Mar 01, 2022
Are you aware your teeth are living beings? Your teeth are a combination of hard and soft tissue to make you think they are not alive. However, they are. Unfortunately, when the nerves in the dental pulp sustain damages due to injuries or tooth decay, they stop providing blood to the tooth. The disruption of blood supply causes an infection leading to the death of the nerves. In such cases, the dead tooth is called a non-vital tooth.
Please continue reading to learn more about identifying a dead tooth and the actions you must take if your tooth is injured.
Indicators of a Dead Tooth in Your Mouth
A dead tooth is one that doesn’t receive a fresh blood supply. You may notice discoloration as the first indicator of a dead tooth. You may also experience a toothache or pain in the gums. Healthy teeth are usually white, although the color varies according to your diet and oral hygiene. For example, if you are habitually accustomed to having staining foods and beverages and smoking, your teeth might appear off-white. However, the discoloration will likely be uniform.
If you have a discolored tooth, the color will appear different than the other teeth. Discoloration indicates the tooth is dying, making it appear yellow, light brown, grey, or black. In addition, the tooth may seem like it is bruised. The discoloration continues to increase over time as the tooth decays and the nerve dies.
Pain from the dying tooth, whether mild or excruciating or infections, can send you seeking treatments from the emergency dental care near you. Other indicators of disorders include a foul taste in your mouth, bad breath, and swelling around your gum line. If you experience the symptoms of a dying tooth, you must see your dentist right away, without exceptions.
What Happens with the Non-Removal of a Dead Tooth?
Non-removal of a dead tooth from your mouth is not wise because it can harm your remaining teeth and jaw, which is significantly dangerous. Depending on the extent and type of damage, the tooth may remain in your mouth for days, months, and even years before falling out by itself. The tooth remaining in your mouth doesn’t mean you should wait for it to fall out. Instead, experts recommend you visit your dentist and get the dead tooth dealt with sooner rather than later.
Confirming whether your tooth is dead or alive merely by looking at it is challenging for dentists, and you will find the challenge overwhelming. It is why the ADA and dentists recommend regular dental checkups.
Will a Dead Tooth eventually fall out?
A mortal tooth will ultimately fall out by itself. However, how long it remains in your mouth is challenging to determine. The extent of damage the tooth has incurred may cause it to stay in your mouth for months or years before eventually falling out. However, are you prepared to risk unnecessary infections in your mouth merely to preserve your smile? We are confident you will make every effort to ensure you don’t need to visit emergency dental in Chandler, AZ, to receive intensive treatments at costly prices when you can have the dead tooth removed from the dentist near you and replaced with artificial solutions.
A dead tooth in your mouth is best removed as soon as possible because if left untreated, the bacteria from the dead tooth affect your jaws and cause additional tooth loss. The bacteria can also affect your jawbone and gums. If you get to the dentist early, they may treat a dead or dying tooth providing endodontic therapy. Alternatively, extraction may be the only solution available.
If your tooth is severely damaged and restoration is not possible, your dentist recommends entirely removing it. During the procedure, the dentist will extract the tooth from its roots. After you have recovered from the tooth extraction procedure, you can have replacements with dentures, bridges, or implants. Discuss your options with your dentist for the replacements. However, please do not leave a dead tooth in your mouth because it merely adds to the complications you have.
You can retain a dead tooth in your mouth as long as you wish if you are willing to endure painful conditions and infections in your mouth. However, if you aren’t, you help yourself by scheduling an appointment with Chandler Ranch Dental to have the dead tooth and enjoy better oral health.
FAQs
A dead tooth can stay in the mouth for days, or even months. The problem, however, is that leaving the tooth in your mouth can leave you susceptible to infection, it can cause pain and discomfort, and it will also look very unsightly as well.
How long can a dead tooth stay in the mouth? ›
A dead tooth can remain inside the mouth for several days, weeks, months, or even years. The exact time depends upon the extent of the damage. However, keeping a dead tooth for a long time can have a major impact on oral health.
