does getting a cavity filled hurt?

I need to get some cavities filled before they get so bad that my teeth need to be pulled.I ve always been scared of dentists but the thought of them drilling scares me so bad. So how bad is it? Will it hurt during or after? Does anyone know what the actual procedure is? Thanks

Hi Audrey,
I have had many, many fillings over the years and can assure you that they are not painful (during or after). The dentist will give you some local anesthesia first and make sure that the tooth is very numb. The anesthesia should be given very slowly and carefully so you do not feel anything. Next the tooth will be prepared to be filled by cleaning out the decayed parts of the tooth. This part will be softer than the rest of the healthy tooth and they will probably use a high speed drill followed by a low speed. You will hear lots of noise but should only feel vibration during drilling. The high speed spins so fast that you feel very little vibration but the low speed feels like something bumping against the tooth. Next the tooth will be dried with air and have an etch applied to it so that the surface is rough (this is a liquid that gets painted onto the tooth) and the filling material can adhere to the tooth. Then layer by layer the filling material is applied to fill the cavity and a special light is shined over it to help the filling material harden quickly because when it is applied it is very soft and pliable. You should only feel pressure during this part like someone is pushing on the tooth. If the filling is in between the teeth versus on the biting surface a special band will be put around the tooth before filling it to keep the tooth's shape. Again this not painful but does initially feel like a very intense pressure around the tooth as if something is stuck between your teeth and can be annoying but doesn't last long. When the filling hardens they polish the tooth to make it smooth and check your bite to make sure your teeth come together properly by having you bite on a special type of paper that shows them how the teeth are coming together. Very likely the filling will need to be filed down some which doesn't feel any different than when you have your teeth polished maybe a bit more vibration but nothing like the drilling. Should take 30 to 45 minutes at the most in my experience. After that, you're done! The tooth may be a little sensitive for up to 2 weeks but should settle down after that. Some teeth have no sensitivity at all and that will depend a lot on the size and depth of the filling.

Let the dentist know that you are nervous and not sure what to expect. I was extremely nervous and shaking for my first few and my dentist prearranged a stop signal with me so that I could stop the procedure at anytime whether I was starting to feel any discomfort and needed more anesthesia or just felt overwhelmed and needed a quick break. She also talked me through every step of the process so that I knew what she was doing, what sensations to expect i. e. air, water, vibration, pressure, etc, and how much was still left to do so I felt much more in control. The combination of these things helped me to feel much more relaxed. You will be fine! if you have any questions feel free to message me.

Thankyou,I'm not quite as nervous now

I just had a cavity filled this afternoon, and my experience was almost exactly as described above. The only difference was that the anaesthetic was given in stages - one very small and light surface injection to numb the gum and then the deeper anaesthetic.
I felt vibration with the drilling, but it was very slight, even with the larger drill. I didn't even feel that bumping! There was definitely noise, but it was less than I expected.

Cactus said:

I just had a cavity filled this afternoon, and my experience was almost exactly as described above. The only difference was that the anaesthetic was given in stages - one very small and light surface injection to numb the gum and then the deeper anaesthetic.

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My dentist also does injections this way if she feels that giving the whole dose at one time is going to be uncomfortable because the area does not have a dense amount of gum tissue to inject into like towards the front of the mouth and upper sides. I find it much more comfortable this way. Sometimes my dentist will use a topical numbing gel first too.

I know it is way past the date of this thread but the initial responder's positive tone helped me get through my dental appointment today. I had a cavity on the top between 2 teeth and was so terrified that I couldn't eat or sleep for a few days before the appointment. From the things I read here I knew to ask the dentist beforehand if I could take a tranquilizer before the appointment (yes was the answer) and if I could still have nitrous gas if the tranquilizer wasn't enough (yes again). I made sure to take the tranquilizer (Xanax .5mg) about 20-30 minutes beforehand and felt pretty calm and when I sat in the chair I didn't think I would need the nitrous. The dentist used a topical gel on a q tip and left it on my gum for about 1-2 minutes and then gave me a small local Novocain injection which I barely felt (literally having blood drawn feels more like a pinch than this did). I felt some numbing of the gum, tooth and lip and after about 5 minutes she gave me another deeper injection which I didn't feel at all. She then used the high speed drill to clean the cavity out (no pain felt) and then the slower, more vibrating drill (no pain at all) and then proceeded to put the filling in and it was done. I couldn't believe I sweated it all so badly beforehand. Especially after surviving childbirth. I really felt nothing and it feels fine 12 hours later.
If you are someone who needs a tranquilizer for dental treatments you should get your general practitioner MD to write you a prescription for one or two pills depending on your weight/dosage and be sure to use them and tell your dentist. No one should suffer severe anxiety for something straightforward like a cavity filling when there are things out there to make it all smooth. Be sure to communicate your anxiety to your practitioners; it is nothing to be ashamed of. I am a very productive and competent person in life as well as working in the health care field- I just happen to have anxiety about some things. Find ways to help yourself to not suffer. Find nice practitioners and ask for medication

Hi to the forum.

Thank you for writing your experience down and I am really pleased that this thread helped you. I am sure your account will help others too now.

Glad that your appointment went well for you too

This is an old thread but is really helping me to refer back to.

Glad to hear the injection isn't too painful an experience.

Registered on here and am glad to have read this thread. I need a professional cleaning (no fear of that), and need my back teeth filled (scared of this). I have medical card insurance, and so i have to pay outta pocket for the cleaning and not sure about the rest.....

I really really really am nervous. I do not want a drill large or small near or inside my mouth whatsoever.

Hi to the forum.

We all understand how you feel. Do you have an appointment

carole said:

Hi to the forum.

We all understand how you feel. Do you have an appointment

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No, I don't for the cleaning or filling. I just got the dental exam done. I didn't have the amount to pay for the cleaning and am not even sure what the fillings would cost. I did find a dentist that does sedation, and offers some payment options. I wanted to look into using DentRite or even working out a payment plan with the office manager/billing department without having to pay all of it upfront. I'd be way more comfortable being "put to sleep" than being awake for the fillings bit. If it's better/cheaper to be "put to sleep" to do the cleaning/filling, then I'd be fine with that. Again, would have to talk to the dentists office bout that.

I have autism and used to be hella nervous when it came to the dentist. I went when I was a kid and had my wisdom teeth removed. I just have neglected my teeth over the many years and finally got a cavity.

After this experience, I will for sure remember to brush my teeth and floss 2x a day everyday of the week.

Audrey39553 said:

I need to get some cavities filled before they get so bad that my teeth need to be pulled.I ve always been scared of dentists but the thought of them drilling scares me so bad. So how bad is it? Will it hurt during or after? Does anyone know what the actual procedure is? Thanks

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I just had a deep filling today and have had 4 others in the past. In my case the dentist did not even give me the anesthetic. I felt the vibration a bit but it was not painful - just sensitive. So I guess it should not be a problem at all should your dentist give you an anesthetic. I guess it is really helpful to tell the dentist that you are nervous a bit.