My teeth are rotting
Teeth that seem to be rotting may have decay, broken structure, gum disease, or staining and need a clinical examination to identify the cause.
The short answer
What people call rotting teeth usually means tooth decay or breakdown, which can progress from enamel into dentine and the pulp unless treated. A dentist examines each tooth, takes radiographs when needed, and chooses repair, root-canal treatment, extraction, or monitoring according to the remaining structure.
What is the direct answer?
What does this question mean?
Decay begins when acids produced by plaque bacteria dissolve minerals from enamel. A cavity may become a soft dentine lesion, a fractured tooth may lose walls, or advanced infection may affect the pulp and tissues around the root.
What can you do next?
Book an examination, continue gentle fluoride brushing, clean between the teeth, and avoid placing aspirin on the tooth or delaying care because pain has stopped. Treatment may involve a filling, crown, root-canal procedure, drainage, or extraction depending on the diagnosis.
When should you seek dental care?
Seek prompt care for a hole, swelling, bad taste, persistent pain, pain on biting, fever, or a loose or broken tooth. Facial swelling, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or swelling near the eye needs urgent medical and dental assessment.
What should you ask the dentist?
Ask which tooth structure is affected, whether the pulp and supporting bone are involved, and which treatment can preserve the tooth. Ask how the repair will be restored, what happens if treatment is delayed, and how to prevent new lesions.
Frequently asked questions
Can a rotten tooth be saved?
Sometimes. The decision depends on remaining tooth structure, the root, the supporting tissues, and whether the tooth can be restored after treatment.
Why did the pain stop?
Pain can stop when the pulp loses vitality, but infection may remain around the root, so improvement does not prove the tooth has healed.