Cavities are a very serious situation, and if left untreated, can result in the destruction of the tooth. 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. Never should you feel intimidated, as the best dentists will do everything they can to establish a sense of trust. Establishing trust is very important with the patient/dentist relationship. You ll be going to your dentist on a frequent basis, so you ll want to be sure that you can trust him. When you go to your dentist for the first time, you should let him know about your dental anxiety. An IV sedation is the preferred way to have wisdom teeth extracted, as you ll be so relaxed you won t know what is going on. If you decide to just use local anaesthesia, which is numbing, you ll be fully aware of the procedure. You ll also hear the popping and cracking involved, which can make you feel quite uncomfortable. Providing the pulp hasn t been damaged, your dentist will be able to restore the full shape and function to the fractured tooth. In cases where pulp damage has occurred, the dentist may need to do a root canal or other type of serious surgery to repair the tooth. Whenever you encounter a dental emergency, you shouldn t hesitate to contact a dentist immediately. It will normally take around a month or so, although the pain won t let up during the healing period. If you have a dry socket, you ll find that antibiotics and even the strongest of prescription drug won t cure it. An antibiotic will normally cure infections, although a dry socket isn t considered to be an infection. The last type of fracture is the most difficult to deal with. Vertical apical root fractures occur with the tip of the root, and can cause you severe to intense pain, even if you ve had the nerve removed with a root canal. Even though the nerve may not be present, vertical apical root fractures cause a lot of pain, which occurs in the tooth.