Is It Normal To Get This Size Cavity Drilled With No Numbing Was The Back Only Drilled Because I

No Novocaine before filling cavity? Is this normal?

Your dentist probably meant that if you return soon, before the cavity got larger, he could fill it without anesthesia. This is normal if the cavity is only in the enamel portion of the tooth structure. There are no nerves in the enamel. In fact, when treating children, if there are small cavities in the enamel, injection anesthesia is rarely used. This is because the nerve area of the tooth is not being touched, and the child will respond better to the pressure sensation as opposed to receiving the dreaded shot.
Ask your dentist before he proceeds if this is indeed what he meant, but yes, this is normal procedure for small cavities. Instead of receiving the injection and being numb for the rest of the afternoon for a 10 minute procedure, you will just feel pressure on your tooth during the drilling process.

I'm getting a "small" cavity filled tomorrow on the surface of my bottom back tooth, should i get novocaine?

AS a dentist for over 17 years, I am faced with this decision on "small" cavities all the time. Want to be a good guy and allow the patient to avoid the needle and after-affects, but also want the patient to be comfortable during the procedure.

There are a few ways to handle this: You could just go ahead and get the anesthesia. If your dentist is good, and uses topical first, it really should not hurt. The biggest pain will be the numb feeling for a while afterwards (but your dentist could use a short-acting anesthetic). Or you could try it without the anesthesia, with the option to have it if you feel something during the procedure. However, from the dentist's point of view, this is a pain in the neck... to have to stop and wait in the middle of the procedure for the anesthetic to take effect.

I would ask the dentist his opinion, but if there is any doubt, just have him get you numb, and be done with it!!!

On a scale of 1-10 how bad does a filling hurt?

If a 10 is getting your leg blown off in a roadside bomb, then I would say a 0.5.

Questions about getting a cavity filled?

1: It could take from about 15 minutes to 30 minutes, but it's never TOO long.
2: They give you the anaesthetic shot, drill about a little bit to get the cavity all cleaned out, and then they put the filling stuff into your tooth. They may ask you to bite down on a small piece of paper so that it can mould to your teeth shape, and then when it's dried a little they'll ask you to bite down to see what it feels like.
Don't worry if it feels a little off. If it does, you can tell them if you want to, but if you just leave it, it shouldn't be so off after a few days of eating and stuff.
3: The numbing shot CAN hurt, but it's not so bad once it's over and done with. If you just find something to take your mind off it, you may not even feel it! It can also vary from person to person, but there's nothing to be afraid of.
4: Sometimes, the dentist may let you listen to your own music, yes. Just explain to them that it may help to relax you since you're a little nervous and haven't had one of these fillings done before. Make sure it's on little volume (Enough so that you can hear it, though!) and maybe only keep one earphone in.
5: Your mouth will be...numb! It will feel a little funny, but be sure not to bite or chew on it because you certainly won't feel a thing and if you bite too hard, you could damage your mouth! It will be numb for a few hours, maybe 2, and when it's going back to normal your cheek/mouth may feel a little tingly, but all should be fine by then.
You can eat about an hour after, if you're VERY careful not to bite your cheek or lip, and eat on the other side of your mouth. And I'd say you could drink just a little earlier than that. Just don't swish it around your mouth just yet!

I really do hope this helps! Just remember to be careful not to bite yourself after the whole thing, and above all, don't be afraid! It'll be over before you know it :)

Getting a filling tomorrow, Worried about the size...?

Small means small. Honestly I've had most of my fillings done without any shots or gas. When it came time to redo some, however, my current dentist insisted on shots. I think it was more for his peace of mind than mine, but whatever.

So long as you're brushing regularly, cavities really don't grow that fast, even after one has started, so if it was small before, it'll still be small now.

Getting the shot isn't pleasant...but it doesn't really hurt either. After all, your gum will be going numb all the while so you'll just feel a poke and a bit of pressure but that's it. In my opinion, the shot is the worst part and it's over in a minute or so.

Next comes the drilling. Just keep your tongue out of the way and you'll be fine. I don't think anyone likes the grinding and buzzing noise but if it's a small cavity it'll only take a few minutes to drill it out.

The longest part is putting in the filling, making it fit and shaping it properly. Think of it as patching a hole in the wall. He'll mix up the filling material, fill in the hole, then sand down the rough edges.

That's all there is to it and you can go home. Avoid eating or drinking until the novocaine has worn off. A cold pack can help speed that along but it still takes a few hours generally.