Your days of tooth fairy visits may be long over, but it is still possible to lose a tooth in adulthood due to decay, infections or trauma.

If you take good care of your teeth, however, it’s probably not something you’ll ever need to worry about. Bupa Dental’s Dr Greg Thomas says tooth decay is very preventable. 

“You don’t just wake up one day and you’ve got holes everywhere,” he points out. “It’s a slow weakening of the teeth, losing minerals through acid attacks, and gradually a hole will form.”

To prevent tooth decay, brush your teeth twice a day, floss daily, limit your intake of sugar and stay on track with your dental check-ups. 

How do you know if you have a rotten tooth? 

You can’t always see tooth decay happening, which is why seeing your dentist regularly is so important. 

“As adults most vulnerability is between the teeth – it’s the hardest part to see,” says Dr Thomas. “Dentists can see different colours in the teeth and that’s often a sign, so we’ll take an X-ray and we can see the holes forming between the teeth. 

“There is also another type of decay that relates more to dehydration and can really affect the outer surfaces at the lip side of the teeth right up the gum line. You can start to see black areas which are very visible.”

Other signs include bad breath, and sensitivity to hot, cold or sweet foods or drinks, says Dr Thomas. 

“And sometimes if the tooth does break even a small amount you might notice some food getting caught which won’t be easy to clean.” 

Will a rotten tooth fall out on its own?

Teeth can fall out on their own due to gum disease destroying the supporting gum and bone tissue around the tooth, Dr Thomas says. 

Sometimes, however, a tooth might look like it has fallen out when it has actually broken – so it’s important to get it checked out by a dentist.

“What can happen is it decays right around where the root starts, and the tooth just breaks off but the root’s still up in the gum,” he explains. “This initially may not be painful but that doesn’t mean there is not a problem s it will become painful with swelling, we just don’t know when. Basically, the decay in the root continues below the gum line, eventually causing an abscess in the jaw.”

Can you get a rotten wisdom tooth?

Wisdom teeth aren’t necessarily more prone to decay, but if you are worried about a wisdom tooth, you need to get it checked out by your dentist. 

“One of the major problems with wisdom teeth is there’s just not enough room, so only a bit of the tooth comes through,” says Dr Thomas. “It’s difficult to clean, and bacteria can slide down under the gum and cause infections.”

Talk to a dentist near you

We’re here to help, ask your dentist if you have any questions about rotten teeth or book an appointment today.