It’s happened to all of us. You’re brushing your teeth and suddenly feel a sharp pain. You look in the mirror and see that one of your teeth has turned black. What do you do?
A dead tooth can be caused by trauma to the tooth, a severe blow to the face, bacterial infection, or intrusive tooth grinding. The first step in treating a dead tooth is to find out what caused it so you can stop its progression into something more serious that requires root canal treatment.
Have you ever had a toothache and not known what to do about it? Or maybe you’ve had a tooth fall out and don’t know why. In either case, this blog post is for you. Today, we’re going to take a look at some of the most common causes of a dead tooth. Keep reading to learn more!
What Is a Dead Tooth?
A tooth that has lost its nerve and blood supply is known as a dead tooth. A dead tooth may be painful, sensitive to temperature, or show no signs of life until it is dead. A dead tooth can also cause other deeper issues that must be treated first, before the dead tooth itself may be properly taken care of.
A dead tooth is not dead forever, however. If you can find out what caused it to die in the first place, then take measures to stop its death from spreading to other teeth, a dead tooth can be saved with root canal therapy. But it is important to treat the dead tooth as soon as possible, otherwise, it may become too infected for a healthy root canal procedure to work. Most dental professionals recommend extracting the dead tooth to prevent further damage.
How to Know if You Have a Dead Tooth?
- A pain when hot or cold foods are applied to the dead tooth.
- Discoloration may also be seen in this case. Gray or black are some of the colors that a decaying tooth might have. It may appear as if the tooth has been struck.
- Bad breath
- The taste in your mouth is awful
- Around your gum line, you may notice a lot of swelling.
- A lesion on the gums.
- When biting or chewing, sharp pain may attack the dead tooth.
You should see a dental professional if you suspect dead teeth so they can check for dead areas with x-rays. There are many causes for dead teeth, so it is important to get the correct diagnosis so you know what needs to be done to save your natural teeth.
Dead Tooth Causes: Explained
As mentioned above, there are many causes for dead teeth. The most common cause is an infected dead tooth, which may be the result of a cavity or bad hygiene. Bad oral hygiene can easily lead to dead teeth because you are not brushing your teeth every day and allowing bacteria to build up over time. On top of this issue, if you’re not flossing daily, plaque bacteria will also accumulate in between the dead tooth’s root and gums, making it more susceptible to infection that can affect the nerve endings until they die.
Another reason for dead teeth is severe trauma to the mouth that harms the dead tooth. If you consistently bite down on hard objects like pencils with your dead tooth, eventually it will lose its nerves and become dead quickly. It is important to be careful when treating dead teeth because the nerve endings are still alive for a little while, and you can cause more damage if your dead tooth has not yet died.
What Happens if a Dead Tooth is Left Untreated?
If a dead tooth is left untreated, the infection will spread to the jawbone and eventually cause the loss of additional teeth. To save the natural tooth, you’ll require root canal therapy at this stage. If the dead tooth is not removed, it can also cause neighboring teeth to become infected and dead as well. To avoid additional harm, dead teeth should always be addressed as soon as feasible.
In general, you should start taking steps to save your dead tooth as soon as you notice any discoloration or pain when hot or cold things are applied directly to the dead tooth area. If you do not take care of the dead tooth fast enough, it may become so infected that it can cause further damage beyond just its root structure if left untreated for too long. Make sure to see a dental professional for dead teeth repair as soon as possible so they can perform dead teeth diagnosis to determine what kind of dead tooth is actually causing the issue before having dental treatments.
How Long can You have a Dead Tooth?
A dead tooth may stay in your mouth for a few days or months, but retaining a lifeless tooth might cause damage to your jaw and the spread of decay and germs to other teeth. A dead tooth may be a symptom of another disorder, such as an infection or tumor. When dead teeth are located deep in the gum line, they can cause discomfort and pain that radiates into your jaw. Swelling of the gums and surrounding tissues can also be caused by a dead tooth.
An infection around dead teeth can spread to any organ in your body via the bloodstream if left untreated. For example, you could develop septicemia if dead tissue irritates blood vessels that allow for blood clotting to occur during injury or other means of dead tissue removal. Dead teeth that remain dead over a long period of time can create cavities and worsen tooth decay. Bacteria and debris from dead tissue may also affect the health and appearance of your smile if dead teeth are left untreated for too long.
How Much does it Cost to Fix a Dead Tooth?
If the dead tooth is caused by trauma, it may only require a filling. If the dead tooth is caused by infection or decay, it will likely need a root canal treatment. The cost of a root canal varies based on the dentist, but it normally ranges from $500 to $1,500. Dental Onlay costs $700 to $1300. Dental implants cost between $3,000 and $7,000. For Dental veneers cost starts from $900 to $1700. Depending on the dead tooth you have, the cost to fix it will vary.
