Once more of the bone has been dissolved, there will be nothing left to support the tooth, meaning that it will become loose and end up needing to be extracted. The symptoms of an abscessed tooth are easy to see, as they include severe pain in the affected area, red or swollen gums, a bad taste in your mouth, swelling around the area or the jaw, and possibly a high fever. If the cavity exists in the tooth, you will be able to see it, as it will change the color of the affected area. If you notice a color change or a blackened area in your tooth, you should make an appointment with your dentist immediately. What you eat is a big contributor to cavities. If you eat a lot of sweets or drink a lot of soda, you will be at a higher risk for cavities. If they present a bad position or cause you a lot of pain or discomfort, they will need to be removed. When the wisdom teeth first come in, they will sometimes be impacted. Impacted teeth will normally need to be extracted. Sometimes they can be pulled, although in most cases they need to be cut out by a qualified surgeon. A crack in the tooth is also a cause, although it can be difficult to diagnose, as cracks will normally appear to be invisible to the naked eye and x-rays. Cracks can make your tooth feel as if it is exploding, as they expose the dentin and nerves to the air and anything else you put in your mouth. If you don t get them fixed, they will get worse, possibly leading to your tooth breaking off at the gums. Dentists were just starting to come around, although they didn t have near the equipment and sophistication that they have these days. Even though teeth were pulled during these times, it normally happened with alcohol to numb the pain then pliers to remove the tooth. Throughout the course of time, herbs have proven to be very effective with stopping toothache pain. The teeth from peasants were normally extracted then sold to aristocrats. Many years ago, doctors believed that worms were the reason for tooth decay. They also believed that there were many ways to kill the worms, including rinsing the mouth in one s own urine both day and night. Although this is sick to say the least, this remedy was discarded in 1728, proven to be non effective and replaced by other more suitable treatment.