Cavities are not an unusual dental issue; in fact, they’re one of the most common health problems worldwide. If you have a cavity, you may be worried about pain or discomfort associated with getting it filled. But there’s good news—with today’s advances in dental procedures, you will be able to get that cavity filled with little to no pain.
What is a Cavity?
A dental cavity, also referred to as dental caries or tooth decay, occurs when the hard surface of your tooth becomes damaged, creating a tiny hole or opening. This hole can reach to the more sensitive part of your tooth, sometimes causing pain. A cavity might look like a tiny, dark spot or stain. Over time it may get bigger.
Cavities are caused by several things including bacteria in the mouth, frequently eating sugary snacks or drinking sugary drinks, and not brushing or flossing effectively. Everyone has bacteria in their mouth, and without proper preventive care like brushing and flossing, they can develop into plaque. Plaque is a sticky substance that will stay on the surface of a tooth and destroy it slowly over time if it isn’t removed. Eventually, this becomes a cavity.
The human body is not capable of repairing damaged teeth. An untreated cavity won’t get better with time, and can lead to further decay, causing severe toothaches and tooth sensitivity. In severe cases, they can even cause the loss of teeth.
What Does a Dentist Do For Pain While Getting a Cavity Filled?
Before modern dentistry, the only solution for treating a cavity was to have the tooth pulled out—without the benefit of modern numbing agents. Fortunately, those days are long gone. Modern filling techniques allow folks with cavities not only to keep their teeth, but to do so with far less discomfort than would have been involved 100 years ago.
Now, dentists use local anesthetics that numb your mouth during dental procedures. This usually consists of a numbing gel placed on your gums, and then an injection–usually novocaine–on the already-numb area. This prevents the patient from feeling anything other than some pressure during the filling procedure.
For patients with severe dental anxiety, a dentist might administer a sedative, which can be a pill, IV, or laughing gas. However, this is entirely optional and mostly used to help patients relax.
What to Expect When Getting a Cavity Filled
For most people, getting a cavity filled is not painful. However, different people have different pain tolerances and comfort levels. Knowing exactly what to expect–and that it’s not so bad–can help ease dental anxiety. Dentists typically follow these steps to fill a cavity:
- Numb the area. The dentist will use an injection of local anesthetic into your gums to make sure you don’t feel anything, after administering a numbing gel over the injection area. Once the gel has had a minute or two to be absorbed, your dentist will administer the injection in such a way as to minimize any pain or discomfort.
- Prepare the mouth for the filling. Depending on the location of the tooth needing to be filled, your dentist may offer you something called a bite block, which is a piece of soft rubber that goes in between your upper and lower jaw to help hold your mouth open.
- Remove the decayed part of the tooth. The dentist will use a dental drill to take out the decayed area. The drill also shoots out a small stream of water and makes a high-pitched noise. In most cases, you won’t feel anything other than some vibration from the drill. If the cavity is very deep and the anesthetic is not very strong, there may be some slight pain, but that is rare. Most people only feel some pressure.
- Place the filling. While your mouth is still numb, the dentist will use a small tool to place the filling material into the cavity. Once that’s done, he or she will check to make sure the filling size and shape match the rest of your tooth and may make some adjustments, using either the drill or a small abrasive (which you won’t feel). Then, you’re done!
What Happens When the Anesthetic Wears Off?
When you leave the dentist, your anesthetic will wear off within a couple of hours. At this time, you may feel some sensitivity or slight pain. Usually this goes away in a day or two and you should be able to eat normally. In some cases, it can last a few days longer.
If the pain or sensitivity gets worse, or doesn’t go away within a week, it is best to call your dentist and tell them. You should not have severe pain at all after a dental filling. If you experience severe pain, call your dentist and tell them right away.
Get Cavities Filled Before They Get Worse
If there is any good news about having a cavity, it’s that getting it filled promptly will actually be a lot less painful than letting it go. Letting cavities go without treatment will only result in further decay, toothaches, and more intense procedures, like root canals, to fix them. These procedures will be a lot less fun than getting a cavity filled, and usually result in some lingering pain.
A dentist with a good chairside manner will be able to answer any questions you may have about the cavity-filling process to help put your mind at ease to get your dental cavity dealt with and out of the way. For help finding a dentist in your area, check out our online search tool.