dentist, it is impossible to tell whether or not you have a cavity. Most cavities develop below the gums, and you won t be able to see them. If the cavity exists in the tooth, you will be able to see it, as it will change the color of the affected area. Dental Emergencies As we all know, toothaches and any type of oral injury can be extremely painful and should be seen by a dentist immediately. Dental emergencies should be seen immediately by a dentist, day or night. These emergencies include broken teeth, teeth that have been knocked out, or teeth that have been forced out of the socket. Although many aren t aware of this, root canals have been around for many generations. Many years ago, ancient civilizations used this method to save teeth that would have been lost otherwise. These civilizations offered root canals to those such as queens, kings, pharaohs, and the rich. The teeth from peasants were normally extracted then sold to aristocrats.