Updated on December 13, 2024
4 min read

How Long Can a Dead Tooth Stay in Your Mouth?

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A non-vital tooth, or dead tooth, no longer receives a fresh blood supply. This can cause the tooth to appear red, gray, light brown, and even black. 

A dead tooth can be painful and costly to treat. This leads some people to wonder if treatment is necessary or if the tooth will heal on its own. 

How Long Can a Dead Tooth Stay in Your Mouth?

How long a dead tooth can stay in your mouth without treatment depends on the level of damage. Generally, a dead tooth can stay in your mouth for days, weeks, or even years before it causes severe complications.

If the tooth experiences enough bone loss, it may become loose and fall out on its own. However, delaying treatment can increase the risk of major oral health problems, such as tooth pain, discomfort, and infection. 

A dead tooth can quickly become a serious, even life-threatening, issue without treatment. Ideally, you should see a dentist immediately after noticing the signs of a dead tooth.

What Happens If a Dead Tooth Stays in Your Mouth?

A non-vital tooth can cause damage to adjacent teeth if left untreated. It can also lead to life-threatening issues elsewhere in the body.

The main risk is developing a tooth abscess, which can lead to sepsis, a life-threatening blood infection. It can also cause meningitis, a potentially lethal brain and spinal cord infection.

Other possible complications from having dead teeth include:

  • Infection spreads to teeth, jaw, and sinuses
  • Inability to chew with the tooth due to pain
  • Impaired speech
  • Tooth loss

In addition, a discolored or black tooth may make you feel self-conscious, negatively affecting your quality of life.

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What are the Signs and Symptoms of a Dead Tooth?

A dead or dying tooth may not immediately be noticeable, and sometimes it isn’t painful at all. However, if you experience intense pain, it usually means the decay is affecting the pulp and nerve endings.

Tooth discoloration is another one of the most obvious signs of a dead or dying tooth. Healthy teeth are usually some shade of white, though staining and yellowing can occur. 

A dead tooth might darken to a shade of red, blue, gray, or black that doesn’t match your other teeth. Other signs of a dead tooth include:

  • Persistent bad breath
  • A bad taste in your mouth
  • Swelling around the gum line
  • An abscess near the root of the discolored tooth  

If you experience these signs, you should make a dental appointment. Your dentist may be able to take care of it before the problem becomes worse.

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What Causes a Dead Tooth?

There are two primary ways a tooth may die: physical trauma and bacterial infection. Trauma or injury can damage the blood vessels inside the tooth, resulting in death. 

Meanwhile, bacterial infection is typically caused by the following:

  • Cavities — A bacterial infection can result from poor oral hygiene. Bacteria infect the tooth, causing tooth decay. Untreated cavities can become deep enough for bacteria to reach the pulp, causing intense pain.
  • Cracked fillings or tooth structure — Bacteria can enter the tooth through a small crack in an old filling or the tooth itself.
  • Gum disease — A combined endodontic-periodontal infection can result if the gum disease progresses to the tip of the root. 

Treatment Options for a Dead Tooth 

One of the main treatment procedures for a dead tooth is a root canal. Root canals are often recommended if the tooth and the surrounding bone structure are healthy, potentially saving the tooth. 

The procedure typically involves making a hole in your tooth to remove the pulp. After removing the pulp, the dentist will clean the inside of the tooth, seal the roots, and place a filling. Your dentist may fit the tooth with a dental crown following root canal treatment.

The other procedure for treating a dead tooth is an extraction; this is often used when the decay has spread too far. In this case, the dentist removes the entire tooth to prevent further infection. The dentist can replace the tooth with a denture, dental implant, or bridge.

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How to Prevent a Dead Tooth 

You can avoid the pain of a root canal or tooth extraction by keeping your teeth healthy. Here’s how to do that:

  • Regular dental check-ups — A dentist can identify and treat problems before they become too big. They can also teach you good oral hygiene to keep your teeth healthy.me too big.
  • Dental hygiene — Brushing your teeth twice a day will reduce the risk of developing cavities. Dental floss can remove food between the teeth and near the gums as well. 
  • A healthy diet —  Eating sugary foods will lead to a higher risk of tooth decay. Having a healthy diet can prevent various dental issues. 
  • Regular exercise — Regular exercise is important to promote blood circulation. But if you play contact sports, use a mouth guard to protect your teeth from trauma.

Last updated on December 13, 2024
6 Sources Cited
Last updated on December 13, 2024
All NewMouth content is medically reviewed and fact-checked by a licensed dentist or orthodontist to ensure the information is factual, current, and relevant.

We have strict sourcing guidelines and only cite from current scientific research, such as scholarly articles, dentistry textbooks, government agencies, and medical journals. This also includes information provided by the American Dental Association (ADA), the American Association of Orthodontics (AAO), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
  1. Abscessed Teeth.” American Association of Endodontists.
  2. Endodontics.” American Association of Endodontists, nd.
  3. Hupp, JR., and Ferneini, EM. “Head, Neck and Orofacial Infections: An Interdisciplinary Approach.” Elsevier Health Sciences, 2015.
  4. Mohammadi Z. “Strategies to manage permanent non-vital teeth with open apices: a clinical update.” Int Dent J, 2011.
  5. Tooth decay.” NHS Inform, 2024.
  6. Patel, K. and Clifford, DB. “Bacterial Brain Abscess.” The Neurohospitalist, 2014.
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