Does it hurt when you get fillings?

Question

I need to go get a few fillings, but I am afraid it will hurt. I am a chicken.

Answer 1

You get a shot to numb your gum before they do the filling. It does sometimes pinch real bad. But then you're numb & happy.

Answer 2

I went to the dentist just today and it was my first time ever getting fillings. Im 14 and i was sooo terrified of it. But, im going to be completely honest, the very worst part was sitting in the waiting room! I then walked down the hall into the dentist office and my dentist very quickly realized i was scared. Your dentist will walk you through the procedure, and then you will get to lie flat on the chair. For me, they put a movie on and gave me some headphones. Then he took a cue tip with some pink gel on it and rubbed it on my gum which makes it totally numb, you could have hit my teeth with a hammer and i wouldnt have felt it. This was the second worst part, because it feels the weirdest. It doesnt hurt, it just feels weird. Then he puts a needle in your mouth and after that you cant feel a thing. I have very little pain tolerance and when he put the needle in i didnt even notice it because its super thin (dont let the length scare you, he doesnt put it in all the way) and he already put the pink gel on my gum so i couldnt feel it anyways! After that the scary part is all over and you can sit down and relax as the dentists work. You wont be scared after the needle because you will realize you cant feel anything so you dont really care what the dentists do to your mouth. The only thing you will feel is the drill vibrating. I advise you watch a movie or listen to drown out the sound. To be totally honest i found it quite relaxing! I then sat up, washed my mouth and walked out of the dentist office totally fine. Its nothing, really. I have to go back again 2 times soon for a root canal and another filling and im not scared at all! afterwards you will know what im talking about.

Answer 3

It should absolutely not. Esp. if you get a good dentist and you TELL him/her that you are anxious. The only part that could possibly prick would be the needle and if they KNOW that you are anxious there are ways to almost eliminate any feeling the needle could have.

They can rub some topical anesthetic to numb the skin before giving the injection.
Also the slower the dentist pushes the local anesthetic from the needle the more it will be pain-free.

Finally there are other techniques for even the biggest dental-phobic which include nitrous oxide (laughing gas) for relaxation, prescriptions for anxiety medication that you take 1 hour before an appointment, general anesthetic (being put to sleep) for the largest phobics, and behavioral conditioning done with a psychologist and dentist together.

Once "numbed up" there should be no feeling of pain. Make sure you tell your dentist if you are in any discomfort. It could be a sign that the injection was given in a slightly wrong spot or the anesthetic is wearing off if you have a long appointment. No dentist wants their patient in pain so speak up.


A good dentist will take the time to make you feel as comfortable and dentally healthy as possible. Be sure to communicate any fears so they can treat you better.

Answer 4

Not when you are getting the fillings because your gums and surrounding areas will be numb. The dentist will wipe some local numbing agent inside your mouth and then give you a shot. The shot doesn't hurt very much because he has already numbed the area some.

Answer 5

They numb the area around the tooth so other then a little pressure you wont feel a thing. When I start to chicken out on dental work I ask myself..is it better to be numb and get it done or wait til some afternoon when dentist is out and get a worse toothache... trust me...I go get the filling

Answer 6

You won't feel a thing. I have 4 fillings

Answer 7

I haven't had pain while getting a filling. They numb your jaw before they work. You will feel pressure while they are working and afterward your jaw will be stiff. Take some Tylenol before you go.

Answer 8

I just had a lot of dental work done over the last few months, I've always gotten novacain and it didn't hurt me at all.

Answer 9

Yes, it hurts! when I went and got my filling a piece of my tooth dust from the drilling went into my eye even with those goofy looking Blues Brothers sunglasses on!

Answer 10

No. You will feel a little prick in your gums when they numb you but after that you feel nothing. It's nearly painless!