How are cavities filled today?

Get ready for Novocaine. My dentist sets a cotton swab on the area first with topical version of Novocaine. Slow and easy deep breathing.

step one: they put novocaine on your gums to numb it.
2: put weird metal rings on a few of your teeth
3: I think they drilled after that, then filled, then shaped by drilling, filled again, etc. until cavities are gone and tooth is of desired shape. This can take a while.
4: use a high-powered, extremely bright light to harden the filling. They also do this in between filling and drilling sometimes.
5: all done!

I had a cavity filled recently, and that is what happened. The novocain stings a little, but isn’t bad. After that you don’t feel a thing.

Thank you! I am glad to hear they numb the area with topical novocaine first now (I don’t think they did this when I was a kid).

I think that depends on the dentist. Mine used the needle, but it didn’t even hurt much, just stung a little like I said.

I get the topical numbing first too, then the needle. It hurts but not half as much as when I was a kid.

Well, they don’t use Novocaine anymore, and some have moved past whatever replaced it. You may or may not get the topical numbing.
Then, in most cases, the doc gets to work with the drill, per usual.
Then, he may use either metallic fillings, or else a compound that looks like tooth and which hardens upon exposure to an intense blue light.

I had to have two fillings a couple of months ago and going to the dentist isn’t anywhere near as stressful or scary as it used to be. My Dentist rubbed lots of a very minty tasting gel onto the area around the tooth to be filled and then waited for it to partially numb. Then I got two injections of novacaine (teeth being filled were on opposite sides at the back) and again waited till it was fully numbed. He tested by tapping etc on tooth. Then he drilled and filled, it took no time, honestly, maybe 20–25 mins beginning to end (and that was 2 fillings) and it was fine. Dentists tend to play music in the treatment room but I had asked him to be allowed to listen to my mp3 player and he was happy with it. He had asked me originally if I wanted him to explain each step before he did it, and I said no thanks, don’t want to know, told him I’d close my eyes and pop my headphones in, and he could tap me on the shoulder when he was done. Worked great. He’s actually told me since that he’s suggested this to a couple of nervous patients since and even let one of them borrow his ipod lol. Good luck, and don’t worry it’ll be fine <hugs> xx

the routine hasn’t changed that much, the materials have. You still probably will need a shot. Everyone uses topical now. You have to give it long enough to numb the area, which some people don’t because thery’e too tightly booked. Then you study the x-ray, you remove all the decay and old filling. Then you decide what you’ve got to work with and how close to the pulp (nerve) you are. Then you shape, this depends what your’e gonna fill with, if you use silver you use a matrix retainer so it doesn’t squash out the sides. You might use a varnish or adhesive before you fill. Then you jam it in there, shape, carve, check the bite and off the patient goes. easy don’t worry

Thanks! Just got back- it was nothing!
A topical numbing agent was used! Easy, pea-sy.
Thanks for all the help, you guys are awesome!

Someone was making noise about a laser drill about ten years ago. I don’t think that it ever went anywhere.

I have cavities all the time and I still go to a kids dentist, but I’m pretty sure they numb your mouth in the same ways as other dentist. The only difference is that these dentist give you laughing gas. I can’t tell you for sure what happens, First they ask you to put a small sponge in your mouth depending on where your going to get the filling. They give you a shot of something that makes your mouth numb (possibly novocane.) The shot doesn’t really hurt. In fact, sometimes I don’t notice it at all. Then they ask you if you feel anything and if you don’t, they start removing the cavity tissue and then they fill it in, and you don’t feel a thing well after your trip to the dentist. Occasionally it hurts a little bit after the numbing medication wears off, but its generally a painless procedure.

I am getting two fillings done tomorrow i really dont want nonvocaine at all!!! I loathe it!