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. If you catch it in time, your dentist will be able to help you treat the earlier stages of gum disease. You don t want to wait until it is too late, as the more advanced stages of gum disease can completely destroy your teeth and gums - and there will be little to nothing that you can do about it. Once your tooth has become abscessed, your dentist won t immediately pull it. If a tooth that has abscessed is extracted once the infection is still present, it can quickly spread. Your dentist will instead prescribe you some antibiotics that can help to destroy the bacteria. The dentist can also perform a root canal, in an attempt to remove dead or decayed tissue. This can also destroy the nerves as well, resulting in an abscess. An abscess is very serious, as it infects the root tip. If left untreated, an abscess can result in death. Although you may not realize it, cavities are a very serious matter that can quickly spread to something even more serious. If you visit your dentist on a regular basis, he will check for cavities. If the root is exposed, the air or liquid you drink can trigger a toothache. To prevent this from happening, use care when you brush and never try to tear your gums apart thinking it will get your teeth cleaner. If you use tobacco products, you ll more than likely get toothaches on a frequent basis. Chewing tobacco is a common contributor to toothaches and tooth pain, as the tobacco will eat away at your teeth until there is nothing left. When someone asks for a root canal on the other hand, most of us, including dentists, find it to be very absurd to say the least. 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. Sometimes they can be pulled, although in most cases they need to be cut out by a qualified surgeon. When the time comes to have your wisdom teeth extracted, you ll need to go to an oral surgeon and have a consultation first. During the consultation, you ll take a few x-rays that will let the surgeon know how bad your wisdom teeth are.