What to Expect When You Get a Cavity

Learn about options for filling cavities and what the treatment entails.

Hearing that you have a cavity during your dental exam can be upsetting, especially if you had believed you’d been taking excellent care of your teeth. However, the good news is that getting a cavity filled is virtually pain-free these days. With just one additional dental visit, you can get that hole in your tooth completely sealed up to prevent further decay and to prevent stimuli like heat, cold, pressure and acidic foods from reaching the nerves of the tooth and causing pain or sensitivity.

Here’s what to expect.

Advice From Your Dentist

The first step is of course for your dentist to advise you about the condition of your tooth. In some cases, the cavity may still be very small. If the cavity has not penetrated the dentin, some dentists may recommend simply keeping an eye on it rather than filling it immediately. It is possible that the natural process of remineralization could help restore the tooth enamel and arrest the decay. If the cavity is very large, or you have multiple cavities on one tooth, your dentist may recommend a more aggressive restoration such as a crown in order to correct the problem and protect your tooth. For now, however, let’s assume we have an ordinary case with an average sized cavity.

Filling Materials

Depending on a variety of factors including your budget and your concerns about the appearance of your teeth and your smile, you may want to get a metal filling or a white composite filling. Metal fillings are less expensive and are considered a fine choice for fillings on back teeth. White composite fillings cost more, but they are hardly noticeable on your teeth so they will not detract from the beauty of your smile.

The Procedure

If a cavity is found during a routine dental exam, your dentist will make an appointment for you to get a filling as soon as possible. On this day, you will come in and get local anesthesia to numb the area around the tooth needing the filling. Then, the dentist will use a special drill to remove the decayed portion of the tooth surrounding the cavity. This ensures that bacteria that were present in the decayed tooth structure do not get trapped beneath the new filling where they would cause ongoing problems. After cleaning the area, the dentist will then place your metal or composite filling. In the case of a composite filling, a special light will be used to activate chemicals in the composite material and cause it to quickly harden into place.

The Recovery

Immediately after getting a filling, your lips and gums will still be numb due to the local anesthetic. As this wears off, you may begin to notice some sensitivity in the tooth that has received the filling or even in nearby teeth. This is normal and should wear off in a week or so. Meanwhile, avoid triggering this sensitivity by avoiding stimuli like hot soup or iced drinks. You should treat the tooth with the filling just like you would treat any other tooth, taking care to keep it clean with daily brushing and flossing. Your filling should last for many years if you take care of it correctly.