Root canals are something we all dread, although when someone else is getting the procedure most of us find it to be somewhat amusing. When someone asks for a root canal on the other hand, most of us, including dentists, find it to be very absurd to say the least. Although many aren t aware of this, root canals have been around for many generations. With some emergencies, the cheeks, lips, or gums will have cuts or abrasions on them from where the teeth come out of the socket. If you ve had a tooth recently knocked out, the first thing you should do is look for that tooth. When you ve found the tooth, gently scrub it to get rid of any dirt or debris. When performing a filling, the dentist will remove the decayed area of the tooth, clean around it, then fill in the area that he has removed with a special material that will cater to the shape and form of the tooth. Fillings work by closing out the area where the bacteria enters into teeth, helping to prevent any type of decay in the future. If you plan to use herbs, you should use them in tincture form, as the alcohol content will disinfect the area, and help to reduce the inflammation and kill the infection. Once you have the tincture, you should use roughly a teaspoon of it and gently rinse your mouth out. Once you have help it in your mouth a minute or so, you should either swallow it or spit it out. 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. Many people take this the wrong way, and immediately stop flossing, usually for good. This is due to the plaque building up below the gum line. 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.