Disclaimer: this is purposefully obtuse.
Other effects in the game which explicitly state they kill you:
Shadows, succubi, massive damage, death saving throws, beholder death ray (notably not even their disintegration ray kills you), power word kill, vampires, mind flayers, night hags, drow inquisitors.
Clearly, if they intended for disintegration to kill you, they'd have said so. Since specific overrides general, and there is no general rule that disintegrated creatures are dead, I rest my case. QED.
Just playing the game RAW.
It's like this for all TTRPGs. Someone always be tryin to game the system. ๐
It's like this for all TTRPGs. Someone always be trying to rules lawyer away someone's fun. ๐
Hey, that rules-lawyering is someone's fun!
Rules-lawyering rules lawyers is my fun!