Will a broken dead tooth eventually fall out? ›
So, yes a rotten tooth will eventually fall out, but a patient should not wait until it does.
What can a dead tooth do to your jaw? ›
If an infection has destroyed the tooth's pulp, that infection can spread to the gum and jaw tissues around the base of the tooth. You may see swelling around the gum line, along with a bump that looks like a pimple (which means that an abscess has developed).
How long does it take for a rotten tooth to fall out? ›
When your tooth rots, it can fall out after a few weeks or months. When this happens, the first thing you should do is contact the experts at The Waterford Dentist. The dentist will schedule an appointment right away to examine the tooth. They will perform x-rays and scans to determine the extent of your infection.
Is it OK to leave a dead tooth in your mouth? ›
It's important to treat a dying or dead tooth as soon as possible. That's because left untreated, the bacteria from the dead tooth can spread and lead to the loss of additional teeth. It could also affect your jawbone and gums. Your dentist may treat a dead or dying tooth with a procedure known as a root canal.
Should you keep a dead tooth in your mouth? ›
Infection and Abscess:
The most critical danger of retaining a deceased tooth is the risk of infection. Bacteria may infiltrate the tooth, leading to abscess development, which is a distressing ailment causing swelling, an unpleasant taste, and potentially more severe health issues if the infection disseminates.
What happens if a broken tooth is not removed? ›
The most significant complications of a cracked tooth affect you are infections spreading to the bone and gums. In addition, you can develop a dental abscess causing fever, swollen gums, sensitivity to temperatures, pain when eating, and tender glands in the neck.
Is a dead tooth permanent? ›
Dead or dying nerves in the pulp can lead to a dead tooth. A dead tooth will also no longer have any blood flow to it. A dead nerve in a tooth is sometimes referred to as a necrotic pulp or a pulpless tooth. Once this happens, the tooth will eventually fall out by itself.
Can a dead tooth make you ill? ›
Can a bad tooth make you sick? The short answer is yes, eventually. Poor oral health allows bacteria to build up in your mouth and potentially cause infections. An infection in the tooth is called an abscess, and if left untreated, it can have serious consequences.
It may be painful or may cause no symptoms at all. A dead or dying tooth should be treated quickly because it can become infected and have negative effects on the jaw, gums and other teeth.
How do you fix rotten teeth without going to the dentist? ›
As a result, there is no natural way to remove them at home. Only a dentist can fix a cavity by filling it in. That said, home care can prevent cavities. Food and bacteria buildup form a sticky film on the teeth's surface and along the gumline.
Can I pull out my decayed tooth? ›
Pulling your own teeth is not something to do unless you have no other options. And you should consider it only if your tooth is loose and if the pain is not overwhelming. The harm that you can cause yourself can occur not only when you pull the tooth (if it does not come out in one piece) but also in the aftercare.
What happens if you have a rotten tooth for years? ›
What happens if rotten teeth go untreated? In some cases rotten teeth can be treated with fillings or a procedure called a root canal. If rotten left untreated, your dentist may have to remove the affected teeth. You can also develop severe oral or systemic infections.
What happens if you leave a broken tooth for too long? ›
Delayed treatment allows bacteria to enter the tooth's soft tissues, potentially leading to an abscess formation and spreading infection.
What happens if a rotten tooth breaks? ›
Large cavities that cause chips, breaks or fractures can become extremely painful, as well as cause infections if they are left untreated. In cases like these, root canal treatment might be required.
What happens if you have a broken tooth for years? ›
The biggest risks of leaving a cracked tooth untreated are that severe pain and sensitivity can develop, gum swelling and tenderness can occur, and the likelihood of oral infection is much higher.
What happens if you leave a rotting tooth? ›
Health concerns like pain, swelling and pus should not be ignored. Inside your mouth, these symptoms often indicate a cavity in varying stages of decay. The progression of decay may cause an infection to spread to multiple teeth, your jawbone or blood.
