When one of the pockets becomes blocked, the bacteria can grow and spread, or get backed up. When this happens, an abscess will start to form under the surface of the gums and become apparent will swelling as it gets bigger and spreads. Once the infection has started to spread, your jawbone may start to dissolve as it makes room for the swelling in the area that has been infected. 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. It doesn t take long for it to happen either, especially if you have been chewing for a long time. Smoking can trigger toothaches as well, as the smoke is bad for your teeth and eats away at them as well. Although the numbing shots may be a bit painful, once they are finished - there is literally no more pain. Most often, people will concentrate on the thought of getting the shot, which will only magnify the pain. Something that normally doesn t hurt, can get a lot worse simply by thinking in your mind that it will be painful. Normally, this will result in a filling, crown, or root canal, although you won t have to have the tooth removed. Dentists always look to save teeth, as they don t like to remove a tooth unless they absolutely have to. If the tooth has become abscessed, the dentist will put you on antibiotics such as penicillin until the infection has subsided enough to remove the tooth. 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. If the fracture is large, you may need to have a crown placed on the tooth to prevent further fractures from occurring in that tooth. Whatever you do, you should never try to put it back in the socket. If you can make it to the dentist in time, he may be able to put the tooth back in place. If you ve had a tooth come out of place, you can normally reposition it with your fingers. You shouldn t use a lot of force, simply because it could damage the tooth.