A small head is also preferred, as it can easily reach hard to get places, such as your back teeth. You should also remember to replace your brush every couple of months, or when it starts to show signs of wear. If you ve had a cold you should replace your toothbrush, simply because the bristles can contain germs that could get you sick all over again. 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. If you catch it in time, your dentist will be able to help you treat the earlier stages of gum disease. As time passed, doctors proved that the best way to stop the pain was to clean and remove the nerve and pulp of the tooth. 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. Fillings work by closing out the area where the bacteria enters into teeth, helping to prevent any type of decay in the future. The materials used for fillings include porcelain, gold, composite resin, and amalgam. There is really no best type of filling, as several factors come into play. Your reaction to different material, the shape of the tooth, extent of repair, and where the filling is needed will be determining factors as to what material is used with your filling. A dry socket is a condition where the blood clot that forms after an extraction detaches itself from the socket walls. Sometimes, the clot will dissolve, leaving the bone exposed to food, the weather, and even saliva. Once the bone is exposed, it can become inflamed. The inflammation that occurs is very painful, often times being a deep pain that makes you feel as if you are dying. This fracture is found above the gums, and normally happens when you bite down too hard on something. Normally, this fracture doesn t involve the nerve. Once the fractured area of the tooth breaks off, the pain will go away. Although the exposed dentin may cause you some pain, you can visit the dentist and have it repaired.