Have you recently found out you need to get a cavity filled? If so, don’t worry. This is something that affects close to 90% of adults in the U.S. Here’s what you can expect during your visit.

Detection

The first thing that will happen is your dentist will look for any cavities. Some symptoms that might point to a cavity include:

• toothache
• spontaneous pain
• tooth sensitivity
• mild to sharp pain when eating or drinking something sweet
• visible holes or pits in your teeth
• brown, black, or white staining on any surface of a tooth
• pain when you bite down

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, contact your dentist immediately. Once your dentist has located the cavity, you’ll schedule an appointment for another visit in the near future. You typically can go a few days or a week without getting your cavity filled, but if it’s an emergency it will be sooner.

Process of Filling A Cavity

The first thing your dentist will do at your next appointment is numb your gums, teeth, and mouth surrounding your cavity. This is to lessen the discomfort you may feel during the process. Your dentist will double-check to ensure your mouth is actually numb before beginning the procedure. Once the numbing has been confirmed, your dentist will drill out the decay. The amount of time this will take depends on every case, severity, and the number of cavities. If you have a few, they will all be filled in the same appointment most likely. So it might take a minute for your dentist to finish drilling out the holes in your tooth. Once the decay has been removed, your dentist will replace it will a filling. This will only take a few minutes.

Once your appointment is completed it is possible you’ll remain numb for a few hours. Make sure to speak with your dentist about follow-up care and things to avoid while you’re healing. It’s important to follow these steps so nothing happens to your filling.

If you are in need of a cavity filling, contact Wytheville Dental. We offer a variety of services including general and cosmetic dentistry. To learn more about Wytheville Dental visit us online here today!