Sometimes, toothaches can result from medical conditions and have nothing to do with dental. In most cases, if the problem goes without being checked, it can lead to serious trouble and maybe even become a life threatening situation. Normally, when you have a toothache, you ll experience tremendous pain. 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. The tissue in the pulp is kept alive by the blood vessels that come from the tip of the root and travel along the root canal into the tooth. 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. This bacteria will eventually spread from the root of the dead tooth into the tissue that is below and create a pocket of pus - the abscess. Gum disease is also a cause for a tooth becoming abscessed. Gum diseases causes the gums to pull back and away from teeth, leaving pockets behind. When one of the pockets becomes blocked, the bacteria can grow and spread, or get backed up. The tissue in the pulp is kept alive by the blood vessels that come from the tip of the root and travel along the root canal into the tooth. 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. Although the dentist is the preferred way to go, you may have to wait on an appointment, or the toothache may occur on a weekend or a time when the dentist isn t available. Your best advice is to seek dental care ASAP, as the infection can always return at any given time. If you don t get problems fixed as soon as you can, they can spread and cause you more problems with your teeth.