These civilizations offered root canals to those such as queens, kings, pharaohs, and the rich. 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. 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. 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. Pain is excruciating with an abscess, normally affecting the area in a bad way. No matter what you do, the pain seems to intensify. A toothache can come at any given time, even though you may not expect it. The pain can be unbearable at times, and you ll do practically anything you can to make the pain stop. When a toothache first comes on, many of us start to wonder what caused it to happen. Some of the main causes of toothaches include decay, a fracture in the teeth, and cavities. Decay is the main reason for pulp in the tooth dying. Once the decay has reached the pulp, it will keep eating away until the pulp has died. Once it dies, the toxins from the decay will be released into the root tip and make it s way into the jawbone. If not taken care of properly, the jawbone can become infected, which can lead to death in rare cases. 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.