Fillings

When you have a cavity (with or without braces) you will need to get a filling. This is where your dentist fills in the rotten part of the tooth. In this post, we will describe Amanda’s experience of this process to give you an idea of how it will go.

The first thing your dentist will do is give you a shot of Novocain in your cheek and gum area around the specific tooth. Depending on where the tooth is, they might have to give you a second shot to numb your chin and lip.

Once they have administered the local anesthesia and made sure you are completely numb, your dentist will start the process. First, he/she will scrape away at the rotted part of the tooth. Sometimes the cavity is really deep and they will need to drill into your tooth to get to the actual cavity. When this is the case, your dentist will use what looks like a miniature jackhammer, called a dental hand piece, to chip away the tooth.

After they have cleared the path to the cavity, they will fill it in with a dental amalgam or resin that is the same color as your tooth. Also note that they will probably allow you to listen to your own music during the operation if you request it! The only pain you should feel throughout the procedure is the shot, so if you start to feel pain during the operation you should immediately let your dentist know.

Planning your day around a filling: Typically the whole process will take upwards of an hour to complete. The Novocain usually takes around three hours to wear off, although you can still eat while it’s numb. The tooth you got filled will be sensitive to hot and cold foods so be careful when you are eating after your appointment. Other than that you can basically follow your normal schedule after getting your filling.

-Erik and Amanda