Can You Save a Tooth that is Turning Black?
You can save a tooth that is turning black by getting treatment for the cause as soon as possible. If the pulp within the tooth has died, you may need root canal treatment to save the tooth. If the condition is caused by an infection, antibiotics or surgery may be required to address it.
If you catch the dead pulp in time, before it dies completely and spreads infection through your entire jaw bone, you may be able to save your tooth by performing root canal treatment. The dead pulp must be removed so that the dead tooth can heal.
One of the most common causes of dead teeth is decay. Decay eats away at the structure of the tooth until there is nothing left but dead pulp. This usually occurs when acid produced by bacteria in plaque work their way into tiny cracks or holes in the enamel of the tooth. After this happens, it will not be long before dead teeth appear black because the dead pulp has no way to get the blood flow and oxygen needed to keep its color. If you catch this early enough, you may be able to save your dead tooth by performing root canal treatment.
How Do You Fix a Dead Tooth?
There are a few options for dead teeth. If the dead tooth is a result of decay or gum tissue, then a dental filling/crown may be necessary to restore the dead tooth. If the dead tooth has been traumatized by an injury, there may be nerve endings exposed in its pulp, and it’s recommended that special attention be paid to these damaged nerves with irrigation and antibiotics to help alleviate potential pain. In this case, without treatment, all sensation from the dead tooth will likely disappear over time because nerves cannot regenerate themselves once they’ve stopped working. However, if everything goes well after treatment for dead teeth from trauma and infection but still no feeling returns to your jaw or cheek area after weeks of monitoring and care (for example: if you don’t feel cold or hot, or if there’s no prickling), then it might be best to have the dead tooth extracted.
Extraction or Removal
For the removal or extraction of dead teeth, your dentist will numb the area with a local anesthetic. If the tooth is impacted and can’t be easily pulled, they may use a dental drill to enlarge the socket before extracting the tooth. Any bone or ligament that has been damaged from the dead tooth will also be removed and the area will be sutured closed. If dead teeth are left untreated, they can cause damage to surrounding teeth and other parts of your mouth because food particles can get stuck in the dead tooth and encourage infection.
Root Canal Treatment
As for the root canal treatment of dead teeth, this is executed in the following way:
Step 1 The dentist drills into the tooth to open up its pulp chamber and locate any infection. This will also release all the nerve endings that are dead within the tooth. This initial screening shatters or cracks shavings off of dead tooth enamel, exposing live nerves that are still connected to the roots through their root canals.
Step 2 Next, a rubber hose called a stent is placed down the dead tooth’s hollow cavity so there’s room for irrigating solutions to infiltrate dead space. These kinds of solutions typically contain antibiotics and other medications meant to kill bacteria that have invaded dead spaces found between threads or ligaments left behind from dead cells or dead gum tissue.
Step 3 The dead tooth is filled with a medicated rubber compound so the dead tooth can’t drain out. This material is called Gutta-percha, and it’s mixed with antibiotics that are injected into the dead tooth cavity to decontaminate or sterilize dead tissue left behind by dead cells.
Step 4 Finally, you’ll want to seal up any access spaces with temporary wax which both keeps guttapercha from leaking out of the dead tooth while also keeping new bacteria from entering through the tooth’s root canals.
The dead tooth pulp is necrotic tissue and it doesn’t have the ability to heal itself, so if left untreated it can cause serious problems. When the dead pulp is infected, it can spread the infection to the bone and other tissues surrounding the dead tooth. If the dead pulp isn’t infected, then there’s still a risk that food particles will get stuck in between the dead tooth and surrounding teeth and gums and cause an infection. So, it’s important to seek out treatment for dead teeth as soon as you notice any changes or abnormalities in your mouth.
How to Reduce the Risk of a Dead Tooth?
Make sure you have a healthy mouth. Dental health is crucial to your overall well-being. Brush twice a day, floss once and you’ll have great dental hygiene. For preventative care and safety, you should see your dentist every six months. Preventing problems before they start is the best way of ensuring that you have a healthy smile. Your dentist is always watching out for early signs of tooth decay and can treat them before it gets too far.
Protect your teeth by wearing a mouth guard to keep them safe. Mouthguards are essential when participating in contact sports like hockey or boxing, but they’re also great for players who just want to be on the safe side and avoid getting hurt themselves before someone else can help out. You can avoid having a dead tooth by eating a healthy diet. Avoid sugary foods that are high in sugar, which will increase your risk for dental issues like cavities and gum disease. Drinking enough of water is usually a good idea, especially after eating. Water can help wash away bacteria from your teeth between brushings and keep you feeling fresh all day long.
