Anything that results in negative feelings for the patient will normally cause them to feel in a negative way toward the entire dental profession. Although all dentists aren t bad - a negative experience will certainly make a patient feel that way. When you look fora dentist, you should always ask your family and friends who they use, and who they recommend. When left untreated, the plaque and tartar that is below the gums will continue to eat at the teeth. Keep in mind that plaque doesn t need to be visible or detected in order for periodontal disease to be diagnosed. To determine if you have periodontal disease, you ll need to have your dentist examine you on a regular basis. Food and debris will build up between your teeth, which makes dental flossing very important. The main problem many people have against flossing is the fact that it can result in bleeding of the gums. Anytime you floss and get between your teeth and around your gums, the floss will rub against your gums, resulting in bleeding. Normally, when you have a toothache, you ll experience tremendous pain. The pain will stem from the affected tooth or the jaw, and you ll know it almost immediately. It will start out to be a throbbing pain, then continue to get worse and worse until you get it treated. If you wait too long and allow the infection to spread throughout the tooth, you ll end up having to get it pulled or cut out. Pain is excruciating with an abscess, normally affecting the area in a bad way. No matter what you do, the pain seems to intensify. Abscesses mostly occur with back teeth, although they can happen in the front as well. 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. 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. 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.